The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-09-12

prepense and aforethought." or does
1T all occur on the spur of the mo-
ment?
1t has been a much discussed ques-
ton and one to be diversely answered
as long as there are ''many men of
many minds" Each girl believes she
knows just when she made the first
impression; but the truth is very often
the man himself cannot tell when the
seed was planted nor how it germinat-
ed, and is surprised to find that full
blown flower is abloom in his heart,
sweetening and Frightening the whole
world for him.
There is certainly no royal road to
success ir love. 1t is as impossible to
lay down exact rules of procedure in
courtship as it Would be to apply math-
ematics in calculating the probable
course of butterhys fight. Even as
the wind "bloweth where it listeth,"
so the lovers emotions vary and change
often against his will and better
reason. The man who is very sure and
calm in his courtship, who has no anx-
iety and is not sometimes assailed by
doubt and wretchedness, is, obviously,
not very deeply in love. Certainty
and quietude may be the aftermath
following marriage, but they are surely
foreign to that anxious yet too brief
season which precedes the period of
bridesmaids, minister, congratulations
and a wedding tour.
There are men who, finding them
selves interested, plunge into court
ship as diver takes his leap into the
waves He comes up breathless; but
the very force of his first effort has car
ried him far on to success. He loses in
,delicacy, but succeeds by the very odd
ity of his way, or perhaps, because it
is the unexpected that happens. To
this type belonged the stranger who,
travelling west with slender girl grad
nate from Boston on her way to take
charge of q school, proposed at the end
of the trip that she should teach him
how best to live his life, rather than the
children how to spell. His straight
forward assurance had its charm, and
she exchanged her pupils for hus-
band at the end of the first scholastic
term.
Others approach the point of proposal
as sensitive patient would take a
prescribed sea bath when the north
wind has chilled the waves. They ad-
vance to the very edge, but as the bill
low rolls up to their feet, they, afraid
of the shock, draw bacll-only to again
advance as the water recedes, and,
once more, retreat precipitately as the
breaker returns. So with the diffident
lover. Who so brave as he when away
from mis- fair? Who so determined to
his fate? But as the moment APP
proaches when he must put it to the
touch and win or lose it all" his cour-
age ebbs away, and he thinks: 'I'll wait
a little while and make more sure
Lucky for the man if he can at last find
such help as Dorothy gave her lover,
who for ten long years tried weekly to
propose, but always became fright
,ened and turned the question into some.
thing else. AT length in sheer desper-
alton, she answered.:
mo, / woan't be havin' the loan o
20 nag; but for the Law sake, Oba
diah, if yer want to marry me, WHY
doan't yer say SOP"
Then comes the man who, as grace.
fully as the strong swimmer parts the
waters, progresses through the intri
cacies of courtship, and arrives at tn,
desired haven of acceptance safely ant
surely. He is eOmme IL faut in every
particular; he does the right thing al
ways, and invariably in the right place
His attentions to every member of the
family, from grandmother to baby sis
ter, are just what they should be. Hi,
intentions are perfectly plain-and 81
are those of his lady love and of all hel
kin. He, she and they know that hC
will ask, she accept, and they approx e
but it is proper that a certain sem
blance of the-young- anC
the-young-girl-innocent should be main
tanned; so Angelo does all that il
requisite and at last proposes with jus
the right amount of ardor and uncer
tainty in his voice and words. Ser
aphina behaves to perfection-blush
hesitates and is coy, as is incumben
upon so fair and modest maiden
but, finally, sweetly consents, IF man
ma and papa will approve" Thes,
self-sacrificing parents, having Ions
ago determined what a good thing tn,
match win be, magnanimously Civ,
their permission, and all ''goes merr,
as marriage bell"
From these three kinds of courtshil
there are many variations-all of then
pleasanter, perhaps, than the example
given-for Tom, Dick or Harry, homes
fellows despite types and rules, follow
ing out their own theories, and believ
ing that each one knows more abou
his own particular Angelina than an.
other man has ever known about an
other girl He tells himself he is no
silly enough to be frightened or basil
full or awkward; he is well aware @
just what he is going to say and wher
and when he shall say it. He thinks
too, that he can be pretty certain of he
answer Tor he would not be SO FOOLS
as to asls), though, if she should max
some few objections, he hopes and bt
lieves he knows just how to comba
them successfully. So he lays ont hi
plans while Angelina sleeps peacefully
dreaming, most probably, of him; an
he retires to rest in q state of suprem
self-satisfaction-and is likely to hav
visions of some other and hitherto fol
gotten girl.