Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-04-16
A CHAPTER ON PROPOSALS.

Mr., EDITOR: Your correspondent, who
is a man somewhat advanced in years, and
capable of looking back upon the follies
and errors of his youth with calm, con-
temp!ative spirit, wishes TO open the bud
get Of his experience to the rising genera
ton. AS will be understood by the title TO
this essay, | propose to offer at present
few remarks on the subjecfof matrimonial
proposals. So much has been SAID, thought,
written, and done upon this subject, that
the man who could offer any thing like a
new, genuine, and efficient chart TO the
lorn and frightened mariner upon the I'M
certain sea of love, must indeed be ge-
MUS, the railroad track of whose magma
ton DIVORCES from the ordinary dusty high
way of human thoughts.
Your correspondent proposes no such
fight. For him il shall be sufficient, if he
succeeds in selecting among the many
awkward modes now in vogue Of asking a
lady's heart that which is least SO; and by
doing so, he may confer lasting favor
upon the many individuals who are doomed
to tread the dark and shadowy path to-
wards that fairy land from whose bourne
few travellers IRISH 10 return. y
But to enter more INFINITELY into the
subject, allow me to give, as in the outset
! proposed, q brief account of an early adj
venture:
1t will not be deemed vanity at my age
to say. that at twenty-five | was possess
ed of full share of the personal charms
of youth. OF about the Chesterfeldian
standard, five feet ten, with locks black and
glossy as ,heJaven's wing, (alas! the dri-
ven snow is not whittier nowD fair com.
plexion, cheeks glowing with the red tide
Of youth and health, it may be thought my
experience in matters Of the heart should
have proved an exception TO the rule that
" the course of true love never did run
smooth" IT was my fortune to become
acquainted with young lady possessed Of
so many charms, mental and personal, and
so super-eminent in each, that it was in
deed impossible for me to avoid falling, as
| did, desperately in love with her.
As far as chances of the eye, tremors Of
the voice, and occasional inuendoes might
Co.. 4 doubt not that succeeded in impart.
ing to her knowledge Of the state of my
heart; let it suffice to say this was the
case, and the time came when it was in
cumbent on me to make distinct avowal
Of my love. After long and perplexing
mental debate, resolved to do this by let
ter; and after writing some forty epistes
on as many sheets of gilt-edged satin pa
per, finally succeeded in forming let
Ter, amounting TO about six lines, contain
ing as thought the condensed quintesl
sence of every thing that could or ought
to be said on the subject. But unfortu-
nately, this specimen OF epsiolatory ex-
cellence was scarcely finished, when,
CHANGING to peruse some Of the experien-
ces of predecessor in the paths Of love,
| read that nothing was more unwise or
dangerous than making an offer Of ones
hand and heart by means Of pen and pa
per. With the creduliIy Of simple mind
| at once gave implicit credence to this
doctrine, and frightened at the precipice
which had so narrowly avoided, de-
stroyed my letter, resolved to declare N.Y.
self with my own lips, and TO hear with
my own ears, the reply which was TO seal
my destiny. Never did an Alexander, a
Wallace, or Napoleon, feel the inspirit-
ing effects Of heroic resolution more
powerfully than ! felt the influence Of this.
| | had resolved. would execute! '
y committed to memory cold for
mula Of words, to be delivered as the
school-boy recites his speech, Of which il
is sufficient for the purposes Of this article
10 recollect the following: "Miss Adams!
will you permit me to offer you my hand
and hearth
The fearful hour had arrived. The eve
ming for my wonted visit approached, and
found myself seated by the side Of my