Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-11-08
POPPING THE QUEsTION.-.--A
STORY OF A TIMID MAN.

won fair ladye.' know not who it was
that gave birth to this wise Saw
whether it is to De found in Homer, as
some say all things may (it is long time
since we read Homer)-or whether some
gallant son o: Mars introduced it 10 the
world by way Of forwarding the views of
himself and comrades. Blu. this ! know,
that whoever the person may be, he has
much to answer for much to answer for
to the ladies for subjecting them to the Of:
fectations and imper.inences of our sex
much TO answer for to US, for encouraging
the belief that such behavior is pleasing
to the fair. g
Perhaps it may be urged that misap.
prehension Of = misapplication Of the ad.
age have caused the grievance complain
Of 1t may be so: but it is not enough
that law is made with view to encour.
age merit; it should be SO framed IS to
defy perversion to the purpose of evil.
In the blessed days Of chivalry, no doubt,
the bravest knights were-ss they dsserv.
ed to be-the most successful plsaders in
theb over Of beauty. But let it be remem.
be.ed that, in those days, the galIants
were bold as lions in battle, but in lady's
boud,ir (if such an anarchronism may be
allowsd) meek as SO many lambs Now,
l much fear the high bearing of our gall
lans is chiefly displayed 10 the chambers
of their mistresses, while crsved hearts
are found to :remble in the tent. Alas,
for the days of chivalry In word
though l speak it With the most perfect
good bumor and without a particle Of
jsa'ousy--I consider the young men Of
the present day saucy, empty, assuming,
ill-bred set of fellows, and altogether un.
worthy the favors Of the bellies Of the nine
teenth century.
am not nineteenth century man my.
self, aud thank the gods (par.rculsrly
the god Of loveI for that consolation in the
midst of all my sorrows. Forty years ago
things were very different: the young
folks of that age were men Of another cali
bre, men who paid some regard to de-
csncy, and were not ashamed to wear the
blush Of modesty upon all proper ocsas
ions. was lover then; and confess
(though at the risk of getting laughed at
for my pains, felt as much alarmed at
the idea of "popping the red hot ques
tion,' as facing a fifteen pounde,. An
offer of marriage at that time Of day was
matter Of deliberation for weeks, months
nay, frequently for years: not, as now, an
affair of three interviews-a ball, a morn
ing call, and an evening at the opera
No, no: Gretns Green was terra incog.
nita in those days; and except in plays
and romances, no man ever dreamt Of
stealing an heiress burglariously (for l
eau find no softer term for IT, or running
away with beauty, aud asking her con-
sent afterwards.
The manner Of popping the question,
certainly, must always vary considerably
with the varying dispositions and habits Of
mon. The young lawyer, for instance,
would put it in . precise, parchment sort
Of way,-I, A. B., d. hereby ask and SO
licit, &c.-while the poet, no doubt, would
whip in 3 scrap Of Ovid, and make it up
into sonnet or moonlight impromptu.-
l remember the opinion of young beau
Of Grsy's Ina (macronies We used to call
them in those days who, on its bsing
suggested ths. the best way Of putting the
query was BY writing, replied, mo, that
would never do for then the lady would
have it 10 show agains. you"
But to my tale. About twenty years
ago (I Was not then so bald a. am now, J
l Was spending the midsummer with my
old friend and school.fellow, Tom Merton.
Tom bad married early in life, and had
a daughter, Mary Rose, who. to her "fath.
er's wit and mothers beauty added her
Uncle Absslon's good humor, and her
Aunt Deborah's notability. In her you
had tho realization Of oil that the poets
have sung about fairy forms, dulcet voices,
and witchiDg eyes. She Was just such a
being asyou may imagine to yourself in
the heroine Of some beautiful romance
Narcissa, in .Roderck Random, for in.
stancs-or Sophia, in Tom Jones' -sr
Fanny. in Tom Andrews-not the mod
srn, lack adsisical dsmsels Of Colburn
and Bently. II she had met the eye Of
Marc Antony, Clsopstra might have exsr-
ted her blandishmsn.s in vain: il Paris
had but seen Mary Rose Merton, Troy
might have been atanding 20 this day
Such vss the presiding divinity Of the
heuse vhsxe wss visiting. Ny heart