Sharp County record., 1878-02-01
'sENGAGED
What Constitutes a Declaration Of Mar
riage.

IltIt rs ItiiliI9 ~ I'tbA'-'''i ..
question of what is, or what IS hotr p
promise of marriage is brought before a
iurv To- determine. It is such shock
to all delicate susceptibiIilies and all the
tendernesses Of the heart, and reduces
the most important obligations OF life,
which the ceremonies of religion are IN
voked to sanction, to a mere common
street bargain-a question OF dollars
and cents Young ladies talk Of their
disinterestedness, and gentlemen parade
their utter disregard of any thing but
passion and feeling-iOye, eternal love
and oonstancv are bartered for an equiv
alent I'm kind. But il too frequently
bappens that, should any unforeseen
circumstances occur, any discrepancy of
teroper be discovered, any incongruities
develop themselves, Cupid is represent
ed bv his honor, the Judge, and the
Ioaves and graces, metamorphosed by
process more singular than any of the
transformations of Ovid, are introduced
into the iury-box, and called upon to
adiudicate upon the relative value OF
hearts and promises, declaration of
never-ending constancy, doye-like tldell-
tv. chat transient devotion which comes
ike the breath of summer, and Tetires
with the unkind wind of winter, and
that impulse which the poet describes as
"t0 one thing constant never. "
I'm my Younger days ! remember sit
tho down at q dinner-table the fair
daughters of the iovial host-in number,
fve-forming conspicuous portion of
the party. A young clergyman was in
vited, and seeing the awful array of un-
welded ladies, before he took his seat,
he thought it becoming toremark that
he was % young man, and as there were
several Young ladies, he thought it but
richt to observe that he was engag-
ed, 4" in order to prevent any miscon-
struction or subsequent unpleasantness.
/ remember that the young ladies gig
gled, and the young clergyman did not
pay much attention to his virgin com
panions. Perhaps he rad the fear of
the law before his eyes, and the horrors
Of q suit for breach of promise OF mar
riage in prospective The affair was
much canvassed in our part of the coun-
try, and the young ladies voted him q
brute. while the fathers and mothers
thought him person of commendable
sagacitv. Now, it is very important
that matter Of this kind should be de-
termined that what really constitutes
positive declaration, and a substantial
contract. should be expressed with the
precision of a law report, and that the
ideal vaoaries of fancyg the wanderings
of the heart, the ebullitions of the minute,
should not be construed into declara-
tions of love; that the casual courtesies
of social intercourse should not be reg
ulated by tariff; that q bow should not
be rated at so much; that q pressure OF
the hand should not be q relative money
ed eouivalent; and that q heart-breath
ed SIGH and an impassioned glance
should not be estimated beyond their
value. Gentlemen, now, particularly
when they are young and inexperienced,
should look to their ways, and their
steps in the may waltz, more especially;
they know not the value shat is affixed
to their assiduities, and their own esti-
nation of themselves (strange to sayD
bears no proportion to that set upon
them bv the fair beings who trip through
the mazes of the dance like a zephyr,
and throw their smiles and glances
around like aerial beings creatures Of
lieht and life, mans comfort, glory and
pride. In moments like these the lips
will utter what the heart, inspired by
the impulses of the place, the scene the
hour, burns to impart, and many an in
cautious engagement has been made
many q contract been entered into, of
which future circumstances have shown
the impolicy and imprudence.
What really constitutes a sacred obli-
cation in these matters, and how far
gentleman should consider himself
bound, is too nice a subiectto be briefly
expressed But a matrimonial engage
ment does not consist in any Of tbe
civiEties and courtesies of life which
gentleman may extend TO q 2dy lis
not unfrequenfly the case, Fowerer,
that these are mistaken for declarations,
and the announcement Is mais q. once
that such persons are engaged Such
is the imprudence of friends, and fire.
quently Of the lady herself that the
common politeness and attention which
are ever due between the sexes are con-
strued into proposals for matrimony,
and a man hears the report of his en-
gagement, while, as yet, not even a
dream of the thing has passed through
his mind If q man escorts lady to
the theater, if he walk with her i'm the
streets, if he occasionally visit her for
the sake of her good society, the report
is not infrequently set on foot by
some indiscreet friend that the par
ties are engaged Neither does an