Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-07-07
POPPING THE QUESTION.

L
From an article in the London Saturday
Revie,o on this absorbing question we quote
as to different methods:
THE PLEA OF LONG ACQUAINTANCE.
Of all the pleas, we think that Of long
acquaintance is the most discouraged by
fiction. from Dumbiedikes downward. -
When Jeanie Deans is obliged to be ex-
plicit with her extraordinary lover. Il
like another man better than you. and l
Gamma marry ye," his astonishment is quite
natural ''Another man better than me.
Jeanie! How is that possible, woman?"
Dunn biedikes had read no novels. He
could not, therefore, understand why habit
should not work the same results on both
sides. Jeanie even. for the same reason,
thought the argument plausible. Instead
of confuting she accepted it. ''Ay. but,
Laird, I.kenned him longer. It is this
long acquaintance which at once makes
Johnny Eames> such persevering suitor
and renders. his case hopeless. He can
not understand the force Of sudden fan
cy, and expects to supersede it. In fact,
however, if he had come newly upon the
scene he might have had some chance. but
Lilly 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 shattered by a
storm. 1T is no longer tree" she says,
''but fragment" He argues. ''Then
be my payment" "No, dear, it cannot
be- Perhaps long acquaintance and a
readiness to be made use of and to put up
with fragments induces contempt, as in
the case of Major Dobbin and his Amelia.
The man who falls into Toot's vein, and
treats his own time, feelings, and exer-
tions as "of no consequence, will not be
accepted till the romance of life is exhaust
ed.
HOW YOUNG GUPPY PROCEEDED.
Do our readers recall Mr.. Guppy. the
attorneys clerk in '.Bleak House," whose
delicate attention to his mothers habits
does him so much honor? As a happy
blend of the real and ideal his proposal
deserves quoting at length though it meets
with so chilling return from the object
of his passion:
my present salary, Miss Summerson
at Kenge, & Carbos's, is two pounds a
week. My mother has property which
,talsas--...ls-e -ea=se..=sz-=z=s1 la. Ae.s.:.-s
She is eminently calculated for mother
in-law. She has her failings. as who has
not; but never knew her to do it when
company was present, at which time you
may freely trust her with wine, spirits or
malt liquors. Miss Summerson, in the
mildest language, I adore you. Would
you be so kind as to allow me Gas may
say) to file declaration-to make. an Of
fer?' Mr.. Guppy went down on his
knees. [ said. ''Get up from that ridicu-
lous position Immediately, sir, or you will
oblige me to ring the bell"
THE STRAIGHTFORWARD OFFER.
But, after all, the main use of this class
of reading is in the vast scope and. field it
opens to the intelligent inquirer-the i'm
mense variety of alternatives. whether for
warning or example which the pages of
fiction hold out; for every lover in fiction
furnishes material for one or the other
The unbounded choice is the thing, direct
ed by that insight into character and tenn
perament which it is the high Office of the
novelist to instill Thus the use of the
word wife" indicates the straightforward
Offer It pleases simple women. "Anne
Thompson, will you be my wife?' is the
conventional Quaker's 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
gentleman's side. "Of course, Grace, !"
said Major Garntley, 'you know why I
am here ?" He paused, then remember
ing that he had no right to expect an an
swer to such question. he continued =
II have come here; dearest Grace, to ask
you to be my wife" But there is con-
fdent abruptness in this form that will not
do under reversed circumstances. In op-
position to this some women are to be ap-
preached with timid, distant entreaty. as
Tito to Romola: 'If you will only let
me say love you-if you will only think
me worth loving little" Then there is
the manly offer Of heart and hand. which
is perhaps of all the modes the most taken
for granted by the outside, unthinking
world. ''There is my hand" says Lucius
Mason to Sophia Furnival, "There is my
hand," says she. as they stand holding
one another palm to palm. He quite hon.
est; she only able to reach the pitch Of
half honesty. Some times mere point is
made of the shape, and quality. and ac-
tion of the hands; thus Felix Graham Of
fers his broad right hand. eff you can
take it, you cannot doubt my heart goes
with it," and the timid Madeline says
not word. nor does she lift her eyes from
the ground, but very slowly she raises her
little hand and allows her soft, slight fin
gers, etc. -
SAM WELLER IS THE MODEL AFTER ALL.
The subject is too full-full to overflow
iug-for connected discussion within our
limits. We can but touch here and there
upon some of its innumerable heads -
But here it must be owned that fiction has
not SO much the advantagspver fact as in
hand hand encounter. Perhaps the
whole matter of love letter is condensed