The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-05-31
How He Proposed

1OW I1o L iopoSeu'
Major Clinton was one of the most courageous
fellows in the world, according to the men who
knew him but when the ladies of his acquaint-
ance heard this opinion. they laughed il to scOrn
for they considered him the most timid creature
they had ever seen. lie was very fond of la
dies society. they said. or he would not spend
all his evenings at parties or making calls; yet
not one lady, old OF Young, single or married
had ever known him to express his regard in
any way that Was not extremely decOrous and
formal. Flirt! They would as soon think of Il
tombstone or a telegraph pole attempting to
tiirt. Most of the majors male acQuaintances
carried sears on their hearts. as results either
of attacks more honorable than judicious, or of
sudden surprises by fair skirmishers; but no
one could imagine the major to have suffered
any such mi>hap. for he not only made no re-
connoisances, but he always retired precipitatc
| ly within himself at the first flash of pair of
eyes leveled directly at him.
The truth was that the brave major was not
only as modest as Il model maiden, but be was
painfully bashful beside. The one desire of his
life was to marry, which he was financially able
to do, but the important preliminary step of
proposing was one he had never dared to take.
Until he reached adult wears he had met scarce
~ any women but his two orphaned sisters to
whom he had tried to be father. and upon
whose purity and sweetness he had based his
ideas of womanhood. Both married and went
far from their Old home, 50 they could not help
preston that all women were too good for him.
To Clinton nearly every woman appeared a
SAINT. lie WOrshlpped one after another. al
though ON y one at time, and his tastes We're
50 correct that he was obliged to change his di-
Viniy about once in three months to avoid Wor-
shipping another mans wife, Whenever an old
scar healed and a delicious throbbing of the
heart told of a new dart that had found its way
to his heart. he vowed solemnly to propose at
once and vary the dreadful mOnoOny of having
t1,,,,
time he delayed just for a day or a week, or be-
cause he feared too much or hoped too wildly,
and every time lie waited little too long
every time but one.
ForWhen the major met Alice Wallerson he felt
that to lose her too, would be more than his life
could endure. She was pretty, as all women
seemed to The major, She was good and she
WAS sweet, the major WAS sure. else why were
all other women unusually fond Of her: Best
of all She seemed the most modest and bashful
maiden in his whole circle OF acquaintance, and
| through these qualities would be able to offer
him sympathy with feelings that all other peo-
pie regarded with provoking smiles.
But how should he propose: Being a Wo-
man, her bashtul nature must be more sensitive
than his own 50 even if he were to nerve him
self to the ordeal how could he be enough of
brute to inct greater trepidation upon her if
he loved her: Even were she fav0rably dispoS-
ed towards him, he was sure that listening to a
proposal would put her heart in Il terrible tu-
nult; now much more dreadful would 1t be
men, lof hGr 10 listen 10 nm should she not be
iaNorhpls 1isposed. lie knew mat she always
looked at him pleasantly; he felt that she had
even been grateful one evening, when both at a
party dhu pom through tmlully. retired to the
>"iii' lIeti-h','eil corner VI thc drawing foom
eatH innocent OF the approach oil the other and
a.. az "hAlou> On uifctlil9 70 SNOW lllal ne
affair was a mere accident This was the only
| basis of GlintOn's hope. and yet-hc had been
ui>dPp0lhleG so many tlmes he could not bear
~ tillhh VI IdHule now;
ne liiiu' several calis WIN 'he intention OF
P!oP19iiS, out every tllhe MS courage laled
,Liii II p'SidcS' Mrs' Nailefsol' or Allces sister
NtI1 were Always III lhe pafiof. VI course he
Nouiu no' s"t ptioie Two WHAT ne DREADED TO
-! tNtm WIN slh9le nearer; orse stlii'
:hiss -Neli; VINO was prlillahl brunette OF ihe
in;irpi:eSsipie species coulu not ANold teasing
liir .'s !. at tNtlH posslplG oPportuhitl ana ne
"MiHs loSt Ms Tongue UhueL hef ohslauSntS.
lheil ne llit" 10 propose III Wrllln@, ana Tor
d NV'h " tNthll9s ne wrote sleadlly WIN no
i,Iolf I IG s"tlslacioIE result thah holc 10 MIS-
'llti sol' III "hleh ne lhtehueu 10 lncIose MS
Piopos"i'
- Ilii''t HhaiiN came III piay 10 MS ad. MISS
Ntn' as one ol Il tflo OF girls VINO mad devised a
surprise parry lof recently married friend
Nlo.t ~ 'he mayor ABOUT tle proJect ana peg
std tnat ne would can ana give her some assist
"iionS t.ieii liul".l acqutihlahces among
Senlleiheu. AS tne mayor reau nef note Drill
laht thou?nt occurred 10 hlm. While talking
business MISS Nell certainly would not endeaVor
~ 't"Se hlll1 MS bashiuiness never troubled
m nun WINE talhihS win Iadle> on any subject re-
quilhS common sense, opinion ana executive
apllitH, ne shouid therefore be able to feel at
ease WIN MISS Men, ana Whlle III that unusual
VohIl'o ne "oul,i make Il con1lttant OF her ana
i '9m noi ''N ice ahu assistance. lie would Try 70
lalk 10 ller as If she We're a man; it might be Il
rash experiment but he felt equal to almost any
ueSlee VI Iasilie>s Wnen ne lhouSht OF now
II a.,
!, 'oo tle major went 10 tne ailefsoh nome on
NE eNclIh9 appointed py mlschleEous Miss
Nell WIN stouter heart than ne had felt. out
1ioe % OF business hours, since the war ended.
lie arranged with the young lady to bring all
MS male friends into the surprise party, and
Sne, ralher confused by her new view of the
MAJORS character, was most effusvc in thanks,
ana beng only twenty-three years of age and
DelhS no older than her years signitied. was
completely astOInded by the majors coolness
She could not help bctraying her curiosity; she
looked al the major inquringly, she dropped
into reNerles, and she said to her mother, who
came to the door of the parlor moment about
some affair strictly of ii family nature, that Mr..
Clinton was entirely different from what she
had imagined him to be.
But the mayor dlt not know this. After the
| business OF the evening ended he began to feel
the old familiar cold sweat that had been his
torment III the swamps of the Chcahominey
! fifteen years before. Conversation had drop
| PED to the dead level of the national academy,
lhe last new novel, and Browns last volume of
| poems, all OF which were very bad. Miss Nell
| looked interested, pretty and sentimental until
| the mayor half wished she would be her natur-
al self, tor he had at last reused himself to the
| combatlye state, and he wanted to talk with
| her in the most serious manner about her sis
| ter At last he made desperate effort and
sad:
Miss Wallerson, called this evening only
on business, but have for long time wanted
| n a ~ lattn