The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-05
HOW THEY PROPOSED.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF POPPING
TIE QUESTION.
Are the Novelists True to Life PAN
Experience Meeting in a Broadway
Erom the Ne1e York Tribune.

said bald-headed, jolly old fellow. who
sat in the center of group that filed the
window of a Broadway hotel the other day,
sis the way in which the heroes propose
marriage to the heroines. In my younger
days the novels always represented the
young fellows as falling on their knees be-
/ fore the adored ones, and getting off
string of long winded sentences that would
cast Senator Evarts in the shade, and filed
with high-sounding and fowery platitudes
that southern stump orator could hardly
hope to equal These they continued to
pour out, seldom coming to the point
until the poor girls tainted. In this gen.
GRAFTON the novelists make shorter work of
it, but whether they are any truer TO life
than those who wrote and went to their re-
ward before them is an open question"
"Well, how did you do it yourselfF' said
another of the group. TELL the truth now,
and then we'll be able to judge, perhaps,
how near the novelists come to the real
thing"
THAT'S just little too personal, :" laughed
the old fellow, land besides, what could
you determine from once instancel But Pll
tell you what | will do. l will relate the
incidents of proposal which | know to be
true, names of the parties to it not to be
asked for, if each one of you will do the
same. Absolute truth the only condition.
And from the mouths of many witnesses
let the novelist be judged"
agreed, agreed I" was the chorus. "You
make the stertl"
WELL" said the old fellow, with twin
kle in his eye, 81 remember a nice young
man around our parts some forty years ago,
| who was of an affectionaue disposition, the
kind that generally marries young, but he
| had a saving appreciation of the value of
s,,t- i
| him out OF foolish marriage. However,
he fell head over heels in love with penui-
less but beautiful girl, who had score of
admirers, all eager for her hand. He was
anxious to win her, but did not feel able to
marry on the income he then had. Promo
ton in a year or so was pretty sure, how
ever and he thought he could hint to her
that if she would wait until his income was
$1,000 a year, he would then ask her to
marry him.
"After bringing the conversation deity
around to the proper point, Mary said he,
Il have only $500 year now, would you
marry me if had Sl,0O0P
John said she. smiling sweetly on him,
| i would marry you on a hundred
what could he do? Back out and lose
her forever, or bind the bargain then and
there. He was made of good stuff, was
| John, and they were married soon after
much to the surprise of the villagers, who
| had often listened to his condemnation of
hasty marriages, and not without many
| mlsglvlngS on his own part, but l believe he
| never repented."
'Those are just my sentiments, "grumbled
| the youngest member of the party, a decided
rake, always hard up, a little frayed about
the edges of his cuffs and reputation
These mercenary marriages are the curse
| of the age. It's got to be so now that girl
| never asks what her future husbands quali-
| has ca lad hot1f
his property"
"Come now, Algy," replied another of the
group; sits well known that you've been
counting old BIS rich daughter for long
time; Have you proposed to her yet! What
did she sayg"
"Well, I've got the refusal of her." said
| Algy. automatically but dolefully.
There was a general smile at this, and
some one said: "You could not have chosen
the best time to offer your hand, old man.
There's good deal in that"
What do you meanp asked Algy, with a
CLEAN of hope.
81 don't believe she'd have declined vour
hand if you had offered it as she was climb.
ing down from the top of a Fifth avenue
bus, for instance"
'Rats" quoth Algy as he gnawed his
moustache.
Perhaps broke in a man who had mar
riageable daughters himself, ''the reason
| girls look SO carefully IOr husband with
| money is because they seldom find anything
else about young fellow nowadays worth
! having"
The conversation was becoming a little
too personal here, and the good-na6ured old
fellow who had started the talk said: II
wouldn't be in hurry to marry that girl
anyway, Algy, if l were you: you don't
know enough about her yet. Her names
Ann, isn't it, Yes. Well, now, If you wish
to be certain of what you get, never marry
a girl named Ann. Every one knows that
An is an indefinite article"
"Oh, chestnuts!" shouted Algy; you're
worse than the other cranks. Isn't it some
oneselse's turn nowW
while we are on the subject of mercen-
nary matches" said another of the COM
pany, "I'll give you my little contribution
before forget it. knew of an attractive
widow, twice married, who was left almost
penniless by her second husband, and did
not know what to do for living. Her last
husband had had big income and was
supposed TO be rich, but, in reality, had al
ways lived up to the last cent of it, and had
left his widow only few thousands. She
kept up appearances, however, and met a
clever and rising young lawyer at ball
one evening, who paid ardent court to her
under the impression that she was wealthy.
''She encouraged him, and not long after
sent for him to draw up her will. In the
:
of dollars in stocks and bonds among her
relatives and various charities The young
lawyer estimated that her fortune was at
least S500,000 Before long he proposed,
was accepted and married, only to find that
, his wife was penniless. To add to his cha
, grin, he discovered that her first husband
had been hanged by vigilantes in the west
for neglect to return horse he had borrowed
without telling the owner about it,"
''Well, No. must have had the satisfac-
ton of finding that she could not reproach
him with the virtues of No. l, and draw
invidious comparisons, anyway" said one
of the group, who had married a widow
himself, and spoke from the depth of expe-
rience.
'rm afraid that did not save him." re-
piled the narrator, ''for [ believe she used
to praise No. l indirectly by saving that
hanging was too good for No. g."
''Im cautious man, said another of the
group, land Pm inclined to think that the
best way to propose is with kind of a
laugh, as if it were a joke. Then if she &C
: cepts you, why all right; if she refuses you,
5 you can say you were only in fun.
Il remember" he continued, "two young
: fellows in our town who were both counting
the same girl Neither of them could say
which she pi referred, so nicely did she play
1 both her fish, not willing to lose either till