River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-02-05
LEAPING LADIES.
Omtth;ns About the LADIES' Law Of the
Quadrennial Season---Privilege Of
the Fair Sex for 1SS0.-SOmething
More than Popping the Questionable
Scarlet p.ttieoat
Peorla TranscrIpt.

Peoria Transcript.
On Tuesday morning last we prom
ised the lady readers of the Transcript
some information regarding leap year.
its origin, laws and privileges. For the
matter below we are indebted to the
pages of number of rare books, alma
macs, maxims, an article in Washing
ton paper, and 'Notes and Queries for
1856" The privileges of ladies choos-
ing their husbands is thus briefly ex-
planned in a work published in London
in 1906, entitled "Love, Courtship and
Matrimonie."
"Albeit it has move become part of
the common lave in regarde to social
relations of life that as often as every
bisextile year dothe return the ladies
have the sole privilege during the time
it continueth of making love unto the
men, which they doe either by words or
lookes as to them it seemeth proper;
and, moreover, no man will be entitled
to the benefit of clergy who doeth in
any way treat her proposal with slight or
contumely."
The above seems to establish beyond
cavil their right to reverse the accepted
order of things, at least once in four
years. From time immemorial there
has existed a legend to the effect that IN
leap year the customary regulations of
courtship NAV properly be reversed,
and offers of marriage proceed from
the fair sex to the male objects of their
affection. We do not read that this
privilege has ever been taken advantage
of to any great extent by the ladies';
but the tradition is as strong in the
minds of the people as ever, and it bids
fair to be transmitted in unimpaired
freshness and force 10 the latest genera
ton. This being the case, it logically
follows that there is a peculiar idea Of
the inherent fitness of the right, other
wise it would have died out ages ago, if
there were not deep down in the hui
man heart conviction that the ladies
have some natural rights in regard to
the choosing and wooing of q partner
for life. Whether they think best to
exercise the privilege is altogether for
eign TO the question of right. Were 1t
not for this feeling, this leap-year ira
dition had long since been forgotten.
All nations have their folk lore; persons
and places are invested with powers
which inspire the ignorant peasantry
with dread, and cause them to shun
those places. There is striking SINH
larity all the world over between
the popular legends and traditions
of different nations. They are re-
produced with slight differences of cir
cumstances and place to suit the differ
ent localities. DR.. Mckenzie. who
seems to have given considerable time
to ferreting out the origin of Legend
airy Lore" has a very interesting chap
ter on the subject in his "Bits of Blair
ney." Washington Irving has localized
several legends as American, but his
"Trip Van Wrinkle" has long since been
traced to German origin. Some years
ago supplement to the Thousand and
One Nights," containing an Arabian tale
called "The Sage Reycsr," was publish
ed at Paris. The translator noted the
curious fact that the Oriental story con-
tanned many incidents exactly similar
to passages in the life of E3op. 'The
Arabian Nights Entertainment" (which
have charmed US all in our youth and
rarely fail to delight us when we return
to them in maturer years. is full ofsuch
stories, illustrating the sanguinary char
acter of eastern belief and practices.
Who among us cannot recall the scenes
of youth, when, gathered around the
blazing hearth, We have listened to some
wierd story or watched with bated
breath the result of some "Hallow Eve"
charm Those were the days of happi-
ness, and of course every rural maiden
had sure, infallible charm for telling
81, h,,el,o,ol M, Of th.
New Year the anxious damsel prepared
for sleep by pinning to her pillow five
long leaves, one at each corner and one
in the middle. If she dreamed of her
sweetheart she was sure to marry him
before the end of the year, but to make
it dead sure thing, the candidate for
matrimony must boil an egg hard, take
out the yolk and fill its place with salt.
Just before going to bed she must eat
egg, salt, shell and all, and neither
speak nor drink after it. If that
wouldn't insure her vivid dream,
there surely can be no virtue in charms.
And in this connection it may be proper
to remark, the more we investigate the
subject, and ponder over the thousand
and one charms by which girls may
peep into the future aud solve Ito them
the most interesting questions of their
lives, the more deeply are we impressed
with the conviction that great injustice
is done to woman by denying her the
privilege which tradition gives her dur
ing leap year. For of all women she IS
most to be pitied who has hesitating
lover, who boggles about popping the
question" He is worse than bold
one. How perfectly satisfactory was
the conduct of that brave old Puritan
who rode up to the door of the girl Of
his choice, and, having desired her to be
called out to him, said: Rachel, the
Lord has sent me to marry thee" when
the girl answered with equal frankness,
'The Lords will be done"
What blessing to the household is
such woman, one whose spirits are
not affected by wet days or little disap-
pointments.
As women have not to any great ex-
tent awaited themselves of their privi-
lege in popping the question" we are
unable to say how they would do 1T, but
it Is sa e to say they could scarcely do
worse than many men have done, as
the following will prove: an Irish girl
who was very anxious that her scatter
Drained brother should not be refused
by young Englishwoman with whom
he was desperately in love, implored
him to propose with the seriousness be-
coming the occasion. He avowed he
would behave as if he was acting as
chief mourner at his fathers funeral,
and actually took his lady-love after
church to see the family vault, and
there in sepulchral voice asked her
''if she would like to lay her bones be-
side his bones" 1t is enough to say she
agreed.
A very neat way is for a gentleman
after dancing q number of times with
d young lady, to say: "If ever he be-
came benedict, he would like his wife
to look exactly like and dress precisely
IS she does" This may be d proposal
or not. When, however, a shy man,
having got his mother to plead his
cause. says to the beloved one. with a
tremulous gasp, Wont you do
the thing my mother asked 2"
there is no doubt about
his wanting her for his wife. More
than one proposal has been made by
underscoring the lines in marriage SER
vice, "Wilt thou have this man to be
thy welded husband ?" and passing the
book and pencil during the sermon to