Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-09-23
WILT THOU BE MINE?'
rHoUGHTeRBADER's RBCIlB FOR MAKING
A PROPOSAL.
lust How Nan Should Ask the Woman he Loves
10 Marry Him-Sick TO the Point
Ssts Your Salary and Be
Courageous


overlook the ciumsiness OF woer, Ano
pledge herself to man whoee offer has moi
been made in the proper form; LIE Is iuii
of such instances of feminine charity.
But the thing will rankle in her mind, be
abe thrice an angel, aud sooner or later be
will encounter the rebuff his swkwardneas
deserved at the outset, and suffer the more
because he has hoped to escape his PUNISH
ment.
How then ought man to propose? How
Ia he to avoid the method lacking in adroit-
ness. the which, If he hopelessly employ
II must result in his more or less imme'
date discontinue?
The first rule which ! submit to the
consideration of the faculty has more IN II
than meets the eye.
When you propose to lady ask ner 70
marry you.
Under the seeming ofs truism, this ID
most subtle regulation.
You must ask.
You must make il clear that you ask
her. for men have been known to betroth
themselves to Angela when they really
meant to ask Angela to countenance their
suit to Augela's sistsr. A proposal is like
a bullet from q 1OO-ton gun, forcible and
weiphty missive, which must be speeded
in the right direction and no othsr.
| You must be sure that you ask her to
marry YOU. Nothing is easier than for
bashful man to pursuade himself that DC
has arranged a marriage with Angela,
when in fact he has only secured her hand
for the cotilliop. The converse obtains,
too-it is a dreadful position in which you
placs Yourself if you want to dance with
Angela for an hour, and in your fervor
give her to understand that it Is life
long partnership which You propose.
Again, Won must ask her to marry you.
Maks il plain that it is for yourself you
propose; Miles Standish did we'll on the
| other tack, but his WAS an exceptional
case. IF Angela had been in doubt wheth.
or to give her heart to you or to youl
friend Billy, and You, in the obliquity oil
your wretched delicacy, begin your Set
speech with a modest disquisition upon
Billy's superior clsims TO her favor land
not uncommonly gcow mock modest in
affairs of the heart) Angela may suppose
that il is for Billy that you plead, and be
disguised with you both, thinking you q
numskull not to speak for yourself and
Billy doubly a numbskull TO let You con
duct for him q negotiation which every
man should conduct for himself.
| Next:
Avoid figures OF speech and circumlocu
tons
I have heard man (he subsequently,
married tsrmagant, and served himself
rightly boast that he had never put it IN
any woman's power to cay him no, plump
IIy' 1t was the habit of this ruffian, when
be desired to offer his hand to lady, To
disguise his meaning in parable; 30 To
put the matter to her that If she wanted
TO marry him sne might say so, and IT not
might avoid the issue. He was coward,
| of course and sneak AZ we'll. Think Oft
from the standpoint Of Angela! In leav
ing himself safe he put her in the most
hideous position imaginable. For If shs
inclined to marry him, aud said 80, she left
itauite open for him to say: my dear Miss
Angela, you altogether misunderstood me.
When l asked you if You would confide
your life TO my keeping had no such pur'
nose az YOU imagine, but intended merely
TO ask if you would share nay buggy with
me to morrow evening. and rely upon my
bringing you home in safety aud without
an upset"
Such cowardice is quite unpsrdonable.
The worst that can happen to the man
who proposes il to be nj scted; which il
surely no dreadful matter. / am at The
present moment most desperately 10
love with the Empress Dowager Of -.
| [ have made no declaration Of ny
passion, because the disparity he.
tween her exalted station and my
own comparatively humble lot would
render such q union ill-advised, besides
| which she il old enough to be my grand
mother, and morbidly ill-tenpsred. Bot
would I hesitate to offsr her my hand, II
wished to do 80 and the opportunity pre-.
ssntsd itself. because I know that should
ba said nay Not bit of it. IL IL no
disgrace to be refused. l am not sure that
1t is al wcys o calamity. There arc not
less than dozen women whom, if / pro-
posed to them, should sincerely thank
for refusing me. remember one very
cold evening in st. Petersburg, an expert.
snce much in point. I was numbed and
blind with frost; it was in sleigh on the
ice of the Nsva, and / was unmarried at
the moment. There were two sisters, one
Young, beautiful, accomplished and fabu.
lousy rich, the other mere nonentity and
cross eyed, and in my dense frigidity /
offered my hand to the one didn't want.
She declined me (perhsps because the cold,
which was extreme, even for person &C
climatized by some five and forty Russian
winters, had benumbed her too). and did /
feel unhappy, do regret my objectionP
% the contrary, rejoice at it, IL is the
ONLY circumstance associated with cold
weather. condition abhor-which re.
call with any satisfaction.
And vet how many men dodge about the
question as If il would blast their whols
lives to meet with q refusal. II is pity,
in this connection, that the old custom OF
kneeline to make IN off,r ever died out.
The attitude has its inconveniences, uu-
doubleday. 1t Is not suited to our modern
dress, and results in abominable kneeire
of ones trousers. And 1t Ia most I'M
comfortable position in which to be sur
prised BY an inopportuue stranger. But II
was defipite-there was no feeling ones
way about it. The lady couldn't do1bt
your meaning, ones you were literally at
her feet.
Another rule, and one especially to be
considered, liz:
Avoid dikressions.
Nothing is more deplorsble than an in.
tervaI in q proposal. The matter should be
gone through with speedily, once your at
tack begins. II ia an attack always. No
matter how ready-bearted Angela may be,
there is little perfunctory resistance, only
uatural TO her modesty; aud you must not
give her the opportunity to turn the current
Of her wooing. Do not stop TO tell her that
you only take three glssses Of claret with
your dinner, or that you don't owe penny
in the world. Information Of this sort
you should convey to her long before You
ask the momsntous question; il il relevant
NO doubt, and may abet your effort great
ly, but yet il is prosaic and out OF keeping
| lust ut the moment of crisis. The more
markedly you confus yourself 10 declaring
your love and asking her hand, the better.
Il D.. - ,,;nd al ,yava that n nynooaal mar.