The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-06-21
Popping the Question How This
Cheerful Work is Done in Novels.

Cheerful Work is Done in Novels.
From an article in tn c London
Saturday Review on this obsorbing
question we quote as to different
methods
TIE PLEA OF LONG ACQUAINTANCE.
Osall the pleas, VIC think that of
long acquaintance is the most diS>
couraged by fiction, from Dun.bidikes
duwnard. When Jcanic DeuLs is
obliged to be explicit with her extra
ordinary lover, 81 like another man
better than you, and Gamma marry
ye," his establishment is quite natu-
raj. "Another man better than mes
Jeanic How is that possible, wo-
man ye hac kcnncd me sac long :"
Dumbicdikes had read no novels.
Hc could not, therefore, understand
why habit should not work the same
Results on both sides. jamie even
for the same reason, thought the ar
gument plausible. Instead of con-
futiug I'll. accepted it. cay, but,
Laird, kcnncd him LANCER" 1t is
this long acquaintance which at once
makes Jonny Eames such pcrsever-
ing sutton and renders lis case hope
less. He cannot understand the
force of sudden fancy, and expects
to supersede it. In fact, however, if
he had ccmc newly upon the scene lie
might have had some chance, but Lii
ly had known him long enough to be
familiar, and It wouldn't do. She
no longer cares for the other man, but
he has shattered her as tree is shat
tered by Il storm. cit is no longer
trce,' she says, "but fragment >
He argues, 'sThcn be my fragment"
"No dear it cannot be-" Perhaps
long acquaintance and readiness to
be made use Of and to put up with
fragments induces contempt, as in the
case Of Major Dohbin and his Ame-
LA. The man who falls into Too:s's
vein, and treats his own time, fuel
ings, anu ex.rtions as "of no coHsc-
qucncc.' wiil not be accepted till the
romance Of life is exhausted.
HOW YOUNG GUrpy PROCEEDED.
Do our readers recall Mr.. Ghppy;
the attorneys clerk in "Bleak House,
whose dclicnte attention to his moth
cr,'s habits does him 50 much honor 4?
AS happy blending Of the real and
ideal, his proposal ? deserves quoting
at length, through it meets with so
chilling return from the object of
his passion:
"My present salary, Miss Summer,
son, at Kepge & Carboy's, is two
pounds week. My mother has a
little property, which takes the form
of a life annuity. She is cminently
calculated for u mother.in.law She
has her fAilngs, as who has not but
/ never knew her to do 1t when COIN
pany was present, ut which tine you
may freelcy trust her with wine;
spirits, or malt ldnors. Miss Sum-
merson, in the mildcst language, |
adore you. Would you be SO kind as
to allow me Gas | am >ay) to ilo, a
declaration to make an offer - Mr..
Guppy went down on Ills knees. |
said, "Get up from that rioiculous
position Immediately, sir, OF you will
obligc INC to ring the bell:"
THE srRAiTFoRwARD OFFER.
But, after all, the main use of this
class Of reading is the vast scope and
field it opens to the intelligent inquir.
er-thc immense variety Of altcrna-
tivcs, whether for warning or exam:
pie, which the pages Of fiction mold
out for every lover in fiction furni-
she's material for one or the other
The unboundcd choice is the thing,
directed by that Insight into charac-
ter and tEmpcramcnt which is the
high Office OF the novelist to instil
Thus the use of word "wifo" indicates
tho straightforward offer. 1t pleases
simple women. Came Thomtson,
W | you bc my wife :" is the tonven-
tonal Quakers first word Of love.
making. She says Yes" and the
thing is settled. Also it is effective
where the advantage of wealth or
position is on the gentlcman's side.
sOf course, Grace" said Major
Grantley, "you know why | am hore:"
lie paused, aud then remembering
that io had 10 right to expect an
answer to such a question, he contin-
ued: 81 have come here, dearest
Grace, to ask you to be my wife"
But there is coufileut abruptnes, in
this form that will not do uodcr re-.
versed circumstances. In opposition
to this, some women are to be ap-
preached with timid, distant entreaty,
as Tito to Romola "If you will
only let me say I love you-if you
will only think me worth loving a
little" Then There is the manly
offer of heart and hand, which is per-
haps of all the most taken for granted
by the outside unthinking world.
t'Thero is my hand" says Lucius
Mason to Sophia Furnival. There
80 n,,, h.nl - on uo che ao thou otonJ