The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-11-17
COURTSHIP.

Courtship, like most other matters re-
latino to love and matrimony, may be
said to present abundant scope for &C.
centric and original developments. 1t
is a course of proceeding which is regu-
lated by no fixed principles or general
formule. The symptoms are as varia-
BILE as the weather, and neither precepts
nor examples are of much avail, be-
cause the policy which may in one case
prove eminently successful may in an
other result in the most lamentable fail
ure. There is no definite rule, even on
such fundamental point as whether the
initiative and active negotiations shall
devolve upon the lady or the gentleman,
There are fortunate individuals of both
sexes whose fate, we confess, fills us with
envy. ..s t...r. .tt t.f
According to popular tradition, it is
the special prerogative of the fair sex
to be wooed and won; but this is not
by any means an invariable rule. 1t
has many EXCEPTIONS; and some who
profess to speak from personal expert
ence, as well as extensive observation,
90 so far as to declare that in the ma
iority of instances it is really the ladies
who do the counting, though the initia-
tive and other formal steps may ostensi-
bly, lie with the enamored swain. A
good deal might, no doubt, be said in
support of this theory Women have
far more tact in the management of
such affairs than men, who invariably
evince remarkable propensity for
putting their foot in it." The subject,
moreover, is one in which the ladies
are supposed to be more nearly con-
cerned As Byron says:
MANS love is of mans life a thing apart,
IT'S wOman's whole existence"
While man may have hundred
different objects and ambitions in life,
and may leave his matrimonial fate in
great part to chance, there is seldom
any object which bulks so largely in q
girls prospects as that of being well
matched, and, as the phrase goes,
comfortably settled as partner
in a good matrimonial firm.
1t need, therefore, be no matter of
surprise that our fair sisters should so
often be found angling in the waters of
the social world for what their luck
may bring them in the shape of hus-
band; and there is considerable COM
mon sense, as well as piquant humor,
in what the heroine of popular new
comedy has to say to her girl friend as
to the responsibility which devolves on
dutiful young lady of paving the way
and leading up to declaration and
proposal.
We remember listening to a remark
able address on this subject by an ora
torical Quakeress, who seemed strong
ly disposed to assign to man the
place of the wooed, rather than that of
the wooer. "My friends she OBJ
served, "there are three things very
much wonder at. The first is, that
children should be so foolish as to
throw up stones, clubs and briekbats
into fruit-trees, to knock down fruit; if
they would let it alone, it would fall
itself The second is, that men should
be so foolish, and even so wicked, as to
go to war and kill each other; if let
alone they would die of themselves.
And the third and last thing | wonder
at is that young men should be so un-
wise as to 90 after the Young women; if
they would stay at home the young
women would run after them"
Notwithstanding this lucid train of
reasoning, it is to be hoped young men
will not do anything so ungallant and
unmanly as to stay at home and
neglect what has all along been their
peculiar privilege. A man may be so
highly favored by fortune that his rank,
wealth, genius or personal qualities en-
able him to outshiue all rivals, and to
regard wooipg and winning as for him
almost synonymous terms; but to allow
any such considerations to influence his
conduct in matter of this kind would
not only be an evidence of the worst
possible taste, but would be a fragrant
outrage on all the laws of chiYslry.
On the other hand, man may be so
bashful and awkward in the matter as
to require so much encouragement that
all the counting may very fairly be
said to come from the other
side. But in both cases apart from
psychological subtletes and too curious
matter-of-fact observations -t the mans
proper and natural place, in our view
at all events, is that OF humble and
respectful supplant at the shrine OF
beauty, grace and virtue.
The Inauguration of courtship may
occur in Il thousand different ways.
In some instances it can be traced back
to the innocent companionship and con-
fidences of early childhood; in others
itsprings from the sudden inspiration
of what is called Glove at first sight. "
We have before us a curious, old-fash-
Toned ''Letter-wrter, which seems to
supply epistolary prescriptions for al
most every exigency of human life. A
- h. -. Il IL
how letters ought to be written on mat
tiers relating to love, courtship and
marriage. One of the most interesting
specimens especially us showing how
a couitship might have been initiated
in the less conventional days Of our
grandfathers -purports to be ''From a
young man suddenly captivated at the
playhouse" "The charms of your
person" says the young man sud
denly captivated" (which appeared to