The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-10-13
Selert Storp.
will You Walk Ont With Me, Miss .
From the All the Year Round,


-'Mr. Walton
Madam.
What is your honest opinion about
love?'
about love? Why-but you are not
thinking of proposing, are yon?
Not yet.
Then they both burst into laughter; for
the young man, as he made that reference
to proposing, shifted his position away
from his companion with an air of alarm;
the result being that the little table on
which he was seated toppled over. and he
unexpectedly found seat on the grass
instead
Mis- Nulgroye, said he, shen their
mirth had subsidized, and he was beginning
to gather up the materials out Of which he
had been constructing toy yacht for her
small brother, YOU observe that chance
has supplied an appropriate answer the
very mention of love upsets me. y
But it has brought you to your knees
as we'll =
Il beg your pardon; it is duty that has
brought me to my knees, not love. |
have promised Tommy that his boat shall
be finished this morning, and now can
find the rudder-bother the thing :
There it is 7 exclaimed Tommy sis
ter, darting from her seat and picking the
missing article from out long tuft of
grass.
When order was restored once more, and
they had resumed their tasks-he working
at the little vessel with all a sailor cunn-
ing, she making for it the sails that he had
planned-there was silence between them
for some minutes
At last Walton spoke in meditative fash
ion, showing that his mind had been pom
dering her unexpected question
Il am inclined to think that love, now
adays, is too often unreal; it has lost its
simplicity and spontaneOusness, so because
much is made Of it in fiction.
THAT is exactly what | have felt my
self, said Marina Mulgrove quickly, land
l think we women are chiefly to blame.
We all know, in our hearts, that modern
civilization dosen' admit of much romance
in real life, and yet we are not bit salts
fed unless men make love to us in high
" sentimental way. 1t is delightful if
papa and mamma object; we get an oppor-
tunity to pose like the heroines of three
volumes, and it is delightful, too if the
dear man who offers his heart and wants
ours seems in a fearful state of agony
while we are thinking whether the ex-
change is worth making, and the worst oft
all is, there is no honorable retreat for either
Of the engaged ones, even if they find, on
better acquaintance, that they don like
each other well enough to get married
No; the novelist has decided that true love
is eternal, and therefore the poor wretches
submit to their fate The girl especially
is afraid to return her engagement ring,
because she has read so much about the
frightful effect of jilting man. He was
the pink of perfection yesterday; tomor-
row, if she says she has changed her mind,
and does not care to get married, he begins
life anew as scoundrel, or is hopeless
drunkard in six months time
When, instead of anything of the sort
happening, the poor fellow would jump for
joy to get his discharge, said Walton.
But that novelist has decided for him
that the girl must necessarily break her
heart, or end her days as "a miserable.
spinster; 50 he also is afraid to speak his
mind
And 50 they get married and lead a
cat-and-dog life, said Marina, pensively.
But how is this state Of things!so be
altered, Miss Mulgroveg You have thought
50 much about the problem Of modern so
ciety Il there any way Of making mar
rage safer transaction for both parties