The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-21
AS TO ENGAGEMENTS.
Differences in the Unwritten Law of
COurtships Past and Present.
Baltimore Sun.


Baltimore Sun.
In prehistoric times, when girls dressed
in white tarletan with few natural flow
ers in their hair, and sang 1.-The Last Rose
of Summer" and 'Way Down Upon the
Suwanee River by ear, and went buggy
riding and to church Sunday nights with
young men. an engagement was very
romantic and mysterious affair. although
in the far South there are persons still
living who can recall the time when a re-
spectacle young woman was suspected of
catering into a promise to marry more
than one sutton at the same time. But
coquetry, in that unsophisticated age. was
often a mask to hide the real feelings, and
ON the eve of her wedding with the BRIDE
groom she only pretended to care about,
not seldom UP came the young Lochinvar
she had feigned to despise
Being engaged then was the most exciting
period Of mans life. Not the identity of
the man in the iron mask was a pro-
founder secret. People no more referred to
her betrothal-if it was a bona fide be-
trothal-when speaking to the fiancee. than
they referred to her mad uncle or her
fathers pecuniary endorsements. Ru-
mors of her attitude to her betrothed place
him in the positions of Dives to Lazarus,
when each had got his innings-betwixt
them was q great gulf fixed across which
the lady, in the character of the saint,
threw insulting jibes. Some men never got
over calling their wives Miss Sally or
cousin Lou,' SO long was the engagement
during which the sternest of etiquette was
enforced. A delicate-minded female, when
her trousseau was really completed and the
day Of the wedding fixed, occasionally adj
mitted that she had some idea of getting
married, but was never quite willing, ex-
cept to her own maidenly mind, to admit
to whom. Courtship in consequence, was
to the man from beginning to end period
of tremulous excitement. Like early peas,
she might and then again she mightnt, and
when the final words were spoken and the
diStracting creature was really his, he drew
long breath of relief and OF gratlhed am
bition.
every woman considers 1t her duty to de-
liver herself of everything in her-doubts,
fears passions-no matter whether she goes
harm thereby or good-the ecoquette of a
past age would be considered what the nov
elists call limited. but the men OF that Tor
mer period had such hard time over their
counting they never quite got over it's dis
cipline, and it was no unusual sight to see
a clever fellow, high UP, in his profession,
IN which he had made a lot of money, pick
ing up his faded old wife's handkerchief or
running her errands under the impression
he had never quite got rid ot-that she was
Up in the New Hampshire hills, where
wooded heights climb deep and steep into
the blue sky where the breeze oI9 9 swift
purple shadows lie all day on undulating
slopes and a brown brook rushes meath in
withstanding all natures attractions, her
successful rival in oour interest. Last Sat
urday night, up to, o'clock, there were
IN
young man. He was little and red, and
had small weak chin, but he thought much
and of his clothes The girl was half a
dozen years older, big. talked about "funda.
mental ideas and timer consciousness'
shirt, skirt and scuff hat and scorned taking
care of her complexion. To the most casual
glance she was the stronger force; but there
is a single compromising, fateful question,
which, notwithstanding all the privlieges
and rights which have been wrested by the
female from the male must 1T t be askSd Ky
of his stay in the mountains that young
man had learned much, He had been
brought face to face with a plank wall
throw up his arms and acknowledge himself
vanqushed, or should he walt ana let
escape come at the last moment, when en-
durance seemed no longer possible!
At nightfal he broke the bonds OF close
and inevitable companionship and went
fishing in the pouring rain. Alas, he did
rot count on the Indifference to weather Of
a girl who habituaiiy wears her hair off
her forehead and is clad in an abbreviated
turned the man who sits next us at, the
table-he is q vulgar creature and had bet
on the youth-came running IN as Pale as
up with him. he sputtered. "Her
mothers kissing him on the porch and her
little brother has his fishing rod and Is
Nor had he mistaken the signs The very
next morning at breakfast the fiancee was
a current magazine, and having. a confiden-
tial chat with the tablemaid, whose service
she wished to secure in the autumn as sec
ond girl. The bridegroom, never was sub
Stantive so we'll chosen, to whose stature
his luck had not added q cubit, had left the
gay and irrepressible society OF his felows
between his fair one and her mana one
heard Willie" and again Willie ABOVE
the clatter of dishes and forks. And most
fatal of signs, the pretty New YORK glrl,
who had shot shy glanees at him the cay
before, gave him the friendlest ana FRANK
est Of mods and asked him 70 1le t ner Sn ere
all pulled! His happiness had not puESI
upon him out of rainbow SKY completes
IKE yen the tba fap maefeT Of nattery sefestee
could not have humbugged him into looking
upon the result of the few words inutteseu
the night before as unexpected or DOUBTFUL
The custom of announcing engagements
came over from England, where there are
seven daughters to one son, and nrst %
tanned III ILLS country
which boasts a considerable majority OF the
sex Of which Miss Elizabeth 1rotwood was
en- ornament Will it be accepted many 10
ripe peaches and girls as hard 10 reach
we think not. for it is as natural Tor a q
woman TO tell fibs about ner engagement
as TO look into the mirror to see if her hat
is on straight. and as hard to own that she
is in love as TO tell her exact age, or what
philosopher be brought TO believe that a
man is better pleased when the electric
light is turned upon love lane, where ne
with Her, the happy secret shining IN their
faces. TIE. mystery, the suspense nope
membered when life is as a tune that is
played and love tale that's told.
western Plain.
lonely whitewashed farmhouse where wait
RofH ~