Gloucester County Democrat., 1892-10-06


great difficulty Of obtaining the exact
facts. Girls do not report that they
have just popped the question"
whether the suit be successful or unsuc-
cessful, anil ~ we have no tabulated
statements for reference. Our vital sta-
tistics include Births. marriages and
deaths, but the important step toward
matrimony, the proposal, finds no place
IN those columns.
OF course in discussing this theme it
is expected that attention will be paid
to the abnormal advantages which the
season gives to women and the possibili-
ties that they viii avail themselves Of
them. If we were to consider the offers
of marriage made by men to women
during leap year we should be over
whelmed, since despite the opportunities
proposals are no doubt masculine in this
twelyemonth as in all others
This fact offsets what would otherwise
be an unfair advantage on the part Of
the men in giving us only one year in
four-a quarter of the time.
AS for actual, honest leap year pro
posals, a few pretty stories have come to
me from the experience Of others.
The first happened in 1872, leap year
Of the past In the summer Of that
year came the decisive moment to tive
young people whom we will call Julia
and Tom. They had known each otner
all their lives, had grown up together,
their families had been intimate, and
they had long been devoted friends, and
yet Tom had never said really decisive
word to the pretty young woman whom
he in reality deeply loved.
OF late his attentions had grown so
marked that all other suitors had been
driven away, and still he said naugnt.
Now Julia did not mind being monopo-
lized, for she adored Tom, But she be-
gan to grow uneasy and even alarmed.
She knew all about Toms affairs. and
she was aware that he was well estab-
lished in business and quite able to sup
port wife, and he had recently an
nounced that he was about to go to
Europe for an absence of some months
Thus matters stood when one afternoon
Tom drove to the door and asked her if
she would go out for a drive. She would
be only too happy, and as he helped her
into the buggy he put the usual ques
ton.
(which way shall we go:'
Let us drive around the circle, re-
piled Julia.
That i rather short, isn't itF" asked
Tom.
"Well perhaps so. but would like 70
60"
OF course Tom acquiesced. He had a
good horse and it did not take them long
to traverse the four miles Of wood road
locally known as 'the circle" But
still, although the way was secluded
and Julia was careful not to enter inte
any absorbing topics Of conversation
never a word said Tom-that is, of tLs
important matter.
When they reached their starting
point it was still early. "There, said
Tom in tone of vexation; '.you see we
are back already, and it is too soon to 60
home.
Certainly it is" replied Julia; "let
us drive around the circle again"
A little surprised, Tom. agreed, and
once more they passed over the road,
under the soft shade Of the trees; once
more Julia avoided being drawn into
any conversation on general subjects,
4 and once more Tom did not avail him
self of the opportunity.
The starting point reached again,
+ Tom, now beginning to be curious and
little excited, said:
"What shall we do next"
"Drive around the circle replied
Julia.
4 Tom stared, but obeyed in silence, and
two very quiet people moved slowly I'M
I der theshadows Of the woods, where twi-
! light was already beginning to gather.
/ But still with everything propitious Tom
said naught The moments were pass.
ing, the afternoon was fading; when
4 they reached the house again it would
be too late for another start. So Julia
took her fate into her own hands. Size
remembered that it was leap year, an
with wildly beating heart She turned to
her companion.
"Tom," she faltered, You are going
SO far away SO soon. Haven't you got
something to say to me?'
Then Tom got heart of grace and said
it. and twenty years of happy married
life have rewarded him for his courage
One Of the prettiest leap year stories
ever heard was that of a pair of lovers
whom we will call Maud and Morris.
For year they had been much TO-
gether, and Morris had paid many at.
tentions to the pretty girl, but although
they were accepted most graciously his
courtship Jagged. There was appar-
emily no reason for delay. Morris was
well off, his people were friends Of hers
and approved the match; in fact. there
was really no cause for the hesitation