The Monitor., 1890-01-10
THE ENTERPRIsING AMERICAN.

Il
passes, perhaps, that he is not forcibly re-
minded of the far-reaching influence of
modern improvements and the decay of old
customs. This can even be noticed in
those little affairs of the heart in which
young people are supposed to be interested
| and the custom of scaling stone wall and
setting under pomegranate tree while
you serenade lady, and momentarily ex-
pect to be playfully run through the body
by her interesting kinsnen, has practical
y fallen into disuse. But the plan, at
more critical stage of the courtship, of the
gentleman getting down on his knees, or
at least being present in person, has, we
believe, been kept up to the present day.
1t now appears, however, to be doomed.
We learn from a perusal of a recent CO.
py of little Michigan paper, published
not far from Ann Arbor, of an occurrence
which, it is said, took place not long since
| in Detroit, which seems to confirm the idea
that courtship, as well as most other things
will hereafter be greatly facilitated by re-
cent inventions. 1t appears that there is
a young lady living in Detroit who for
some time has been the recipient of the at
tentions of two young men, one young
professor in the State University at Ann
Arbor, and the other a travelling salesman
| for New York wholesale hardware house
whose route extends through Michigan
and parts of Canada. One day last week
the New Yorker arrived in Detroit late in
the afternoon, and, of course, Immediately
started making the rounds of the retail
hardware dealers, with the laudable pur-
pose of selling each good stock for the
winter before the representative OF any ri
val house should put in an appearance
He had hoped to call on the object of his
affections in the evening, but business was
| good, and o'clock found him very busy
trying to induce Woodward avenue deal
er to take six dozen axes, four dozen grind
stones and half-carload of wooden pals.
AT this stage of the proceeding younger
brother of the young lady dropped in to
buy new jack-knife, and mentioned casu-
ally that the Ann Arbor professor was up
at the house. 1t instantly occurred to the
enterprising hardware and cutlery sales
man that the prof fessor had come for no
| other purpose than to lay his heart at the
| feet of the young lady he himself adored.
For moment there was struggle in his
breast, but he speedily got control of him.
self and decided that he could not possibly
leave the store, as the dealer was just on
the point of deciding to take the pals. But
the thought of giving up the lady who had
been for months constantly in his mind
waking and sleeping was unbearable.
Light sudde My dawned on him. Handing
the dealer circular explaining the merits
of his new double-bladed chopping knives,
he requested tie use of the merchants
telephone for five minutes, stepped to it
and rang up the central Office.
A moment later the telephone bell at the
residence ofthe young lady rang, sharp and
decisive. The professor had been there for
an hour talking pleasantly of the grand
educational work they were doing in the
department of fossilology at Ann Arbor.
When the bell rang, the lady's father be-
ing absent Che is physici lam, she excused
herself and went into the adjoining room
to answer it. The professor heard her
step to the telephone and say. ''Yes,''
make short pause and say YES again.
Then there was longer pause, and he
heard her say; "Why-why-really, this
is very sudden" Then there still longer
pause, and he heard her say YES very
softly, then ''good-by," and she hung up
the receiver and came back into the room,
The professor moved closer to the fire, and
remarked that it was chilly evening and
he thought it was going to snow, and then
resumed his talk about the great work at
the university. Fifteen minutes later
there was ring at the front door bell.
The lady answered, and a district mes
senger boy handed her plain gold ring,
which she slipped on her finger, and return
ed to the parlor. "Miss-,'' said the
professor, five minutes later, 81 want to
ask you very important question this
evening. Excuse me for putting il bluntly,
but will you be my wife?" But we need
not go further with this. Two minutes
later the professor went down the front
steps, shook his fist at the telephone wire
and took the s. As train for Ann Arbor.
If this story be true, and we have no rea-
son to doubt it, it opens vast field of use
fulness for the telephone, and shows, as
few other incidents could, the great enter
prise of the American people. This could
not have happened in any other country in
the world except America. We are a
great, growing, pushing, energetic people,
and no other nation ON the face of the globe
can approach us.-N. T. Tribune
1t is sad to think that Nebuchadnezzer
after his gay life had to go to grass, but
sadder the thought that so many men of
promise and ability find early graves by
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