Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-09
From the Hour.
HOW HE PROPOSED.

Ma1. Clinton was one Of the most
courageous fellows IN the world, accord
ing 60 the men who knew him; but when
tue ladies of his acquaintance heard this
opinion, they laughed it TO scorn, for
they considered him the most timid crea-
tUre they had ever seen. He was very
fond of ladies' society, they said, or he
would not spend all lis evenings at
parties or making calls; yet no one lady,
old or young, single or married, had
ever knoTn him to express his regard Ia
any way that was not extremely decor
Gus and formal. Flirt? They would as
soon think of tombstone or d tele-
graph pole attempting TO hirt. Most of
the majors male acquaintances carried
scars on their hearts, as results either of
attacks more honorable than judicious,
or OF sudden surprises by fair Skin
nsisbers; but no one could imagine the
major TO have suffered any such mishap,
Tor he Dot only made no xeconnoisances,
bat nc always retired precipitately with
III himself at the first flash OF pair OF
eyes leveled directly at him.
TIE truth was that the brave major
was not only as modest as model
maiden, but he was painfully bashful
beside. The one desire of his life was
&c marry, which he was financially able
to do, bat the important preliminary
step Of proposing was one he had never
dared to take. Until he bad reached
adult Years he had met scarcely d
woman out his two orphaned sisters, to
whom he had tried TO be father, and
upon whose rare purity and sweetness
he had based his idea OF womanhood.
Both married and went far from their
Old lomes SO they could not help him to
gain wife by disabuSing him of his i'm
preston that al women were too good
&or him. To Clinton nearly every
woman appeared a saint He wor-
shipped one after another, although only
one at time, and his tastes were SO cor
rect that he was obliged to change his
divinity about once in three months to
avoid worshipping another mans wife.
" neneyer IN old scar healed and deli
eciOu5 rhrobbing of the heart told of
anew dart that had found its way to his
heart. he vowed solemnly to propose at
once, and vary the dreadful monotony of
having another man step In before him.
And each time hedelayed, just for day
or a week, or because be feared too
much, or hoped too wildly, and every
time he waited little too long-eyery
fine but one.
For when the major met Alic9 Wal
IerEGn he felt that, to lose her, too,
would be more than his life could en-
-dUre. 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 bashfaI
maiden IL the whole circle of his ac-
-quaintance, and through these qualities
would be able to offer him sympathy
with feelings that all other people re-
garded with provoking smiles.
But how should he propose? Being
woman, her bashful nature must be
far more sensitive than his own, so even
If he we're to nerve himself to the or
deal, now could he be enough of brute
to 1ntlict greater trepidation upon her,
If he loved her? Even were she favor
ably disposed toward him, he was sure
that listening to proposal would put
her heart Ii IL terrible tumult; how much
more dreadful would 1t be, then, for her
to listen 20 him should she not be favor
ably disposed. He knew that she al
ways looked at him pleasantly; he felt
that she had been even grateful to him,
one evening, when both, at a party, and
both through timidity, retired to the
same half hidden corner of the drawing
room. each innocent Of the approach of
the other, and each over anxious, on
meeting, to show That the affair was a
mere accident. This was the only ba-
sis of Glinton's hope. and yet-he had
been disappointed SO many times he
could not bear to think of failure now.
He made several calls, with the inten-
tiep Of proposing, but every time his
courage failed him; besides, Mrs. Wal
Ierson or Alce's sister Nell were always
IN the parior. OF course he could not
say before two what he dreaded to say
even with a single nearer. Worse still,