The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-31
SHOULD WOMEN PROPOsEi
A Question the Ages Have Not Settled.
Nav York SIM

A few weeks ago young country doc.
tor gave us his love history in a letter
which we were unable to treat with much
respect In fact il showed him to be rather
conceited and a selfconscious fellow
who was anxious to let the world know
what a prize he would be to some woman
as a husband. His letter called out a re-
plv from a sentimental maiden, who sub
stantially offered herself to him as a wife,
sayang that she had also failed to find any
one on whom she could set her affections.
She was severe in her structures on the
Young men of the present day, perhaps be-
| cause of their neglect of her charms, but
evidently wished the "Sun" to assist her
in getting a husband, a business we re-
! fused to undertake. Maidens who feel the
need of advertising for husbands are not
ant to be the best specimens of their sex.
| We therefore replied to her letter by say
ING that the Young men of the day are as
rood as the young men of any past day,
| but unless they are very foolish they do
not take for wives young women who OF
fer themselves to them.
| This remark has stirred up several cor
respondents to write to us affirming
womans right to make man proposal
|
however, that all these letters come from
men; that no women step forward to claim
the privilege of offering herself, though
that many women do exercise that privl-
leqe if not by speaking out directly, at
least by giving strong hints Of their mat
rimonial desires, there is plenty OF proof
A maiden may not be so likely as wid-
ow 10 give hesitating man assistance IN
reaching the point of making proposal,
but probably few girls are altogether sur
prised when the momentous question is
asked them, and some of them who turn
out to be most exemplary wives take much
pains to pave the way to it. Even if their
own modestv and coyness prevent their
making the overtures, their mothers may
be less shy about the matter, and see to it
that the Young men are given opportuni-
ties to announce their intentions, and are
encouraged or cajoled into doing it
We all have read Of ambitious mammas
who made love to eligible bachelors on be-
half OF their daughters, using the clever
est STRATEGY to catch them, and sometimes
resorting to devices which were really rep
rehensblc to accomplish their designs; but
it is a rare thing for maiden herself to
: souarely court man and directly offer
herself to him. The woman, as the phi
, losophers say, may be the first TO fall in
love. but she will only let the secret OF hei
Affection be extorted from her when the
} man acknowledges that his own heart is
. captive, and asks her to confess the love
she has cherished, but perhaps has sought
assiduously TO hide from him. Good girls
are very charv about making the first ad
vanccs in any such way as to let men know
what they are about, and their instinct dl
reefs them rightly in so doing. They wlsl
to be wooed and won, and refuse to surreh
' der at the first summons.
l Therefore it is that so many lovers wht
e write to us are in torturing doubt as t'
= whether they have gained the affection
: they would 50 greatly prize They can on
" get relicfby asking the great question
/ though all the time their swcethcarts may
= be anxious to give it an affirmative answer
. This is the way with women, and henc
: we warned and again warn young men, a
> rule, against women who offer them
selves to them They lack feminine deli
: cacy, and do violence to their natures b
~ making such proposal; ;and in saying TN
we feel sure very few women readers c
Y the Sun will disagree with US. A woma
a has an undoubted right to oiler herself 10
O man but the sex claims the privilege c
r being courted, of granting its affections in
=. stead of prolcring them, and we allow IN
T. claim as men have done from the days c
4 Eve up, and viii always continue to do.