The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-08-02
THE LONG coURTsHIP.
"They have been engaged these six


THE LONG coURTSHIP.
"They have been engaged these six
years."
Such was the reply which Charles IT.
vine made to his friend, Mrs. Alton, as
the latter pointed out to him couple on
the other side of the way, and asked him
if he knew them.
"YesW said he, "and thought every
body knew Horace Duval and Esther
Marlowe-they have been engaged these
six years."
, "What is the reason they do not get
marriedw inquired Mrs. Alton.
"Ohl it is the old story-the gentleman
is poor and the lady is faithful. They
met when both were very young, and
fell in love. The gentleman was only a
student, it is true, but his heart was
young and tul of hope, and he looked
forward to a speedy realization of his
80 eloquently that Miss Marlowe pledged
herself to become his bride when she
was only seventeen, and he had just en-
tered his twenty-tirst year. Six years
have since passed and they are yet un-
married; for Duval Is a physician, and
you know how difficult 1t is for young
practitioner in medicine to obtain live
iihood. l hear that he has at length
given UP all hope of being able to estab-
TIsh himself in this crowded city, and
has determined to try his fortune in
some place where there is less competi-
tion. He talks Of going to the West"
81 hope not"
"WhyW
"Because / fear for the fidelity of the
gentleman. Unless DR.. Duval is differ
ent from most of his sex, his feelings
will, nay, must, suffer partial, if not
total estrangement from Miss Marlowe,
should his absence be protracted for any
great length of time."
"Fle, tie, my dear aunt, you slander
our sex. You. would question the truth
OF all men,"
understand me before you blame me.
l do not condemn all of your sex, nor do
/ say that protracted separation in the
present case will certainly produce a
disruption Of the engagement. l only
mean to say that the probabilities are in
favor OF SO unhappy termination to this
long courtship; and In saying this base
my conclusion altogether on the charac-
ter and situation OF your sex in contra
distinction to those OF my own"
"yery clearly stated--you could not
have done it better had you been Chill
lingworth, the prince of logicians. But
do you mean to say that the fault will
be 'Duvaps in case this engagement
should be broken of through his ab.
sencep
"Certainly; at least If Miss Marlowe
ins tead Of DR.. Duvals should be the cause
OF it, this case would be the exception,
and II believe you Lawyers say that 'the
exception proves the rule'
unay do unt afint un11raa1f IN
praising your SEX"
Snow don't be unfair. Hear me out
before YOU condemn me"
swell"
81 said that long separation betwIxt
persons engaged to each other is apt to
result in breaking off the match, because
the gentleman becomes eitherindiferent
or unfaithful. l am afraid you have not
noticed facts, or you would not condemn
my opinion SO quickly. L can now look
around the circle Of my acquaintance
and caH to mind at least dozen in
stances in which these protracted en-
gagements, combined with long separ-
ation between the parties, have ended
unfortunately. i see by your looks that
you also, although younger than am,
can recolleet instances OF like char
acter. confess l am not surprised at
the result, although deplore it. La the
cases to which have alluded, the par
ties have usually been engaged while
quite young, perhaps before they We're
capable of that study Of each others
character which ought always to precede
a contract OF SO high and solemn a char
acter as this. When, therefore. they
grow older, and learn to know human
nature better, they can not fail to see
faults in those they love to which they
were at first blinded. This does not al
ways happen, grant, for often the illu-
sion of passion keeps us ignorant for
years of the defects in the character OF
the beloved object; but the scales often
do drop of, especially in the case of the
gentleman, or when the parties come to
be separated tor any length OF time. /
say in the case OF the gentleman, be-
cause your sex unite more intellect with
your love than our sex does. With US
the passion is all heart, with you the
head is at least prime minister. You
analyze character more, you are
apt to become hypercritical. When
removed from the immediate influence
of her you love, your affection Insen-
siDly cools. 1t does this from the very
nature of your characters, and from
your habits of life. With woman tidel-
ity is everything. Putting aside co.
quettes-who are not true women--is
there not more fckleness naturally in
your sex than in our ownp But apart
from this, our different habits Ut life
make a wide difference in the characters
OF our love. You live in the hustle and
excitement Of active existence-domes-
tic happiness is the relaxation of your
evening hours-the by.play OF your life.
But with us our home is everything, the
center around which all our feelings and
thoughts revolye. We have but one en-
crossing passion-loye; you have a dozen
which divide with it the empire OF the
healt. Wealth, pleasure, ambitionl
these are but few Of the passions
that absorb the energies OF men
but with US love is every.
thing. Ii we surrender our hearts 10
one Of your sex, we have no rival feeling
in our bosoms 70 disturb our thoughts
from the adored object. At morning and
at night, through every hour Of the day,
his image is constantly before US as we
sit at our indoor, quiet occupations, un-
al 20 tb ioly ~ h,