The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-20
SEATTLE. SUyDAF. DEC. 20.
THE CAPTIVATING COACHMAN.

with the family coachman. Wealthy
young women seem to have mania at the
East either for running away with the
family Jehu or accepting gloomy alter
native in shape of an impecunious foreign
rake who is the soiled and dilapidated tag
70 noble title The daughter Of Boxer,
the inventor of Boxers Bitters. years ago
ran away with her fathers coachman and
led most unhappy life. A Kentucky
heiress in her own right to large estate
some twenty years ago did the same thing,
but was divorced in a few months
from her dissipated husband. The
handsome and accomplished daughter
OF Ex-Governor Hubbard, of Con-
necticut. ran away with her fathers
coachman some ten years ago. and she
separated finally from her husband. not
because he misbehaved. but because she
had become fast" woman. Victoria,
daughter OF Morosini, wealthy New
York city broker, ran away and married
her fathers coachman. and soon aban-
doned him, and Jennie Thompson, the
daughter Of a retired capitalist. ran away
with coachman of Garretson, y. Y
The disposition to marry coachmen is
doubtless due to the fact that propinquity
to good looking young fellow is apt to
inspire a certain type of young women
with kind of sentiment or passion that
is mistaken for love. There is nothing
mysterious in such marriages turning out
badly, and there should be no surprise
that the friends in such a case should be
full OF sorrow at such a union. The sor-
row is not because poor man has married
rich girl, but because everybody knows
that marriage for its happiness depends
on some coincidence of natural tastes and
acquired education quite as much as
whether Jack has the means to pay Gill's
bills or the reverse.
In the second place, while it is no obiec-
ton to any man that he follows an hum
bic but honest calling, it is an objection
that he should be q man of dishonorable
nature. Any man, whether he is a coach
man or capitalist, who would abuse
his opportunity so far as to WOO
secretly a young girl and marry her
without plain avowal of his
intentions and a respectful appeal
TO her parents for consent, commits very
dishonorable and immoral act. Parents
who have lavished their lives on their
children have some rights that every gen.
tleman respects, and the seductive coach
man is not a man of honor nor n gentle
man, not because he drives horses for his
bread. but because be abuses his illegiti-
mate opportunity 10 steal a daughter from
her parents, 20 whom her happiness and
welfare are presumptiYe,y as dear as they
can possibly be to anybody. A coachman
knows that he is not hired with any sus-
picion that he will attempt 10 fuddle the
head Of some foolish daughter of the
household, whom he perceiyes to be NOR
bidly susceptible TO his manly good looks.
Furthermore, daughter outrages her
hhal duty when, having determined to
marry To please her selfish within, she does
not execute her purpose openly and with
ample publication of her intentions. A
marriage, born in mere sentimentalism at
best on both sides, where the girl has no
womanly reverence for the rights of her
parents, as evinced by her refusal to listen
80 their appeal for delay. and where the
man is morally guilty of abduction. will
naturally prove TO be one of those unions
that are negotiated in haste and bitterly
repented of at leisure. King Cophetua
and the beggar maid and the ballad
tales Of noble ladies marrying squires
of low degree are very pretty poetry, but
rs a matter of common sense a daughter
whose passion cannot be controlled by re-
a "a.
10 not likely to make sensible or tender
wife. and n man so reckless of the rights
OF parents in his own selfish ambition as
90 abduct young and headstrong girl
from her fathers roof. viii not make an
unseltish and upright husband. Brabantio.
as much in sorrow as in anger, warningly
bids 0thello beware of his wayward
daughter who has run away with and
married him. Look 10 her. Moor. she
has deceived her father and may thee"
Desdemona did not deceive the Moor, nor
did Juliet deceive Romeo. but they were
no exceptions 10 the rule that runaway
matches generally prove iu-starred marri-
ages.
The low degree of the man is not his be-
j
trick Of abusing his place OF trust to
secretly steal an old mans daughter with
out any OF the honorable preliminaries
that belong 10 such undertakings as WOO
ing mans young daughter for wife.
As matter of fact nine-tenths OF what are
called runaway love matches end most IN
happily, no matter whether the swain be
rich or poor. master in society or servant,
because they begin in deceit, disobedi-
erce and gross selfshness that is
reckless Of everybody's happiness
save their own. ANY gentleman Of
the girls own social level, who
would win mans daughter and marry
her eiandestinely after the same method
of disingenuous courtship would be en-
titled TO the same structures, and no hon
orable man would refuse 20 grant all
reasonable delay ana opportunity for re-
monstrance on the part of parents whose
daughter he desires 70 marry, and any
man who steals an Old couples happiness