Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-05-06
most obedient, most devoted, humble

desiring to be informed what he was pre-
pared to give her upon marriage, and how
much he intended to bequeath her. He
thought to be able to say to Miss Lydia as
Petruchio said to Kate the curst,
Your father hath consented
That yon shall be my wife your dowry greed on,
And will you, Mill you, will marry you.
But Sterne was not so eager to get rid
of his girl as was Signor Baptista, and re-
Piled" Sir, l shall give my daughter ten
thousand pounds the day of marriage.
Ny calculation is as follows She is not
eighteen, you are sixty-two--at least,
think her not ugly, she has many accom-
plishments, speaks Italian and French
plays upon the guitar; AM us | fear you
play upon no instrument whatever. think
you will be happy to take her at my terms
for here finishes the account of the ten
thousand pounds Whitefield asked the
hand of Il young American lady, of her
parents, without troubling to ascertain her
inclinations, and was good enough to let
them know they need not be afraid of
offending him by declining the honor,
since he blessed God he was free from the
passion called love. Next to ignoring the
lady altogether, the worst way of making
Il declaration is to do it by deputy. Cupid
is no friend to faint-hearted lovers. If the
damsel be worth the wooing, it is odds up
on the proxy suitor proving false, and SUI
ing on his own account. When those in
seperable brothers, William and Jacob
Grimm, We're persuaded of the necessity
of one of them taking wife. they had
friendly contention us to which should be
the victim, and after some days argument,
Jacob decided that he, as the elder, WAS
bound to sacrifice himself. They had pre-
EiOusly fixed upon the lady, Il beautiful
girl of twenty-five, but when it came to
HE push, Jacobs courage failed him, and
William undertook to persuade the maid
EN- to love his brother. After Il weeks
acquaintance poor William was Mortified
ut discovering he had lost his own heart
and now, fully alive to the cXcelences #
the fair one WAS miserable at the thought
of losing her, while he felt that to rob
his brother of si,ch prize would be an I'M
pardonable treachcry. Fortunately for
everybody, Grimm's aunt, Il shrewd old
lady, saw how things were, and told
Jacob what had come of Williams efforts
in his behalf. Jacob was delighted to
think he had escaped matrimonial bond
age, and celebrated his good fortune by
roaming about the country a free man, I'M
courtship ending more pleasantly for all
concerned than such things commonly do.
Convinced by kind Mrs Churchman that
he wanted wife to look after him. the
ludicious Hooker escaped the bother of
counting and popping the question by
leaving his adviser to find him mate and
arrange all prelimnaries. Happening to
! have daughter on her hands, the disin-
terested matron soon executed her com
mission, and the great churchman was
speedily married, as per contract.
| Shakspeare's heroines are remarkably
ready to take the initiative, popularity sup
posed to be the ladies' right only in Leap
Year. Helena demands the hand of Ber-
tram rs the price of her mountaineering
prescription. Desdemona gives Othello
the broadest of hints that she is to be had
for the asking. Miranda tells her patient
logman she is his wife if he will marry
her. Olivia says to .her lovers mas
querading messenger
Would you undertake another suit,
/ had rather hear you t. solicit tn 1t,
THIN music from the spheres!
then, finding Sebastian himself of more
malleable stuff than his fair double fetche,
Il priest to make sure of him while he is in
the humor; and Juliet caught thinking
aloud, declares her Willingness to lay her
fortunes at Romeo's feet. if he will but say
when and where the holy one shall make
them one If the poet drew from the life.
we must assume the ladies of his time
were equal to bringing la@gard admirers
to the point by popping the question
themselves. One EnglishWoman of hi II
degree, at any rate, had not very long be
fore set her sisters the example. Mary
/ Tudor, thinking. not unreasonable, one
loveless marriage sufficient for Il life,
determined not to be sacrificed to state
policy again and Charles Brandon had
not been many hours in France ere Mary
tearfuliy told him that, unless he welded
her there and then, he should never have
a second chance. Brandon was not the
man to say nay to such an appeal from
the flirest princess of ChristendOm, let
what might come of it, and, at the risk OF
his head, accepted the preferred hand.
The pair married in haste; but it is not
recorded that they repented at leisure.
Had the daughter of Castor d Orleans
been as wise as the English princess. she
would have taken Louis XIV, at his WORD
when he consented to her marrying the
Gascon, De Lauzun Mademoiselle was
proud; and, if love had impelled her to
offer her hand. with her heart in it. to al
inferior, she could not brook the idea OF
being married in u manner unbecoming j
princess of the blood royal. The kline
had time to listen to the remonstrances OF
his counsellors, and, when she besougit
him on her knees not to withdraw his con
sent. could only reproach her with not
having proited by it while she could
Louise de Savoie, sometime Queen-regent
of France, was equally unfortunate when
she usurped the masculine privilege. and
proposed to the famous Constable de
Bourbon Louise and Bourbon were at
variance respecting the disposition of his
dead wife's property. Talking over the
business one day together, the Queen
regent deserved that there We're more
ways than one of accommodating a law
suit. Queen Anne, for example, had saw
ed Brittany from civil war in a manner
worthy of imitation. g True" answered
Bourbon; =" but | know not what princess
would enable me to settle your highness's
suit in such an agreeable manner" - You
} forget, duke, | am a widow" said Louise
allowing her hand to rest upon that of the
Constable. Bourbon's face darkened Us
he rose to his feet, saying, Your high
ness mistakes me. The respect | owe his
majesty, the disparity of our years. my
own feelings, all render such union i'm
possible. If the king goes to law. l will
tight him, madam, that is ALL" Had not
Louise de Savoie challenged that mortify-
ing rebuff, Bourbon had not lived to lead
his counlry's foes to victory. and the sack
of Rome would not be in II matter of his
tory.
Miss Kenrick, the beautiful heiress cele-
brated in the ballad of the Berkshire
Ladys Garland, adopted singular meth
cd of winning the handsome young attor-
ney, Benjamin Child, with whom she had
fallen in love at sight. She sent him an
anonymous letter, demanding satisfaction
for injuries received. After vainly puz-
zlinu himself to ruess whom his chalIenn