The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-02-09
A CHANCE FOR THE GIRLS.

III Is proDaole tuat Rood many
OF the fair, and at leastan equal Dum-
Der of the unfair sex. have scarcely
bestowed thought upon the fact
that 1883, being evenly ended by
four, is q leap year, in which Ladies'
Law, as it is called, may prevail.
In three years out of every four
man has tho privilege Of popping
the question: and the annoyance OF
sometimes having plain"spoken
No 7 for tho reply On the fonrth
year woman may propose, il it so
plenses her
AS the matter is generally under
stood, lady has the privilege, in
leap year, OF sugg sting an uuion by
religious rites aud with legal sane
ton between herself aud bachelor
acquaintance. Tn the event cf his
refusing, the penalty is tbat the un-
z, liant entlemnn ehall present the
tender dsmsel with new silk dress
There is u reservation, however, that
the right TO claim the penalty de-
ponds on the circumstance that,
when she proposed, the damsel was
tho wearer Of scarlet petticoat,
which Tor little of the lower por-
ton Of which) she must exhibit to
lhe gentleman, the understood ilea
being that the silken dress shall
cover the petiicoat, and thus assuage
dire feminine indignation at tho re-
lection Of her offered hand.
1t is said that in work entitled
'Courtship, Love aud Marriage pub
lished in lG06, ten years before The
death Of Shakespeare, is this expla-
nation regarding ladies' privileges in
leap year:
Albeit il is nowe become part o,
the common lave. in regarde to go
cial relations Of life. that as every
bissextie doth return, tho ladye,
have the sole privilege, during tho
time il contipuetb, Of making low,
unto the man, which they doe, eithel
by wordes or lookes as to tho.n i
seemeth proper; and, moreover, NJ
man will be entitled to benefit o
clergy who doth 10 any wise treat,
her proposal with slight or contume
by
What do you propose to do abou
it girls? Willyou assert your right
and scoop in nice young man? Y
blondes, with golden tresses, viole
eyes and pearly complexions, ye bru
nettes, in all the glory of your rave,
tresses, languishing brown orbs an,
bangs-and ye potent white bors
barometer, with your luxuriant au
burn tresses, will you 90 forth il
the world this year, freed from tn
social customs that err from bones
natures rules, and gather iu you
masculine idea Say, grille, isn't i
time that all this jesting about you
leap year privileges should end p
There aie hundreds of young mel
right here in Snyder who woull
make first rate husbands, aud ye
they show no symtoms of becomin
Benedicks. Perhaps it is becaus
they are too bashful. Tho bashfa
young man may be- as brave as lion
but you take all the starch ont o
him when you put in appearance
and you know it. Now, don't be co
quettish aud take feline delight il
torturing him, but drop q word il
season. It's leap year, you know
and you need not be back yard
Don't mind what people may say
but go in for yourself or some othe
girl may catch him. You have al
illustrate to go by. No less q per
sonage than Queen Victoria popped
the question when she saw that AL,
bert wanted to but was afraid, &c
sail in and make things run a little
more smoothly this year.