Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-03-19
from the New York Rural.
ENGAGEMFNTTS
BY AUNT KATE.

To introduce a new suject into the
Ladies, Department of the Rural, and
ask the cooperation of those whose
wisdom and study have hitherto re-
fected so beautifully therein, requires
some bravery WeWould not only ex
press our own opinion, but hope to
benefit some who, like ourself, NAV be
toiling along the bypath of life's earn
est heart-work, staggered by some of
the incongruities of society people who
seem to s'see throughe a glass darkIy."
Something in home government
seems sadly out of joint, which reaches
far and wide into society. Parents
have apparently lost control of their
own little world, where God has made
them the supreme judge and affection
ate arbiter. Children argue that father
and mother are behind the times, and
have forgotten they were once young,
and all that While they mingle freely
alike with acquaintance and strangers
whose breath is not always free from
tobacco and whisky, and whose Ian
guage smacks of slang and occasion
ally fashionable oath, with parents
politely in the background, is it any
wonder girls are temporarily fascina-
ted and specifically engaged Such
loose arrangements give place to flip
pant engagements and if the consent
of the parents is asked at all, it is not
to that engagement but to marriage,
with no chance to deyelope true char
acter.
An idea of what is proper differs
greatly from this outlook In such
cases why allow engagements to be so
nearly equal and binding as the mar
riage VOW that to bralz it is dishonora-
BILE? Is it not only safe but conscI-
entious to leave open way to escape
danger by simply making it a condi-
tional agreement, fixing the day at
distant period ?-leaYing the parties
free to judge, to object, to exact to
mingie in society,-yes free to become
disengaged and to know themselves as
we'll as others. To leave the parents
to be won by manly man is test
none but a good man can bear. 1t is
cruel to draw together those who have
already began to draw apart. Think
of the onsequences-think of the
gossip and scandal that often disgrace
the public prints, to the everlasting
| disparagement of all that is desirable
in the name, mission and character of
true woman.
/ A girl, however well trained, may
under some circumstances, contract
a had marriage yet taking society
generally, marriages are better select
ed whose parents control the choice,
and do not accept whatever comes, nor
allow their childred to work out their
problem as best they may. Do moth
ers, along with other good impres
sions, incnlcate upon their daughters
the duty of improving their husband
in every way by adaptatinon and
study? Do they ever say to their sons
that wife has rights, mentel and phys
ical frailties, to be ever tenderly re-
garded, along with the absolute neces-
| sity of courtshp after marriage, and
| the one grand idea that she is to be
| Ihonored? To us it is known, and felt,
that to be honored is to mold wo-
man into an angel of peace and love
of devoted usefulness and seH-sacri
! fcing tenderness. .......
If what we have indicated prevailed,
then would womans' rights women
find but few to rally around their stand
ard, seeking to right their wrongs
from the rostrum and by the ballot.
| Then would we see all over the land
noble husbands, proud and happy
wives, and beautiful, blooming chill
dren, which would rebuke a SANDER
Gus press and plant the banner of mu-
tual rights high among the archives of
our country
|