Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-12
acouRrsHIp Is pRosArros. .

There are some good words that have
almost dropped cut of the English Ian.
gusge because the thing which they de-
scribe has gone ont of fashion. Courtship
Is such word. OF paying court in the
old-fashioned way to a lady, with expect
ancy that it will take time for acquaintance
to blossom into friendship and friendship
to ripen into love, there is not much in
our days. Instead we have the mad
falling in love-" for which our novels are
partially responsible; which have much
marrying IN haste and repenting in leisure
TO answer for because of their false teach
ing In exalting impetuous passion above
calm, patient, intelligent love. MIR. Rus
kin demands over much patience in asking
the lover in our age of quick decision and
rapid achievement to take as much time to
win MS wife as Jacob did in the, ,slowmov-
ing Orient. But there is great deal of
practical wisdom in this counsel of his
from Fors Clavigera.
"When youth is fully in love with a
girl, and feels that he is wise in loving her,
he should at once tell her so plainly, and
take his chance bravely, with other sui;oIs.
No lover should have the insolence to
think o. being accepted at o1Ae, nor should
any CIR! have the cruelty to reuse at once
without severe reasons. II she simply
doesn't Ike him, she may send him away
fer seven years or so-he vowing to live on
crosses, and wear sackcloth meanwhile, or
the like pensnce; if she likes him little,
or thinks she might come to like him in
time. she may let him stay near her, put
ting MIN always on sharp trial to zee what
stuff be is made of, and requiring, fgur-
atively, as many lionskins or giants heads
as she ahirks herself worthy. The whole
meaning and power of true courtship is
Probation aud it o0ghtn't to be shorter
than three years at least seven is, to my
own mind, the orthodox time. And these
relations between the young people should
be openly and simply known, not to their
friends only, but to everybody who has
the least interest in them and a girl wor III
anything out to have always half a dozen
or so Of suitors under vow tor her.
There are no words strong enough to
express the general danger and degradation
of the manners of mob courtship, as dis
tinct from these, which have become the
fashion-slmost the LAWN modern times;
when n miserable confusion of candle
light, moonlight, ant i,melight-and any.
thing bat dsyligh1-yl indecently attrac-
tive and insanely expensive dresses, in
snatched moments, in hidden corners, iu
accidental impulses and dismal ignorancas,
young people smirk, and ogle, and whis.
per, and whimper, and sneak, and STUN.
bic, and futter, and tumble, and blunder
into what they call love; except to get
whatever they like the moment they fancy
1t, and are continually in the danger of
losing all the honor of life for a folly. and
all the Joy of it by an accident"
No love of young man or maiden is worth
having that is not honest, simple, guileless;
thst depends on theatrical surroundings
dress, dance, music, social excitement
that fourishes only in the atmosphere of a
ballroom, party, or theater that can
not sing in the heart in working hours
The lover that needs such stimulants to
waken his love or keep it alive has no love
that will long survive marriage. .-[Caris-
tian Mirror.