Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-09-23

The process, indeed, is carried on in so
Piatonic manner, and with so much
proper feeling, that doubt if even the
strictest English governess would find any
thing In II To object to. The young gen.
tlemen pay their addresses by simply
standing in front of the house occupied
by the object of their affections, while the
young person in question looks down APP
provingly from an upper window. and
there the matter ends. They are not with
in speaking distance. and have to content
themselves with expressive glances and
dumb show; for it would be thought
highly unbecoming for the young lady TO
| allow bfilet-dour to flutter down into the
street, while the laws of gravitation stand
in the way of the upper flight of such a
document -unweighted, at least, with a
stone, and this, of course, might risk CIV
ing the young lady a black eye or break
ing her fathers window-panes. So the
lovers there remain, often for hours, feel
ing no doubt very happy but looking un-
utterably foolish. These silent courtships
sometimes continue for very long periods
| before the lover can ask the fatal ques-
ton or the lady return the answer.
1 heard story of one such protracied
couriship which an ingenious novelist
might easily work into pretty romance.
About forty or fifty years ago, before
the suppression of converts in Portugal,
young lady was engaged TO be married.
For some reason or other the marriage
did not come off, and the girl was placed
in Benedictine nunnery at Oporto. Soon
after came the abolition of converts; but
while the monasteries were absolutely
dissolved, and the monks scattered, the
nuns who were already inmates of relig-
ious houses were suffered there to remain
The young lady, accordingly, on the sup
preston occurring, did not leave the Ben.
edictine Convent. II is TO be presumed,
however, that the rules of this particular
establishment were somewhat relaxed, for
the young gentleman who had been en-
gagged 10 this nun was observed to take hi
constant stand before the barred window
OF his former mistress cell, while she
would become visible behind the grating
Here the romance have imagined would
perhaps rather lack incident, and, except
in masters hand, might grow monot-
onous, for this hopeless courtship lasted
no fewer than four-and. thirty years, till
bowed and middle.aged man paced the
pavement and looked up to gray-haired
mistress. II only ended with the death of
the lady, few years ago. Many persons
have assured me that they have often been
eyewitness of what / have described,
and found that the fact was quite notori-
Gus in Oporto. 1t will, of course, be UNI
derstood that the stagnating life | have
described, with its narrow circle of inter-
ests and its little WEAKNESSES of household
detail is confined To the hali:educated,
middle-Class inhabitants OF small country
towns. The higher native society of Lis
bon, with its courtly Influences, and that
of OportO--which holds the same relative
position to Lisbon that Edinburgh did to
London before the days Of steam-can
compare with that of any capital Of
Europe. The men are high-bred, courteous
and intelligent, and the ladies have II
charm Of manner and talents for society
which all foreigners admit.