The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-06-16
Engaged Girls.

A lady writes from New York as fol
lows: The manner of engaged girls are
subject to constant modification at the
Caprice Of fashion. AS soon as virgin
becomes betrothed wife she is placed
under surveillance by society and is not
released from close scrutiny until she
has stood at the altar. Among scrupu-
lousy Conventional people, a girl was
formerlvexpected under such circum-
stances 70 be more circumspect than
ever before; she was not permitted to
be so much alone with her sweetheart,
nor to concede TO him hug. or kiss;
she maintained prlmness which was
suggestive of nunnery. However.
fashion, has decreed a change in the
matter. The engaged couples of 1891
are not commanded to hide their en-:
dearments under a bushel. They may
even kiss in company if they are chaste
about it. | saw the daughter of one of
the wealthiest and most respected of
our families touch lips with her
husband-to-b be before at least hundred
persons in picture-room of the Acad-
envy of Design the other day. He had
been out of town for week, was told
and their meeting here was by chance.
She greeted him affectionately, but
without ado and put up her mouth in
the most self-possessed way Imaginable.
He was not so cool about it; yet he gave
her smacking salute with good grace
right in the presence of his future
mother-in-law. The girl did not blush
nor shipper. Such a public kiss would
have been scandalous in March, 1880;
but in 1881 it is fashionable, and there
fore proper. The theory that an ac-
cepted lover is not to be trusted seems
. to have given place to confidence in his
honor. He is now allowed to take his
affianced bride to places of amuse-
amentrg without chaperon Ga
proceeding which used to be discount
tenanced by the high clique of lower
Second Avenue, that ultra-exclusive
quarter of the metropolis) and to take
possession of her to a considerable de-
gree. This makes courtship costlier
but more enjoyable. A new custom is
for more preferred sutton to keep his
lady-love supplied with flowers, candy
and fruit. A small fortune can be spent
in this way with perfect propriety.
Gifts of jewelry and other imperishable
things are not considered quite the
proper thing. Many fellows make con-
tracts with the florists to deliver bou-
qnets regularly every morning to their
girls, and the opportunity OF STUDYING
and gratifying peculiarities of floral
preference is taken advantage Of The
flowers thus sent are commonly used
for the adornment of hair and corsaoe,
and sentiment is thus kept warm on
both sides. Candy for courtship pur-
poses is very expensive, for the con-
fectioners not only devise dollar-pound
mixtures but put them in elaborate
baskets and boxes. A satin receptacle
for gumdrops, made of satin with hand-
painted pictures on it, may cost any
where from one to ten dollars. AS for
fruits. 1T is the aim of the enterprisinr
LOVER to give his adored one her first
taste OF the season in this line. To this
end he haunts the market and pays fab
nlous prices for the first lot of straw
berries. etc The betrothed wife is
therefore living high this season. On
her own part, however, the latest usage
sanctions equal expenditure. The
worsted work and rag pate herv of
former times will not do. She must
make presents of the elegant art objects
now in vogue. The best thin g she can
do, in the estimation of fash ion, is to
beauty his room with an elaborate i.
rf1antel clock, and some of these are
narvels of skill, work and cost. Thus
thewealthy adorn their courtship; but,
after all. they do not produce happy
marriages with any more certainty than
The palmer metho DIS of poor people.