American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1877-12-29
Some Ante-NuptiaI Dangers.

Bad spoilers are sufficiently common
in this country not to be in very great
demand and occasionally to bring a re-
proach to our common school system.
No position, public or private, is wholly
! free from the person who murder the
orthography of the English language,
and even the school-teacher is often
brought down with well directed and
sudden shot. There is some excuse in
cases of this kind, and a distinguished
citizen in the consular service of his
country may be lightly dealt with for
his wretched way of spelling heart, as
his business is not particularly with
hearts but there are cases in which bad
spelling is not only inexcusable, but
where it has led to domestic trouble and
unhappiness such as few other things
could have instigated. 1t is a remarka-
BILE fact that no young lady has yet been
heard of who came from school with
any really valuable knowledge either of
arithmetic or photography, and particu-
larly of the latter. They bring home
from expensive establishments bur-
densome store of almost every other
sort of learning, but they write letters
and do shopping-the favorite diver
sions of young women-without know
ing how to spell or cast up half dozen
figures.
A shortcoming of this character has
brought charming young lady of Hi
nois to grief. She had lover who
dotted on her and prided himself on his
learning. This young woman was one
of the most beautiful and accomplished
of the sex which is noted for its beauty.
She had been to boarding school, and
money had been lavished without stint
on her education; she knew French and
Latin and enough of Greek to be actual
ly classical in her literary tastes; she
read only the very best books-not the
kind which young ladies too much in
cline to, but those from which much
learning was to be had. And all this
seemed like polishing the already pol
ished diamond. Beside this, she was
happy in possessing, to an eminent de-
gree, all those accomplishments which
make a young lady attractive in the
society of the period. She was
brilliant and witty in conversation,
knowing exactly what to say and where
to say it; she danced divinely, dressed
like Princess and bore herself with
the grace and charm of Juno. She
was more than a lady, for she knew
! Io fire
prize for the best loaf of bread at the
county fair. In due time the young
woman with all these splendid accom-
plishments made the usual preparations
to throw herselfaway on the young man
who had monOpolized the most of her
time for year or two. This innocent
and confiding man little knew what a
terrible calamity lay in wait for him.
Business called him from home for a
few days while the wedding prepara-
tions were going on, and he wrote and
she wrote, as young and enthusiastic
hearts will do under such circumstances.
In little while the neighborhood was
Mortified to learn that the match was
off. The wedding preparations ceased,
and all was solemn.
Then the young lady sought redress
in court; moved by that curiosity COM
mon to her sex, as well as the other sex,
she wanted to know why he had declin-
ed to fulfill his promise. 1t was such a
natural request that he was compelled
to give his reasons, and did so without
indirection, by producing one of her
glowing letters in which she described
her happiness in view of the coming
g nupshals,'' and incidentally referred
to her Z" dimond'' ring. The stony
hearted wretch declined to marry any
body who could not spell nuptial, par
ticularly within a month of her wedding
day. The young lady brought her port
folio into court and emptied his letters
out where the light of the law could
shine upon them. The first one read
was in answer to her gush about the
''nupshals,'' very brief and business
like He wrote: " This marridge car
never take place" She not only found
out why, but she recovered damages
the Judge was humane man, and con
graduated the young woman on hel
narrow escape from a man who didn't
know how to spell marriage within 6
month of his wedding-day.-PhiLGdeL
phiG Times.