The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-01-26
Tho Art nf Qonrtshin.

A st. Louis reporter has been prose-
cutting an investigation IA TO what young
women and widows of that city consider
most desirable or convincing In the
matter of proposals. Ono living In the
vicinity of Grand avenue, whose offers
equal her years in number, attributed
her triumphs to a careful cultivation ut
the premonitory symptoms in her adj
mirers. II do not commit myself" she
explains, "but I lawfully put them in
the notion Of saying tender nothings.
which YOU know are the stepping-stones
to proposals. For instance, timid adj
mirer Is made to understand, by word or
look, according to the progress he has
made In my good graces, that am glad
to see him. II another caller should
follow do not arouse No. Is suspicious
by treating him the same way, but give
No. my hand. and of course he feels
what intend him tO-that No. 1 is q
nuisance. 1t is rare that have to man.
age three ut once who have been devel-
oped into the acute condition that would
be spoiled by lack of tact on my part
II third comes in later l am studiOusly
Indifferent until by low aside l can
gently find fault with him for not call
ing oftcner or sooner. Whenever l OBJ
serve that q proposal is pending ward
1t of until get into my favOrite chair
that blue satin one with the very low
back which you see setting by the win
dow. High-backed or side-arm chairs
are often fatal to declarations Of the
tender passions, and attitude is an i'm
portant matter. l manage to have a
book or sketch of some sort in my hand.
This brings him very close to mo to sec
what am pointing out His loft arm
then has no alternative but to get out Of
the way, you understand, and II he has
skill my right hand will be appropriated
before he declares himself, SO that
can't pretend any longer TO doubt that
he is In earnest. Then, Of course, there
Is nothing for me to do but to become
as graciOusly cool rs I can under the
circumstances. The only disagreeable
thing for me Is that, having aroused his
emotion, feel such an interest in seeing
q satisfactory conclusion that the brief
second enjoy TIE climax Is far too short
for my reward, and dislike rapid tran
sitions of feeling. Once while occupy
ing crimson rocking-chair was sur
prised by a gentleman whom I had
thought but slightly interested in me
dropping on his knees in frenzied dec
laration. Think that lovers are uncon-
sciously influenced BY colors. and that
a woman should affect subdued or bril-
liant shades as he may be respectively
impetuouS or cautious, so as to preserve
q harmonious balance"
A Chestnut street debutante says she
doesn't like 10 be courted by sepulchres
old beaux with growing bald spots and
ill-assorted teeth; they are always ready
to criticize women for repairing deti-
ciencies of figure or complexion, yet &C.
tually they do more making-up in the
end. and then expect the girls to be de-
voted to them. She likes live young
men whose circulation is good and who
are earnest lovers. So far she has not
received an offer of marriage. but thinks
she would enjoy that most where the
lover in romance comes up behind
her. as she stands in conservatory or
bay-window, and takes her in his arms
as he whispers the words she has been
longing to hear. Then she would hide
her face on his shoulder and experience
the heroine's all-Overish feeling that,
one of the old girls insists, gives wo-
man weak back and isn't good thing
to practice.
The Laclede contains a pretty little
widow, who declares that man of
sense rarely uses the word "adore" in
courtship. Those who do SO generally
adore no one but themselves. She re-
Gently received written proposal from
a strange gentleman whom she had no
ticed several times in the elevator, and
she explains: II didn't like it. and re-
fused to have an introduction afterward.
II he would only stop to think about il
he might understand how feel.
don't believe in marriage without genu.
inc regard on both sides. and if he had
but managed to make my acquaintance
discreetly by degrees, working up into
that tumultuously delightful period OF
awakening interest which we call love,
l might have given another answer
My hrst husband won me by sending a
box of CONNECTIONS in which was hid a
diamond ring with our initials cut inside
an engraved link on the reverse side Of
the shaft. When he came that night l
wore it on the proper finger, and, though
no words were exchanged on the SUBJ
iect. we grew into the habit of discuss
ing our wedding-day. so that the end
seemed perfectly natural. like mod
esty in man. The more he looks and
the less he says in courtship the surer
he may be of winning, and you know
there's no time like slow promenade
in the moonlight to encourage senti-
ment."
One Of the society girls whose engage
ment has been announced, denies that
the man said to be interested has ever
proposed. Indeed. she doesn't know
anything about it. "The pleasure Of
getting q love-lstter," she adds. .'is only
excelled, fancy, by the act of answer
ing 1t. But that hasn't been the way
have been approached by admirers. -
They seem to think that personal atten-
tons are more impressive and safer
One of my friends received written
proposal. and the postscript said that if
she refused his offer to please return
him the letter. He had even inclosed
two three-cent stamps. which made Dor
so angry that she not only sent back the
letter but the stamps, too. About three
months afterward ono of the other girls
in our set had copy of that letter from
him and brought it to show as. OF
course she refused. He is one of those
self-conscious creatures whose highest
aim, next to getting wife with money,
is to cultivate mustache and goatee."
A Russian Desperate
Southern Russia now reioicos in the