The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-12-25
ABOUT ENGAGEMENTS.
How True Woman Shoald Look UPof
This State OF Probation.

HOW y
This State OF Probation.
Is IL due to the lightness with which
SO many vows are regarded nowadays
and to the fickleness of those who
make them, that engagements" and
engaged people, are so constantly
held up as endless subjects for jokes OF
all kinds? When we think Of young
lady of our acquaintance who engaged
(P) herself to two young men at once
'.iust for fun and deserted both for q
third, and Of young man who is en-
gagged to different lady each time you
meet him. we are certainly amazed at
the facility with which some people
can ssget off with the old love and on
with the new and acknowledge that
the jokers have right to be as merciless
as they please. But to turn from these
light hearted and hght-headed lovers
to those who take q more serious view
of the transition stage between the
freedom of the unengaged and the
happy bondage of married love, let us
see if an engagement is al young
girl, who has romantic inclinations,
fancies it must beP To begin with.
what lot of croaking the newiy-en-
gagged girl has to listen to. After the
first congratulations are over, some
well-meaning friend remarks in a
dreary tone; s.Well, dear, make the
most Oft, all your troubles are to come.
its the happiest time of your life, so
don't be in a hurry to bring it to an
end" Perhaps another assures her, as |
once heard young lady assur, d, that
these things often fall through. you
may break it off yet" These
gloomy predictions are no doubt
all very satisfactory to those
who make them. but to say the
least they are not cheering to the pc pr
girl who has to listen to them again
and again til she begins to wonder
why people are so afraid that any one
will be too happy in a world which so
many do their best to make veritable
''vale of tears" Perhaps her engage
ment is of necessity long one, then
she has the pleasure Of being constant
ly reminded of the fact by exclama-
tons like this: s.What! not married
yet? Why, you were engaged a year
agow Or, still worse, she must listen
to long TRADES on the undesirability
of long engagements in general. whose
application is plainly meant for her
| particular case. But these little trials,
although real enough at the time, are
nothing compared with the greater
ones she may have to bear in the shape
of cold critical looks from her fiance's
family and friends, who probably
think him ''far too good for her." and
are apt to look upon her as an intru Ter,
at least, at first, and who take care
that she shall in some way have a
pretty good idea as to their opinions.
All these external trials, perhaps
slightly different in different cases,
could be cheerfully borne by the chap
| py girl" if it were not for the unseen
ones she can not speak Of; her doubts,
her fears. her hopes. so apt to be dis
appointed, the feeling that is insepara-
bic from any transition state of unset,
tledness and anxiety. All these would
| fill volumes, which, however, would
not be so interesting to the reader as
the writer, which we are happy to
think no one has yet undertaken.
Enough has been said to show that
sometimes an engaged girls '.lot is
not a happy one,' no matter how
much she is envied by her young
friends. But if she has true love and
respect for the man into whose hands
she has given her happiness she will
be able to bear the trial and be all the
better for the probation of ian en-
gagement" before entering on the
greater happiness of married life
| Cor. Montreal Witness.