The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-10

light For pure run what cNulu eASel
that most unique proposal OF Mr.. Bark
Is?
The old carrier and the youthful
David had been discussing Peggotty's
culinary skill and Barkls had been as
sured that the field was clear OF rivals.
David tells the story;
"Ahr he said. slowly turning his
eyes towards me. Well, u You was
writln' to heI, praps you'd recoileet to
say that Barkis was willin', would
you2
"'That Barkis was willing / re-
peated, innocently. is that all the
messenger
"'Ye-es,' he said considering. Ye-es,
Barkis is willIn'
stranae to say. this brave beginning
was devoid OF effect. Peggotty, after
the receipt OF the message remained as
silent as the sphinx. When David took
his next ride in the cart the old carrier
was unhappy.
when a man says he's willln',
said Mr.. Barkis, ITS as much as to say
that mans waitin' for answer
Have you told her so, Mr.. BarkisT
"'N-no,' growled Mr.. Barkis, reflect
ing about It. 4 amt got no call TO so
and tell her so. ! never said six words
to her myself. amt a-goin' to tell her
So"
Again David acts as mediator and
Mr.. Barkls gives him his message.
"'Says you. 'Peggotty, Barkis is walt
in for an answer Says she, perhapss
Answer to what?' Says you, TO what
l told YOU. What is that?' says she.
'Barkis Is willln',' says you"
iOr take the immortal courtship OF
David and Dora. David was struck
with bashfulness and thought first that
he would. then that he dared not, till
Dora reproaehed him for his neglect.
Then he flung prudence and bashfulness
to the four winds and told 1t all In a
minute. He raved, Dora cried, Jip
barked; David protested that mo lover
had ever loved, might, could, would or
should love" as he loved Dora The
more madly David raved. the more
madly Jip barked. Then In a minute
1t was all over and they were engaged.
Dickens had, however, too much rev.
erence for real love to hold 1t up to rid
lcule. He raises n laugh at times, but
when he depicts the real thing, the gem
uine, God-glven love between man and
woman. he puts into It all the sweet
ness and dignity and beauty of whiel
such master is capable. He subordi-
mates time and place; he lmbles us with
his own reverence. SO that we feel, with
him. that we are standing on holy
ground.
George Eliots proposals are harder
to classify. She never provokes a smile.
Life and love are too earnest and sad.
1t is difficult to point out in her writ
ings n single instance of thoroughly
happy love. There is always some grim
shadow standing by to rob the most
sincere love of It's perfectness. For
Dinah Morris and Adam Bede there
was ever present the thought OF poor,
lost Hetty; Daniel Deronda in asking
for Mlrah's love asked also TO be al
lowed to share the disgrace and pain
which her gambling father brought
upon her; "The Mil on the Floss" tells
only of tragedy.
Perhaps this ever-present pain 10
truer to life than we care to think. HUI
man beings are seldom entirely happy
and there are few hearts that do not
hide a skeleton. Yet we cannot but
wish that our mirrors would show us
the ideal, the JOY without the pain.
Complaint has been made that few
writer's approach the natural in the Lam
guage In which proposals are couched.
They are too ideal-too neatly turned.
True. Most premeditated speeches are
idyllic. Just as you. my dear sir, care
fully rehearsed the graceful proposal
you intended to make, You clothed the
most beautiful sentiments in the most
appropriate language. You imagined
the lady's somewhat embarrassed yet
altogether satisfactory replies and your
own fervent responses. But when the
time came did you carry them out as
you intended? Not u bit OF It. You
stammered and blundered; you forgot
all Ycnr pretty speeches and said thlnga
instead which you'd not be at all pre-
sentable In print So, OF course, these
proposals are not all natural: OF course
they are ideal. They ars what YOU in
tended to say but did not.
Occasionally, while making a heroic
effort to bring his proposals within the
realm Of everyday probabilities, wrl-
ter succeeds only In making his charac-
tiers ridiculous. An author whose name
/ have forgotten, pictures for us young
man beautifully gotten up for the &C.
caslon coming to make morning call
upon his lady love. only to find her en-
gagged In getting out tho family wash
The gentleman. II seems, has the free
dom of the house so he seeks his Dull
clnea In her household haunts While
her dimpllng elbows are flashing In and
out Of the snowy suds he makes his dec
lnration Of love. For her answer the
impulslvc young lady filings her arms
about his neck and hides her burninG
blushos on his breast Whether think
Of tt!-she paused deliberately to wipe
the soapy water from her arms upon
her apron or whethor--thlnk OF II againl
she procipltatod herself, sOapguds ana
all, into his embrace, regardless of
brondcloih and immaculate linen, the
author ncglccts to inform us,
However, II you want pure. unadul.
tcratcd practical realism come down to
prcsent-day fiction. In this ago II man
Is nothing II he If not practical. He
turns aside from q threldbare prcCc-
dent ana mikes law for himself The
real, up-to-date proposal IL conducted
with all modern appliances. We are
met by the important question In the
street car and sR the crowded railway
train. The bicycle proposal In .roCog.
nlged az staple article, The LAWYER
proposes to his stcyogtHpncr on the
photograph The busy man sends a
telegram ar he may call his lady up and
declare hR sentiments over the telc.
phone, when hc will DO spared half ihl
pain Of refusal and she win lose half
the fun Of II, FOR she cannot zee how he
bcnrs lt,--Chlcngo Record
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not mUci Improvement
Cleveland Plain Donlor "i suppose