Sharp County record., 1896-04-24
ARP'S BOY MARRIES
And There Was An Unfair" at the
Philosophers Homestead.
Bill Tells How the Question Is Popped
Asking the Girls Father-A
Bashful Lovers Method.

lbT6 mas UGGu OOuuI an
parts. Our Florida boy has crossed the
Rubicon and got married. He found his
bride last winter near Sanford, and
being called professionally to visit her
invalid father, took advantage OF the
old gentleman and tried his arts upon
the daughter 1t doesn't take smart
good looking young man long to capture
an unsuspecting maiden and so she sur
rendered at discretion. The mother
generally falls into line with the choice
Of an obedient daughter, but the old
gentleman wasent so oeasily harmonized.
"I'll think about it, I'll think about
it." said he. 81 don't know much about
you I'll have to inquire. l thought
you were coming out here to see me-
but it seems l was mistaken. Are you
making enough to support wifeP DO
you lay up anything or do you spend 1t
all? What does Sara say about it, and
mother? This is surprise to me, sir;
surprise, but l might have expected
it, l will consider it, sir, and give you
an answer before we return to Phila-
delphia."
My recollection is that it is an awful
solemn affair to ask the old gentleman
for his daughter. Iput it off from day
to day. l dreaded it. had no trouble
with the daughter or the mother, but
these old solid fathers can't be beguiled
with good looks and honied words. l
would like to see book full of such
interviews-what the young man said
and how he said it and what the old
man said in reply. | knew young man
in the long ago who put 1t off until he
found the old man alone in his field
sitting on a log and he was so excited
that he forgot himself and asked him
to please to step this way for minute.
The old man smiled and said: go
ahead, jim, there is nobody behind this
log"
In my young days there had to be
personal interview. Writing letter to
the old man would hardly have been
tolerated, but now it is quite common,
and so the modern youth avoids much
embarrassment Why, they even pop
the question in letter and cover whole
pages with alteration and admiration
I'd adulation and all the other ations
d some promises that are likely to be
forgotten after the honeymoon is over
In our day the girls waited modestly to
be courted, but now they are more agrees
sive and many of them set snares to
catch their game. Dean Swift says that
the reason why there are so many un-
happy marriages is that the young ladies
spend more time in making nets than
in making cages. don't like these
cold, calculating matrimonial alliances
The exquisite, ecstatic, angelic ques-
tions of love should not be suppressed
Never was bride more charmingly won
than Coleridges' Genevieve. He had
told her tender, touching story and it
ended so Sweetly that
"she wept with pity and delight
She blushed with love and virgin shame,
And like the muTmur of dream
heard her breathe my name"
But started to tell about the COM
motion-the preparation for the Unfair.
That Is what it used to be called, and it
is proper word. 1t is in the dictionary
and means the reception Of the wedding
party at the homo of the groom's
parents. You see, the bride was a
stranger to US. Her home was in Phil
adelphia and our boy had to travel 1000
miles to get her and liked to have been
shipwrecked off Cape Hatteras on the
way. The vessel lost two days in tho
storm. For a week before that my folks
had been cleaning up the house and the
yard and seeding raisins and stall-feed-
ing turkey gobblers and they kept me
or the man servant trotting to town for
sugar and spice and all that's nice" or
something else q dozen times q day.
And they talked and worked and won
dered what kind Of a girl the boy was
bringing into the family. Twas greatly
admonished how to behave, and as
friends and kindred had been invited
to a grand dining and some would
stay over night, they said might sleep
on the sofa, as | had done before on such
occasions / would have slept out doors
on plank II thoy had said 50, / was
instructed to 60 to Atlanta and meet
the bride and groom and escort them TO
our unprotentious home, which ! did
with exceeding pleasure.
1t is all over now and my wife and
arc calm and serene, What the Quaker
City has lost we hNvo gainod-anothcr
kind, loving and considorOto daughter.
They wore not married In haste and are
not likoly to repent at leisure,
There Is another entry to mako now
In the family Biblo, Tho good old book
Is getting pretty full OF records. Births,
marriages and doaths-naturos rotation
-glOdness and sadness, joy and sorrow.
Old Father limo has boon iind to us
for good while, Tho ton arc still liv-
ing and ho has taken but two grand.
children from tho flock, Tho old rascal
shakes his whottod Seytho At mo occn.