The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-20
ENGAGEMENTS" !"
Rev. E.. j. Hardy, NJ. A., IN st. Louis Republic.

nished houses. Even the lamps were
trimmed and put ready for lighting in
one of them. Without any apparent
reason, at the last moment the ladies
changed what they were pleased to
call their minds, and now the houses
are shut up and the furniture is spoil
ing.
Without self-restraint there can be
no continued happiness; and if there
is not perfect purity Of thought, word
and deed, cloud will overshadow not
only the engagement period, but the
marriage that follows. The young
people should respect and try to bring
out what is best in each other.
"Happy is the wooing that is not
long in doing
We do not approve of long engage
ments, for people may grow away from
each other in tastes and feeling.
Neither of the engaged couple may
see any one they like better, but too
much thinking about the ties and re-
sponsibilities of matrimony may make
them desirous Of crying off. A six
months engagement, we would say, IS
quite long enough. 1t is better to
take the ball at the hop, SO to speak,
and marry in the ardor Of first love.
Think of all the money which is spent
during long engagement, upon post
age and kilograms! The writer
knows girl who laid out two shill-
ings one day on kilograms to her
young man, though she knew that he
was coming to see her next morning
when she could have given her own
message. 1t was triaing question
about the furniture of their first home,
a matter which has given my friends
SO much trouble that they must envy
the cuckoo which, as the child said,
does not make it's own nest or lay its
own eggs. Then, there are engaged
girls who expect presents every time
the men come to see them, which ex-
hausts wisdom in choosing and spare
coin, and costs almost as much as
marriage. Very simple was Sydney
Smiths Offering. One day before
their marriage, he ran into the room
where his fancee was, flung into her
lap six teaspoons, which, "from much
wear, had become the ghosts of their
former selves, and said, "There Kate,
you lucky girl, J. give you all my for
tuneT' A present not less interesting
than Sydney Smiths six spoons was
made to the lady of his choice by
Doctor Wordsworth, Bishop of Lin
coin. When he was headmaster OF
Harrow, he sent to her the nine gold
medals won by him at Winchester and
Cambridge.
When girl has been engaged a
long time people begin to talk OF her,
and even to introduce her to strangers
in the presence Of the young man, as
"Miss So-and-So who hopes to be Mrs.
So-and-So."
1t is just as'well when engaged peo-
pie do not live too near each other.
Lately, talking Of certain young
man, I happened to mention that he
came over every day to take tea with
his fancee. The comment of an ex-
perienced woman who heard the re-
mark was, every day? How dread
full; that was as bad as being mar
ried!" Still, if people are gcing to
tire Of each other it is better that they
should do so before rather than after
marriage.
A girl of my acquaintance was heard
soliloquizing thus-''I wonder if l
should tell him all?" Nothing more
dreadful than a few juvenile Hlrta-
tions were included in this call, but
my friend was thinking whether she
were bound in honor to confess them
to the young man to whom she was
engaged. Let US hope that he abb
solved her as completely as did Doc
tor johnson when Mrs. johnson con-
fessed to him before marriage. She
thought it right to tell him that one
Of her ancestors had been hanged.
The doctor said that if none Of his
had been hanged, several Of them de-
served to be. We pity people who
never have had any romance in their
lives and during The engagement pc
riod illusions and day-dreamings are
quite excusable. Some of the castles
built in the air then may reach to
heaven. No one will be so good, SO
loving and SO useful as they will be
when they marry. Their marriage
will be complete success, and not a
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