The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-04

period Of friendship between man and
woman which precsdss TIE engagement is
Tar more sacred than many people think
American men have c strange habit Of call
ing on woman for months without giving
her the least idea q what their intentions
really are They take her TO places Of
smusemsnt, send her flowers, mocopolizs
( her socisty, and, II tie woman Is at al s1s-
ceptible. as IS ant % b the case, she begins
70 think seriously Of her friend and very
often gives her love bef0re il is asked
well known family, whom l happen TO
know Intimately, hss 2 daughter who Was
ons Of the loveliest girls in the city. This
young lady Is 81 this moment suffering from
nervous prostration and shock occssionsd
oy the conduct OF E young man who visited
her regularly for months The family and
friends regarded the young man as suitor
and treated him acc0riin ely But the sequel
plainly showed how they had deceived
themselves. One evening the young man
called, and, as the young lady greeted him
WITH her usual cordlallty, he sad rather
bluntIy:
20, I have something 70 tell you have
been taken into the firm now, and next
month marry Miss - "a young lady &C
qusInted with both. WHO lived in another
city,. As my best friend thought it safe
70 tell you first"
Il was an awful shock For q time the
family feared that the poor girl would lose
her reason, Now such q thing as this could
not happen in Europe. On the continent a
man defines his position sooner than do the
men Of this country. 1t won't take the
woman who receives [ Is attentions long TO
discover what his attentions really are. She
viii soon learn whether ne Is a marrying
man, or WHISTLER bis calls are merely social
and friendly. He vii be sure to tell her.
A vel-known New York leader OF fash
ion and man OF brains answered: THE ques-
ton you ask is worthy the honest thought
OF al sensible men and women. By the
Misrepresentation Of the forcs of an engage
msnt have oeea wrecked many promising
careers OF both men and women. If a solu-
ton OF the question can be reached and a
standard Of judgmen- r5a he'd, 1t will be
marble COMMISSIONS in our social structure.
The current comic literature has, think,
IN treating facetiOusy Of engagements given
the impression that IS 2 rule, in American
socistF, engagements are regarded as light,
ephemerel ties that ere made and broken as
the seasons change This is a libel if a
humorous one, upon our cial code. How
ever, as much harm i done by regarding
an engagement too sscreily as too lightly.
Il believe that such engagements, though
you call them simply exoedients are usually
essential IN our present life. l would have
a N4keSrLlHlA 70 marriage considered
invioiste Only when the PARTIES 70 the con
tract have actually decided on the date Of
the ceremony and Who shall De form Il.
Even then, if q SERIOUS defect in the physical
health or moral character of either party
be discos cred, the otae- should be at liberty
Ia honor 70 break the engagement This
suggestion may at first blush be considered
unroms1tic, but romance that has no basis
IL sense is Like balloon without basket.
broken engagement is better than di-
vorce court scandal BY idea is this: Let
the ordinary engagement be an understand
ing, developing into q contract only when
tie date Of the marr1s &c is set and the ar
rangements for it made"
A recent opinion Of one of the Judges
would lad US TO Suppose that an engage
ment should be regarded as an opportunity
for acquaintance be-ween young people
who propose marriage. My own idea of a
bstrothal is as strict a. that held in Euro
pean countries, and think it should only
be broken for reasons which would be
deemed sufficient for dissoIving the mar
rage contract. / consider that a person
who breaks an engagement through caprice
anrflS q r1ad sv,Is