The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-04-10
A NOVEL PROPOSAL.
A Young Lady Has One Furnished
to Order.

When | first declared to Miss Laura
Marvin the inlammatory state of my
feelings toward her that young lady
eyed me from head to foot with an air
OF mingled pity and amusement, and
then exclaimed; How conventional!n
Being wholly unprepared for this piece
OF criticism, | was not a little confused
by it. | had gone over the perform
snce several times in my own room be-
fore the looking-glass until | ilattcred
myself that | could do it very neatly
indeed. l would 90 down on my
knees (frst spreading out a handker-
chief on the foor) and, claspmg my
hands over the left breast pocket of
my Prince Albert, exclaim to an empty
rucking-chair: Miss Marvin-Laura
IL love you. l have loved you with
3 passion which mocks the feeble power
OF words. l can not live an hour longer
without you. Will you be mine?n
At this point she was to fall into my
arms with a sob and reply inarticulate-
ly: 20, Henry!"-or words to that
effect.
When, therefore, instead of carrying
out her part of the programme, she
flung the wet blanket of her scorn on
the hot flame of my affection, I felt, as
l have said. confused; and not only
confused, but hurt; and not only hurt,
but actually resentful. 1t seemed to
me as though l could live a whole
century without her.
"Wen." said /, somewhat sullenly,
rs got up and busted off my knees
with my handkerchief that's the only
style of proposal I'm dealing in just at
present. | can get you samples in other
lines if you insist on it."
Miss Marvin laughed, she looked
prettier when she laughed than any
ether way, and there is reason to be-
ieve that she was aware of the fact.
II like you better, now she said.
"When you men aren't witty or cyni-
cal you are generally silly
"unlike women" l snapped.
WHO are always silly, you mean,"
she went on. Il accept this as a COM
pliment, for it shows that you are try
ing to please me by affecting the cynic.
Come, be sensible. / like you well
enough. Only don't try to propose to
me in that ridiculous ol%d-fashioned
manner"
With that she went down on her
knees and prettily mimicked my little
performance with exaggerating gest-
aes and the most absurd grimaces.
Then she laughed heartily. / think l
have said she was pretty when she
laughed.
you can't imagine how tired I am
Of such gymnastic exhibitions,' she
ran on, when l had helped her to
her feet, retaining her hand as long as
I dared. why can't you men devise
something new2 Such a dearth of or
iginality l never saw. ! declare l am
ready to throw myself into the arms
of the first young mar who invents a
really novel method of proposing"
You might as well talk about a
novel method of eating" Ireplied. "If
you were really in love, Miss Marvin,
you wouldn'tspeak in that cold-blooded
way about SO sacred a matter"
"But I'm not in love, you see," she
with a bewitching little shrug
IT her shoulders, $50 what's the use of
proposing to me anywayP'
''At any rate" she went on, relent-
ng a little perhaps at sight of my
w%oebegone expression, whether l am
n love or not, shan't accept any man
the sun unless he has some en-
irely original way Of offering HIM
,
Then she laughed again, and looked !.
1t me with such an irresistibly roguisb
Expression that l came very near spoil
ng every thing by kissing her righ% {
hen and there. c
Il don't see exactly what you mean," i
/. ''Am l to understand that I C
'ould be more acceptable il I hung Ii
.ofn the chandelier by my toes ard .
roposed in that attitudep Or shall /
roo you with a peas-cod, like Toucl- 81
q
''I'm not going to tell you," she re- p
lied. That's for you to find out. 81
m not sure myself that l know, but it lie
Iust be something unexpected, I'M Il
lckneyed, spontaneous and delicious
novel, with a tinge of romance about r
not something that you have been I"
'acticing all day with a dummy" tr
1 colored guilty at this, and she
ook her little head at me and m
~ believe you could fiddle I'VE burn Ina
z Rome" | broke out. po
don't got angry said she. 'Be q
Fut yourself IN NY place TIL