The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-23
ABOUT ENGAGEMENTS.
How True Woman Should Look Upo
This State of Probation.

Flow true woman should LOOK UpOX
This State of Probation.
Is it due to the ightness with which
so many VOWS are regarded nowadays,
and to the fickleness of those who
make them, that engagement" 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
() herself to two young men at once
''just for fun" and deserted both for
third, and of a 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 "get off with the old love and on
with the new and acknowledge that
the jokers have light to be as merciless
as they please. But to turn from these
Gght-hearted and light-headed lovers
to those who take 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 all young
girl, who has romantic inclinations,
fancies it must be? To begin with,
what lot of croaking the newly-en-
gagged girl has to listen to. After the
first congratulations are over, some
well-meaning friend remarks in a
dreary tone; "Well, dear, make the
most oft, all your troubles are to come,
its the happiest time of your life, 50
don't be in hurry to bring it to an
end" Perhaps another assures her, as
once heard young lady assured, 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 poor
girl who has to listen to them again
and again till she begins to wonder
why people are so afraid that any one
will be too happy in world which so
many do their best to make a veritable
''vale of tears" Perhaps her engage
ment Is of necessity a long one, then
she has the pleasure of being constant
ly reminded of the fact by exclama-
tions like this: "What not married
yetP Why, you were engaged Il year
agon' 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 tance's
family and friends, who probably
think him 'far too good for her" and
are apt to look upon her as an intruder,
at least, at first, and who take care
that she shall in some way have q
pretty good idea as to their opinions.
All these external trials. perhaps
slightly different in different cases,
could be cheerfully borne by the chap
ply 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-
BILE 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.