Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-28
Watching Lovers.

There is something very interesting
and instructive in watching people who
are counting.
Almost everybody enjoys it. De-.
Old people especially.
Old maids in particular.
Almost everybody has at some period
of life done little something at the
business, and it reminds them of their
own youth and happiness to see two
young people going on in the good old
way.
Old maids like to see it, because, in
part, they are curious about Just how it
is done, and because they know that
lovers are always quarreling, and that
married people indulge in occasional
tiffs inst " to keep their hands in" and
it sort of reconciles the unmarried and
uncourted woman to her fate to see
other folks in hot water, and to be able
to congratulate herself that "no man
has right to swear and bang round
things at her,"
No, nor ever will have, thank the
Lord
Again, watching lovers shows us the
soft side of human nature. It proves
that when Adam fell. his fall was not so
severe as to knock all good out of him
and mako him altogether selfish.
Lovers will sacrifice self great deal
for each other. He will stay out till
one in the morning, with the thermom-
eter at zero. and climb up on the wood
shed to got into his chamber window,
to avoid disturbing the old folks, and
creep into bed with his stockings on-a
human icicle-and lie there shivering
and thinking of her till morning. If
this is not self-sacritice, what is it?
And he will give her the warmest side
of the sleigh when they are riding, and
the best path when they are out walk
ing, and ii she wants him to dye his
mustache, he will have it done, and the
corners Of his mouth will be sore for a
week where the dye ran down, and he
will bear it without murmur.
In company, how different lovers ap-
pear She will look the other way when
he is coming, and he will be 30 sur
prised when somebody tells him she is
there.
And be will call her Miss Brown, and
she will call him Mr.. Smith, and ask
him how his mother is this winter, and
I if she suffers from "this extremely
cold weather" and he will reciprocate by
asking her what her father is doing by
way of business. just as if he cared about
the doings Of the old rnan. tr'i1
There is no season 30 sweet and fool.
ish, and full of distress, and pregnant
with anxiety. and filled full Of felicity
as the period of courtship, and there il
no time when a man appears to so little
advantage to the outside world. .
His head is turned, his ideas con.
fused, he does not know whether life is
worth anything or not-he cannot make
up his mind II creation be q failure Of
otherwise until she says either yes OF
no.. Aud it generally takes her great
while to say either. At least it seems
to him, q great while. Why women
cannot decide quicker has been q
problem to the masculine mind ever
since Cain went out into the land OF Nod
a-wooing. y ..s.,.f
And everybody looks on amused, and
wonders if she is in earnest, and if he
means marriage and every body says
how silly they act, and it iH strange
folks will be such fools /; and they never
think OF the way they used to do, an
they are quite in, ignorance of the fac
that people used to laugh at them jus
so, and say of all silly things nothing
could equal the supreme Stiffness ol
two " folks" accounting KATE THoRS
in N. y. Weekly. 49,. .r. IL