Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-07-30


wife, and 1 think / do. You are the only
woman know of that should like to have.
have known you good many years, and you
know me well enough; and if you have no OBJ
lection, we will be married tomorrow. What
do you say" Mary might have suspected an.
other man acting thus to be out of his mind,
but knowing the habits Of the speaker, she
merely replied that she would prefer having
some time to think the matter over
ii give you week, said he 81 by that
ume you must make up your mind, as want
the affair settled, now l have taken it i'm hand.
be good girl, aud consent, and Ill make You
good husband" On that day week he took
her with him back to his new house as his
wife and never from that. day to this found
cause to repent his choice, which perhaps was
not so unprecedented as, from the suddenness
OF the event, We might suppose.
Among civilized nations, it is almost the uni
versal rule that all advances towards matri-
mony are to be made solely by the male II
would be thought violation of modesty for
the lady IN any case-unless, perhaps she were
royal personage-tO manifest any evidence of
partiallty towards gentleman who had not
hrst given decided tokens of bis admiration.
mere Is no very philosophical ground for this
rlgld rule that we are aware of, either in ma
ture or reason; and We are not justified in con
temnlng those who choose to break through it
IL being custom perfectly conventional and
really OF no moralimportance whatever. Among
the natives OF Paraguay, such a one sided re-
eiprocity Is utterly unknown. here both male
and female are 1T liberty to declare their pre-
terence for one another, without either of them
ineurring the slightest Obloquy. All a natural
mod esty req hires is the occasional Intervention
OF third party, who shall act for the lady the
part which gentleman is supposed to be cour-
ageOus enough to enact for himself. When a
lass OF Paraguay is smitten with the charms of
young Indian warrior, she applies to an elder
Of her tribe, or to the missionary of the station
to procure on her behalf his consent to the
match. If the proposition is accepted, all is
well, and the pair are married If, on the other
hand, it is declined, it becomes the Office of the
unsuccessful mediator to reconcile her to the
disappointment, which is accomplished gener-
ally with no great difficulty, there having been
no pining in secret, no wire-drawing, dallying
clrcumiocutions, no painful suspense in the
transaction of the business.
H. among ourselves, ladies are sometimes
known to take the initiative we see no great
reason for prudish EXPLANATIONS, or any severe
Judgment upon their conduct. The proof Of a
pudding they say, is in the eating and the
best proof OF the wisdom or propriety of any
step Is 10 be looked for in the results Owing
10 the riSld adherence, in this country, to the
custom above alluded to, we never personally
knew but one instance of a matrimonial match
proposed by the lady-partner but that one
turned out we'll 1t happened as follows:
young artist who painted tolerable land
scapes, at which he wrought dismally hard for
the beneht of the dealers. lodged on the second
floor OF tradesmans house, in the neighbor-
hood OF oxford street. He had hard struggle
to maintain respectable appearance and to
save enough to enable him to make the annual
summer sketching trip, which was indispensa-
bic to furnish him with subjects for the easel
His landlord, who had a thriving business.
drank himself into delirium tremens and died
at the age of thirty-fve, leaving young widow,
without incum brances, in possession of the con-
Germ From causes we need not specify the
artist, a year after fell into difficulties and
debt, and OF course into arrears with his rent
Hopeless at length Of ex ricating himself and
resolving to retrench, he sent for his landlady,
and laid frankly before her the sad case of his
exchequer, Offering either to quit or to remove
10 less expensive quarters in the attic above,
and concluded by asking her advice. The ad
vice she gave him then and there was, that he
should take her to church, and wipe out the
debt at the altar. We know nothing Of the
precise terms in which the advice WAS conveyed,
but that was the sense of it. and in another
moment the ast0nished artist was in his mind
Ihe result has been already suggested. The
wedding came off in month The business
was advantageously sold and with the means
at command of procuring valuable instruction.
and to complete his studies by travel the artist
in 4 few years, took high rank in his profession,
and has since realized both independence and
reputation.
Although the above is the only instance of
match OF the kind we can personally vOuch for
we can record another upon the responsibility
OF friend, who guarantees its truth young
Norfolk farmer, on beginning life with a linn
tied capital, found that two things were wanted
to do justice to the large farm which he rented
on long lease-namely, wife to rule the
house at home, and an additional thousand
mum IN he L., I Il.
clous man, he conceived that the two might be
found combined, and he began to look about for
cheerful lass with dowry to the desiderated
| amount. Accident threw him one Clay into COM
| Pany with the parsOn of a neghbOring parish
| with whom as he rode home while returning
| from market, he fell into conversation En-
| cOuraged by the divine, the youth unburthened
himself OF his cares and plans, aud mentioned
| the design he had formed Of marrying as soon
as he could find an agreeable lass with a mod
| crate dOwry.
''I'll tell you what" said the parson, give
got three daughters, and very nice girls they
are, assure you. Suppose you come and dine
with me next market-day; you will meet them
at the table; and if any of them should prove
the inevitable she you are in search of, shall
not be backward to do my part rs fast as can. >
Agreed, said the youth. i'm come, as
sure as You re alive, if you n say nothing about
ii to the young ladies" :"
Inat snail be bargain. On Saturday
next, then, We shall see you at dinner, at five :
And here, their roads diverging, the gentlemen
separated.
AT the appointed hour on the following Sat
| urday, the young farmer, in handsome trim,
descended from his galloway at the parsons
| door Dinner was served in n few minutes after,
and the young ladies, with their mother, graced
the table with their presence. All three fully
justified the encomiums of the father; but the
| youngest rosy-faced, roguish, cheerful lass
| just escaped from her teens, alone made a vivid
| impression on the young farmer The repast
! progressed agreeably enough, and when ii was
| ended, the ladies Withdrew, leaving the gentle.
! men to chat over their wine
WELL" said the host, what do you think
of my girls !'
Il think them all charming, said the youth;
but the yOungest-yOu call her Nelly-is
really mos; bewitching, and clever, too; and if
| am to have the honor of being allied to you,
must give Inc her"
" That Is against all rule, y returned the host,
" To take the youngest first; but of course |
cannot control your choice. What dOwry do
YOu eXuect ~