The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1858-05-12
Elopements.

The species of amusements known
by the above name has been, for the
last year or two and, in fact, still is,
extraordinarily popular. Ii seems
as If the rising generation was fully
convinced that marriage is something
to be greatly ashamed of or else the
seed sown by romance writers of this
past age is bearing a goodly portion
of fruit. In former times, If John
wanted TO wed with Mary, he went
and told her so, like and honest youth
If she was willing, she said, Ask pa!'
and pa settled the question. If John
was industrious, temperate, and we'll
to-do, pa said, "All right" and Mary
became Mrs. John. lfJohn was not,
pa said "No!' and Mary got over it,
and married some one else.
1t must be confessed that this was
not romantic as an elopement,-
There was no surprise and no
scandal among the neighbors. But
the Johns and Marys were very hap
py. They raised crops, and built
houses, and spun cloth, and bore
children, and fulfilled their simple des-
tiny az well az it could be done.
Now, however, mus arms cdanSc
tom csla." Mary sees John from the
boarding school window, and sees
that he makes eyes at her in passing.
The next time he passes she con,rives
that he shall see her ogaln, and lit
tie bit of eye-coquetry is the result
Process repeated several times, when
John, being, ofcourse, in love, from his
boot-heels up finds out Mary's name
and indites to her llowery epiftle,
saying.
"Meet me by moonlight alone"
To this Mary 'eplies, and meets him.
John squeezes Marys hand. and talks
moonlight and "Chlde Harold" and
goes home feeling as if he had been
living on honey and maple sap for a
week. Mary goes home feeling ditto.
A correspondence ensucs, on
sweet-smeling pink paper, with gill
edges, but in which the words are all
spelled wrong, and the English gram
mar totally ignored. All of sudden,
some fine morning, Mary turns up
and John also. They are
not heard of for a week, when they
return Mr.. and Mrs. John, and 90
down on their knee-pans to beg the
old folks forgiveness.
Being altogether too Young and
inexperienced to appreciate what
hey are about, ten chances in twelve
hey quarrel before the honeymoon
S over John finds the broom handle
'craping acquaintance with his head, /
and Mary, though blonde, appears
n public with black eyes. How
much better is this, we should like to
lnow, than the old style Of doing
hing-?
Romance is n nice article-a very
pretty article--but it may be pur-
:hased a little too dearly. A lifetime
'fmisery is hardly atoned for by a fort
light OF sugary sentiment, and it be-
looves young people TO think twice
before they run their heads into a
loose from which there is no escap-
ng.
We would recommend those of
'ur readers who contemplate any
of this kind, to consult
heir parents on the subject. If the
Id folks agree to it, the young ones
nay elope as much AS they like, and
will be entirely justifiable therein.
There are cases, undoubtedly,
where running away is quite right,
mt these are exceedingly rare, and ..
equire a most singular combination ,
f circumstances. Generally, the
,ania proceeds from the effect of
ilenus Cobb's romance, acting on
feeble brain, and should be treat ,
d accordingly.