The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-15

When young man has engaged himself
to a maiden having won from her the ac-
Acknowledgement that he holds undisputcd
and indi-putahlc possession ~ her heart.
he greatly rcjoiocs in the thought that she
is his alone Other swain- have woocd her
Ia nr purpose. AMI how.ocvcr marked their
attentions may he now, she only tolerate
them out Of civility or even colily rcpcl~
advances which once may have been agree
able enough. She has bound herself To- an
other and delights in the sweet scrvitudc
II is utterly useless FOR the most fascinating
sort Of fellow 10 seek to win the especial IA
vor OF girl who is engaged and who is
very much IN love with the man to whom
she Is betrothcd. She would feel that she
was robbing the object Of her affections II
she granted the most persistent or the most
delicate admirer besides him even au az.
proving glance She II no eye servant but
in the absence n in the presence Of her
master she il loyal 10 him. and holds it her
first duty to so conduct herself that no one
shall nave reason 10 doubt that her whole
heart has been given away and Is in the
keeping OF one IN whom she las perfect
trust.
Thus it is usually pretty easy to pick out
an engaged girl from among her compan-
ions, when young men are around So mani
fest is her lack OF interest in the proceed
ings which bring pleasure 10 the others, and
SO difficult does she find il 10 hide her pre-
occupation, that an experienced observer at
once discovers that she Is in love and the
posscssor OF love. She feels that she is
being apart from the gay crowd in which
she minglcs, and is happy in thinking how
far superior Is her fate TO that OF the girls
about her, who wear no engagement rings.
They are anglers who have caught no fish,
while in her net there lies the finest which
swims In the stream.
After girl has been engaged for q fcw
months, however, has grown accustomed 10
the situation, and feels that she Is secure
against all Corners, her beloved having
proved beyond question that it is impossible
for him. oven II he would, TO escape from
the meshes in which she has cntangled him.
she will frequently accept the attentions Of
young fellows in "A gracious and patronizing
sort Of way. But all the while she will be-
secretly comparing them, greatly to their
disadvantage, with the man who Is both her
captor and captive. How inferior They
seem good enough, perhaps, forothcrgirls.
but far below her standard, But sometimes
the lover who enjoys So great distinction
Will Ice a suspicious sort Of individual, n
man who will be irritatcd II his sweetheart
is oven ciyil to any other man besides him
self \ poor, selfish, niscrly person, he will
chaic during his absence from her at the
thought that maybe She is having good
time apart from him. Yet if, when he came
back he found her worn out in flesh and
holluw-cycd because of uninterrupted
mourning and longing for his return, he
would very likely cltici.c her looks unfa-
yorably and complain that she wasn't as
fresh and blooming as when he first courteI
her. Mrctched being, he is more unhappy
in love than he was when free! lie has
promised to marry girl and yet he burst
not trust her out Of his sight!
OF course, that state of jealousy may at
first be taken by the sweetheart rs Il tribute
To her prowcss, hut after Il while II grows
to be Il nuisance, and she wcarics Of his
whms, and perhaps at last throws him
overheard as utterly ntolcrablc. Because
she Is engaged she isn't going to shut her
self up in II cell and keep a prolonged fast
from the cnIoyments of life. What is the
use of being happy unless you are let free
to amusc yourself IN an innocent way? What
engaged girl wishes to feel the CALLING of
her chains all the timer
But there are girls 50 fcklc-mindcd that,
though they have plightcd their troth, they
will go on seeking to make new captiycs.
They think they havea harbor in which in
any event they can find safe refuge and so
they start out on a course OF piratcal llTta-
ton Such girls are apt to come to grief in
tho cnd to die old maids; and II Is we'll il
JIG I'D. foi as NNc. lhoy m.gAL tQfn out bad