Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-27
POPPING THE QUESTION
Many Ways of Proposing to
Wed.
ADVICE ON THE GREAT SUBJECT.
Rev. Geo. B. Rieman Tells the Young
Men of Santa Ana How
to "POp."

1851 Frluay nlEut WILL eiuo VI Aio h1@n"
and money in his pocket-a happy an
unusual combination, by the way-hear
that the talented Monrovia preacher
Rev. Geo. B. Riemen, was to give th
young men OF Santa Ana some advice O
"popping the question:" and having ha
limited experience in that line, the re
porter determined to attend and lear
how the unfortunates in other places pre-
cseded with the trying business. Tn
tickets said: "Only those admitted VIII
have popped or intend to do So" an
the presence of number Of the beauli
full yourg ladies Of Orange county in tn
hall would tend to give one po i'm
preston of the bravery OF the Santa Ami
young men.
s'In all ages" said DR.. Rieman, ''mal
has popped the question, Adam beins
the only man exempted. have heart
it asserted, therefore, that Adam was {
very happy man, because he had nc
mother-in.lay. Laughter Now
don't know why there should be this OBJ.
lection to the mother.in-lew, or why che
should be considered in the light of an
mother lin lawn fact, if it had not been
for her don't know where should have
found q wife. To be sure she lives about
five hundred miles away, and I have
never done anything to decrease the
distance between us. | have had a
rather indefinable feeling that l had bet.
ter not flee from the evils I already bear
to those | know not of.
SsTbo TpI,o- oI of ,,z-u:-. Al .
question was to seize the young woman
OF his fancy when she was outside her
lodge and carry her away, struggling and
screaming, to his own. If she also
fancied him it is presumable that she
would neither struggle or scream more
than enough to keep up appearances. If
he could keep her in his possession until
they arrived at his lodge then she was
compelled to stay and be his wife. How
would you girls like that plan?
"In Japan the smitten young man
goes to the house of his beloved and
drops one of his shoes over the fence
then he goes home and tortures himself
with all sorts of unpleasant conjectures
as to the reception his offer is liable to
meet with until the following day. when
he returns to the spot. If he finds his
shoe filled with rice he commences at
once to call upon the young lady once a
month, once week or once day, ac-
cording to how much he is in love. But
if the young lady does not favor the
young man, she throws his shoe over
the fence. Then the world assumes an
indigo hue to the young man, and he
thinks of committing suicide or-of drop
ping his shoe over some other young
lady's fence.
"In Holland the young man watches
his chance on a market day and snatches
the neck-hsndkerchief of his loved one
from her neck and runs. The following
Sunday he calls and takes dinner With
her parents. If at dinner time he finds
a slice of well-buttered bread at his
place he is happy, but if he finds dry
crust he don't call there any more.
1.-The South Sea islander has to show
off his prowess as swimmer, diver and
athlete, in order to win the consent of
the dusky maiden to partnership. In
the Andaman islands the young man
who, wishes to pop takes live rat,
bites it in two and eats it before the
young woman, tail, skin, bones and all.
1t must be rather disagreeable for man
to pop the question in this wav a num-
ber of times without success. OF course,
if he be successful, the possession of the
young lady will prove consolation.
''It is different with US. The moment
GUS question is asked. and all that has
to be done is to seek the minister and
the deed is done. Ah, these ministers
What secrets they could tell us, if they
only would And then, too, some good
stories could be told of the marriage fees
received. You know the marriage fee
is quite an item to us poor ministere who
don't get more than 900 or $1,000 a
year salary. To the minister's wife, too,
they are an item, for from time imme-
mortal the marriage fees have been her
perquisites. When 1 married my first
couple the worthy groom took me to one
side and said: Parson, l have brought
you just what you need-a good com.
mentary.' Here he took out com
mentary on the book of Galatians
almost as big as an unabridged diction
ary and not near as interesting. As il
duty bound, turned the book over Il
my wife. She has it yet.
"That was worse than the young mar
who, just after he had been married
asked: well, parson, how much fo
the job?' WE'LL replied the minister
the law allows me two dollars, but
'Oh, pshaw' hastily interrupted ths
young man, don't mean to 60 to Law
about little thing like that. Here
take your money
CDR. Hall, of New York, sometime
receives $50 900 in the course of yea
in marriage fees. They don't pay m,
quite 30 much in Monrovia.
"How nervous the young man is, gen
orally, about the ceremony! He wantI
the minister to make it short. On,
minister I heard of was bothered fo
nearly two weeks by one of these younl
men, and he faithfully promised to max,
the ceremony as short as possible. The
night of the wedding he called th'
young couple before him, then he asked
Do you want this man to be you
husband?' Yes DO you want thi
woman to be your wife?' Yes TAX,
hold of hands. All right. You're mar
ried. God bless you.' This was shor
ceremony, surely; but do you suppos
the lady was satisfied? No. She want
the ceremony a long one. She ha
spent weeks and months in preparation
and anticipation. She is proud of he
husband. proud to be standing there q
his side, and wouldn't exchange place
with the Queen of England.
"Tbe wedding presents might come il
for some attention here. How man.
people seem possessed with the idea tina
the newly married couple will need
half dozen silver plated knives or pickl
low ~, nf r1riv vrfo