The Irish standard., 1888-01-21
BROKEN ENGAGEMENTS.
The Nonchaiance Displayed Nowadays il
Affairs OF the Heart.

BROKEN ENGAGEMENTS.
I, The Nonchaiance Displayed Nowadays in
T. Affairs OF the Heart.
It is often somewhat shocking to
people Of middle age, Or past that
period, to observe the nonchalance
with which far too many of the young
ladies Of the present day speak Of their
engagements of marriage, that is, with
no shrinking, Or hesitation, OF reserve,
and, as it would appear to the OBJ
server, with no delicacy.. And not
only is it the want Of delicacy that
strikes one, but a want of respect
toward the engagement, a treatment
OF it as if it were the lightest of affairs,
without especial significance unless
one pleased, an arrangement for
lunch, rendezvous at reception.
not nearly Sc serious, indeed, as Il
dinner engagement. which is some
thing that must be kept, but a part OF
the frivolities of life, not to be looked
at intently or spoken Of gra7el,v, but
entered into half in prank and frolic,
continued as long az agreeable, and
broken as lightly as q bubble a child
! blows from a pipe.
The manner, too, i'll which these er-
gageJnents are formed is 3 source Of
surprise and shock. again. to the re.
putahle niddle-aged woman. who is
convinced shat things We're not done
SO in her young days-t|,e total leyity
and want of sentiment, the young
mans purse and general ability to pro-
vide a fine menage and equipage hav-
ing more to do with the solidarity Of
the enterprise than virtue Or personal
charm; genial manners, good dancing
and pleasant temper being enough for
the temporary arrangement, aud the
temporary arrangement being tolera-
bly, we'll understood to be only for tho
season, terminate. like various other
copartner-ships at the will OF either
party
But equally is it a matter or pain and
trouble to the astonishel observer to
notice the manner in which the en-
gagements are broken, letters re-
turned, all but 81 tell~t,le few, Some
gifts returned and some retaiue,l;
g little romance, a little sentiment, rs
ifjust for the plays sake, few tears,
under which the laugh comes spark
ling presently, and the way is clear
tor the next aspirant. And then the
affair is spoken Of as cooiy and openly
as any event of yesterdays dinner or
,flast nights hall--such and such al
thing happened when this young per-
son was engaged TO So~and-so, or no,
was it then, or when she and young
This-and-tlla were SO epris with each
meft is glove that has been dropped,
flower that has failed, d story that is
told In this good, middje-agetl lady IS
day. when &, young lady broke her en-
gagement, or had il broken for her,
she went into retirement for q season
like young widow, and did not lorazen
it ont us il she mad done no more than
promise TO 90 to q picnic and had
then thought better OF it.
There seems to the quiet ii critical
onlooker q single profanity about the
business. an, she feels rllis the most in |
renlarlzing the careless way i'll which
The engagement is formed, as il one
rushed into The Holy Of HOLES, and
without removing the shoes from ones |
feet. Better an affinity Of times, she
confesses, are all the broken engage
1ncnts in tlie world beforehand than |
broken marriage and divorce after
ward Bus in her code Of morals there
should be neither. The very idea of
marriage should be approached will! as
much reverence us all altar. In some
parts Of the country she knows the
affair is so n1odestly conducted that an
engagelnent is never spoken OF till
preparations are making for The wed"
ding. While this is beyond the CEN
sors st,ictest idea, she would yet have
a little of the church-going feeling
about the naiden's heart in accepting |
her lover, ard she would have the al !
fair taken so seriously that no lo> 'r
would he received as such just for tho
convenience of the seasons pleasure
and attendance, just to lift the .l'e~
proach from vanity, or because So-and~
so had n lover, but received only when |
he had come TO stay, and where he WIS
so worthy that the intention Was to
keep him. --Ha1par's Bazar.