The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-07

discussed freely by ones nearest friends,
IS always painful to the really fond low
ers; but to see it discussed under large
head lines with comments and anecdotes,
and ancient history of the contracting
parties added, is little short of the agony
of vivisection.
But people who are not in the glare of
public light, and who possess any social
claims, consider the announcement of
their betrothal necessary to good form.
When the marriage cannot take place
for an indefinite period owing to any
cause, we cannot blame the contracting
parties, If they really love each other, for
keeping their secret as many months as
possible from the laxative public
There is happiness to this period
OF life peculiarly to its own-and never to
be found again. Deeper Joy, and more
intense happiness may come--but never
with the nameless charm of the days just
preceding and just following the be-
trothal.
For the woman perhaps the most ex-
quisite time of all, is that season of min
gled certainty and doubt, before her lover
commits himself in words. When every
look and gesture tells her that he loves
her but his speech had never betrayed
more than admiration and respect; when
he has never asked or received more than
lingering pressure of the hand at leave
taking, and yet she reads in every glance
of his eyes, the lovers hunger for
possession. However delirious with bliss
may be the betrothal hour. something of
this peculiar happiness which she has ex-
perienced previous to it, goes forever with
the surrender of lips and hand Yet a
new kind of happiness takes it's place
the delightful interchange of condolences
the questioning when he first began to
20 20 fNrs how h
sweet hopes and doubts-the plans for the
future life together.
am sure no American woman who has
ever passed through this delicious ex-
perience would be willing to change
places with royal princes, whose lover
is selected for her, or the foreign Young
lady who Is never allowed to fall in love
until after the betrothal, at all events
Among the cultured classes, the Ameri-
can girl alone knows the happiness of the
ante-betrothal period The Chinese
maiden never sees her lover until the
wedding day; a Cinnamon of great cul-
ture tells me that much romance and
woo1ng takes place after the marriage in
China-more than in our country, and
that married happiness is more universal.
yet every American womau's heart will
ache for the Chinese girl who is never al
lowed to experience the happiness of an
CAlEdEGulOub,
We read Of highly bred heroines In nov
els, who never permit even betrothal
kiss, however much enamored they NAV
be of their wooers, and Of lovers who
never demand more than pressure Of
the fair hand of the ladylove until she
wears the crown Of wife, so deep is their
respect for her.
This conduct would seem suitable when
the betrothal has been brought about by
parents, but it is scarcely consistent with
the American style of love making. The
lover who did not take and the maiden
who did not give loves seal to the engage
ment, would DO lacking in real sentiment
and ardor, it seems to me. But prudence
and romance would both demand that
thesillusion of the relation be retained
throughout, and that the mystery which
hangs about the maiden should envelope
her to the altar. A too great familiarity
during the engagement has marred the
happiness Of many a honeymoon, where it
has not resulted in breaking the tie before
II resulted in marriage
For many reasons long engagement is
TO be avoided, unless q complication of
causes renders it necessity.