St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-02-25
BROKEN ENGAGEMENTS.


06OkeN eN0A0eM6NoSs
ne Meachalaaes Displayed Hewadays In
A0Airs of the Heart.
It Il often somewhat shocking to
people Of middle age. or past that
period. to observe the nonchalance
with which far too many Of tho young
ladies Of the present day speak Of their
engagements Of marriage. that is. with
no shrinking. or hesitation. or reserve.
and. - it would appear to the OBJ
server. with no delicacy. And not
only Is 1t the want Of delicacy that
strikes one. but . want Of respect
toward the engagement . treatment
Of it As II it were the lightest of affairs.
without especial significance unless
one pleased. an arrangement for
lunch, a rendezvous at . reception,
not nearly 20 serious. indeed. ~ n
dinner engagement. which is some
thing that must be kept, but part Of
the frivolitics Of life. not to be looked
at intently or spoken Of gravely. but
entered into half in prank and frolic.
continued As long rs agreeable. and
broken rs lightly as bubble = child
blows from . pipe.
The manner, too. in which these en-
gagements are formed is . source Of
surprise and shock. again. to the re-
putable middle-aged woman. who is
convinced that things were not done
so in her young days-the total levity
and want of sentiment the young
mans purse and general ability to pro-
vide fine menage and equipage hsv-
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. and the
temporary arrangement being tolera-
bly, well understood to be only for the
season. terminate. like various other
copartner-ships at the will Of either
party.
But equally is it matter or pain and
trouble to the astonished observer to
notice the manner in which the en-
gagemcnts are broken. letters re-
turned. all but tell-tale few, some
gifts returned and some retained ;
. little romance. little sentiment, ~
ifjust for the plays sake. . few tears.
under which the laugh comes spark
ling presently. and the way is clear
for the next aspirant- And then the
affair 10 spoken Of as cody and openly
as any event Of yesterdays dinner or
oflast nights ball-such and such .
thing happened whom this young per
SON was engaged to So-and-so. or no.
was it then. or when she and young
This-and-that were SO epris with each
other? The whole affair Of the engage
ment is glove that has been dropped.
a flower that has faded, . story that ID
told. In this good. middle-aged lady's
day. when . young lady broke her en-
gagement, or had it broken for her.
she went into retirement for q season
like young widow. and did not brazen
it cut as If she had done no more than
promise to 60 to picnic and had
then thought better Of it
There seems to the quiet II critical
onlooker . single profanity about the
business, and she feels this the most in
remarking the careless way in which
the engagement Is formed. as If 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.
ments in the world beforehand than
broken marriage and divorce after.
ward. But in her code of morals there
should be neither. The very idea Of
marriage should be approached with a
much reverence rs an altar. In some
parts Of the country she knows the
affair is SO modestly conducted that an
engagement ID never spoken Of till
preparations are making for the we'd
ding. While this is beyond the cen
sor's strictest idea, she would yet have
. little Of the church-going feeling
about the maiden's heart in accepting
her lover. and sine would have the af.
fair taken 50 seriously that no lover
would he received as such just for the
convenience of the seasons pleasure
and attendance. just to lift the re-
proach from vanity. or because So-and
80 had lover. but received only whcr
he had come to stay. and where he wa,
SO worthy that the intention was to
Loor h;~, - Hnrnsrse Ro-0