The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-11-10
THEY WON'T PROPOSE.
From London Society

MS last sermon for the season the SIG
nlticant words: eve have toiled all the
night and have taken nothing" and a:
these words must awaken a responsive
echo IN the heart OF many a Belgraviar
mother, We will adopt them as our owr
text for the present discourse.
Toll, indeed, it may suitably be
called; for what labor can equal that OF
attending concerts, teas, dinners and
balls, of arranging parties, of devising
new dresses and of discovering through
occult channels the means and positions
of all the young men who firt about
London drawing-rooms
The work begins early in the morn
ing, and at what hour is it finished
And all this to procure marriages,
which, at the best, are of doubtful adj
vantage. Girls are tricked out and
educated in 1.-THE way they should 60"
to such an extent, that it has been well
observed that when not fishing they
are mending their nets. Parents mean
while are keeping up delusive appear
ances in hopes of obtaining something
more than they can fairly expect. Nay,
mothers, it were better for YOU to Law
up silver store for your darlings than
to bid them dream of golden marriages.
Women educated at home, and fed
with romance in which, if a girl is
amiable, she is rewarded with a coronet,
little know how large is the world and
how keen is competition. Like the
budding poet who demanded thousand
pounds for his manuscript, many a
mother imagines that if her girls were
nnIx r in
would follow her excellent advice, they
would have rank and wealth at their
disposal. We can picture one of them
coming up for the season, full of con-
scious pride, to bring her daughters upon
the grand arena. They are invited to
a ball the locality is fashionable, the
rooms spacious, the decorations superb,
the music divine. The young ladies
are all bushes and trepidation; the
mother is radiant with prospective vic
tory. There is an array of cookbook
ing young men, whose mustaches seem
to distill sweetness, as their open waist
coats display generosity, and each Is |
regarded as a virtuous prince ready to |
place his hand and heart and large for |
tune at the feet of the all-conquering |
Edith. There are of course other girls |
present, rather more than gentlemen;
but they are so very inferior. The band
strikes up; the couples begin to spin
round like teetotums, but "No one has
come to ask my girls to dance! O,
yes :; here is little Mr.. Jones approach
ng. Well, he is better than nothing,
though he can not be thought of seri-
ously, as he is a fourth son" Calm
your feelings, my dear lady. can tell
you that of the fifty men at this ball,
thirty are younger sons, officers in the
army, clerks and barristers, who can
scarcely pay for their sherry and cigars;
EN- are married men; five are hopeless
I'D bachelors, who have long made
selfshly comfortable and
If the remaining five, the only marry
ng men, two are in commerce and must
nave ladies Of rank, and the other three
AVE country estates heavily mortgaged,
md are looking out for girls with gold
N drops. Truly, Madame, if you be-
ieve the French proverb, that ga man
Without money is a body without blood,
our maternal eye might well regard |
his company of penniless gentlemen as
set of waltzing phantoms performing
mimic dance of death.
What, then, do we conclude? they
nay go to a hundred such parties with
ut obtaining an offer? Not so; they
'ill be many. Men that no one would
ccept are always ready to propose. |
atelv met young fellow who told
he he was deeply enamored with
harming girl he had met at a'ball Her
yes were full of dark luster, and roses
in her raven hair. He should
ever forget her-had spoken to her
rom his heart, and had confessed all
t was impossible for him ever to love
mother. Six months later l saw him
gain asked how he progressed in his
nit, and hoped it was prospecting. 81
ear not, he replied; "for though we
re fondly attached to each other, and
lways shall be, the parents are obdu- !
ate" Then you have her consent ?" .
o, yes and | love her so dearly when
look at her sweet face and the ripples :
her faxen hair, 1 think -" Flax !
n hair % l exclaimed, "why you told
lie she was brunette. NO; lovely
londe," he returned "perhaps you're
linking of that Miss F. That affair was
IF six months ago, and right glad am
D be out of it." The next time | met
his rowing youth he had another fame
till more brilliant, and was hard at
'ork concocting some ridiculous poetry
nd love letters. In short, he was suffer
lg from a chronic state of amorousness,
lst as some people are troubled with
ersistent govt or rheumatism.
1t was on a summer day, the season
efore last, that the following dialogue
ook place between two young ladies of {
~ acquaintance. They had long been
n sisterly terms, kept no secrets from
hat the one guilty of any reservation
nould be punished by exclusion from
ne others room. / shall here call them
,otty and Effy. On the memorable
forming to which | am about to allude
.otty paid Efy visit-not very early,
or neither had retired to rest before the
mall hours had grown to considerable
''Well, ETY." she said, entering,
ow do you feel after the ball ?"
Never BETTER" was the reply. Chow
elightful it was But / was a little
red toward the end" l
Lofty. Were you? / do not know
hen | enjoyed anything so much. The {
lusic was perfect. You danced every {
1t, /
Efy. Until just at the last. What an
xcellent buffet I saw you in the sup {
er-room with Mr.. T.
Lofty. Yes, he took me down. I c
ever met more gentlemanly man. q
Efy. Nor and l believe he is rich. a
Lofty. So should think, but papa t
lsists that he has nothing but his pay.
Ely. He must be mistaken. You t
IN see by his manner that he has al '
avs moved in good society. a
Lofty Well, Ely, dear, it has come &
last-he has proposed. 4
Ely. Were you surprised at it
Lofty. No: can hardly saw that. q
lie had for long time shown a prefer '
ace, both in words and ACTIONS n