The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-02-09
Leap Year.

The following by correspondent in
the Troy Times will explain the custom
of leap year in We olden time:
1t is probable that many of the fair,
and at least an equal plumber of the
unfair sex, have scarcely bestowed a
thought upon the fact that 1888 is leap
year, in which the ladies' law. as it is
called, may prevail.
In three years out of every four. man
has the privilege of popping the
question, and the annoyance of some
times having plainspoken mo" for
the reply. On the fourth year woman
may propose, if it so pleases her.
A lady has the privilege in leap year
OF suggesting marriage between herself
and bachelor acquaintance. In the
that the ungallant gentleman shall
present the tender damsel with a new
silk dress.
There is reservation, however, that
the right to claim~this penalty depends
| on the circumstance that, when she
proposed, the damsel was the weareI
| of scarlet petticoat. which Tor little
OF the lower portion of which) she must
exhibit to the gentleman, the under
stood idea being that the silken dress
shall cover the petticoat, and thus as
/ o0oSSO Ot1O DIT lue
rejection of her offered hand.
If any of the readers of the Times
catch glimpse, in 188S-say in a high
wind, or when a carriage or car is en-
tered, or a muddy street crOssed-ot
the slightest bit of scarlet in a lady's
most comfortable and usually unex.
hibited garment, they may imagine
that she has quilted the house with the
dire intent of asking somebody to mar.
ry her, or of getting the silk dress men
toned.
1t is said, in work entitled sCourt-
ship, Love and Matrimony,' published
in 1905, ten years before the death of
Shakespeare, is this explanation regard.
ing ladies privilege in leap year:
Albeit, it is move become part OF
the common lave, in regarde to social
relations of life, that as often as every
bissextile year doth return, the ladyes
have the sole privilege during the
| time 1t cOntinueth, of making love unto
the men, which they do, either by
| wordes or lookes, as to them it seemetf
proper; and, moreover, no man will bC
entitled to benefit of clergy who dothe
in any wise treate her proposal with
slight or contumely,'
This quotation is given by cores
pondent of Notes and Queries, but
there are some words in 1t which were
scarcely in common use in Shake
speare's time.
Social relations of life" is compar
atlyely modern phrase; and though the
word relations is used once by
Shakespeare, ''sOcial' never was. Odd
ly enough, the word ''contumely, ,
though not given in "AyScough's Con
cordance," occurs in 1.-The proud mans
cOntumely," which is put into one OF
Hamlet's most thoughtful soliloquies
The following is the state of the ole
Saxon code referring to leap year:
Albeit, as often as leape yearTe
rOgattve over the MEME in matters OF
courtships, love and matrimOnie; sc
that. when the lady prOpOseth, it shall
not be lawful for the man to say heI
| nae. but shall entertaine her proposal
in all guide curtesie.''
A Scotch statute Of 1923 reads as fol
lows:
1T is statut and ordaint that during
the refine of her maist biessit majestic
ilk forth year, known as leap year, ill
maiden ladye of bath high and low es
tate shall have liberty to bespeak "
man she likes; albyit, if he refuses tt
take her to be wifi, he shall be mulctef
in the sum of one pound (s1) or less, az
his estait mai be, except and avis il
he can make it appear that he is be
trothed to one woman, and then hi
| shall be Free
Leap year naturally makes us think
of marriage; and we hope all the young
ladies and widows will be bold enough
to "pop the question: and do it with.
out blushing or stammering. Now is
l V0IIr ODnOrtunitv