The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-08

would be as good as his word, wrote to
him before the second chastisement fell
due that a marriage with him would
"please her well, - and the nuptials were
celebrated accordingly.
From the time when the King of
Leinster carried off Deroogle, abduction
became fashionable in Ireland. In 1884 a
law was made to punish all such as
carried away ''maydeus that be inheri-
tOus,' but as the evil of running away
with heiresses increased, 1t was made a
capital crime in 100. This law was i'm
perative from the belief that the offender
was not liable if the woman abducted
him, so the girl generally mounted first
and pulled the man up behind her She
then galloped off with her lover, stopping
at the first church to get married. Ere
quently, when the young lady was car
ried OF really against her consent, by the
time the dashing ride was over she was
completely reconciled to her abductor,
so that prosecutions were fewer
than the otfenses. A memorable
case was that of the Edgeworth
family. The son fell in love with
an heiress but feared to abduct her,
as the penalty was death and the parents
were obdurate, so the spirited girl pro-
cured the feetest steed she could find
seized the young fellow, dragged him up
behind her on the horse and galloped of
with him to the priest. The abducted
such a show of resistance that there were
plenty Of witnesses to testify to the fact
Of his forcible abduction.
There are many methods of proposing,
though all roads lead TO the altar. The
proposal by letter, though less romantic
than that by word of mouth, has the ad-
vantage of luciditp, and there can be no
mistaking the writer's meaning Such
letters, produced with much pains and
many misgivings, may have varied fates.
A short and unenvi2ble publicity In a
breach of promise case, or lifelong
preservation in lavender. George
Whitefeld, the great preacher, wrote
to the parents of the girl he pre-
ferred: This letter comes like Abra
HAMS servants to the relations Of Re
beeca to know whether your daughter be
a fit and proper person for myself 10
not be afraid Of sending mea refusal, for,
| bless God, II know anything of my own
heart, am free from that foolish passion
which the world calls love-" The girl
herself he wooed by asking her If she could
trust in him who feeds the ravens, and
whether, having a husband, she could be
In all respects as though she had none
Strange to say, he was accepted, but
Southey says his marriage was not Q
happy one, ana MS vines ueaJn set MS
mind much at liberty. His text for her
funeral sermon, which he preached with
exemplary promptltude four days after
her death, was: For the creature was
made subject to vanity"
The proposal on Blended knees, though
II still fingers in the novel, went out with
wigs and knee brooches. 1t had its adj
yantages. 1t was at least fervid, and
even now in broad farce, shorn of the
meretricious aids Of silk stockings and
diamond shoe buckles. never fails TO riyet
the attention and TO bring down an irrev.
erent house. The best laid schemes Oft
90 astray, and The lover is frequently
hurried into declaration as efectual as
a carefully prepared grafton, for love,
like murder, will out