The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-12-22
THE WAY TO PROPOSE.
It's n Matter Where Great Latitude Is
Permissible, n Matron Tells
q Maiden.


II never could accept proposal from
man unless the conditions were just
right" said the romantic maiden,
thoughtfully.
"Of course, not" replied the matter
of-fact matron. "He must be the right
man, in the first place, and he must pro-
pose, in the second. Those are the con-
ditions that must be always just right
before any sensible girl will think of
marriage"
"Oh, don't. mean that" returned
the maiden. 'He must know how to
propose. Do you know, 1 believe if l
we're really in love with man, and he
didn't propose properly I should reject
him.
eWhen it comes to proposals for mar
riage," replied the matron, with de-
cision, "any way is the right way"
''Oh, no, it isn't" asserted the maid
en-. "The surroundings must be appro-;
pirate. Everything must be in har-
mony. If my Prince Charming pro-
poses to me in the house he must be in
a dress suit, and he must be earnest, but
ACl AluoS NC q SSA te<AAA NeASS
and elegance of manner, and his actions
must conform to his actions. If he pro-
poses to me in the woods or on the lawn
he may be in neglige attire, outing
costume or something like that, and he
may then be more impassioned and We
hement in his declarations. But never
could accept a man in neglige costume
who propoS ad in tho houSao
'Don'tyou be too sure about that, re-
turned the matron.
"Oh, but 1 am,'' said the maiden. 81
have figured it all out very carefully.
The scene must make perfect picture.
1t would just kill the romance if it
didn't, and I couldn't possibly accept
him. And bis words and tone! Both
must breathe love, and yet be in con-
formity with all the surroundings"
"I've known lots of girls who thought
that" said the matron, reffectfvely.
'And it didn't happen that way?"
moo; hardly"
''But in your case?"
The matron sighed.
81 had the same idea," she said, at
last. II pictured some quiet nook, the
birds twittering, the sun shining bright
ly, and all the world joyous as he poured
well-rounded sentences throbbing with
love into my ear. Or else I saw him
sinking on one knee in front of the
divan upon which I was sitting and
looking me straight in the eyes with
long, lingering look of love, while he
said: oh, adorable one, be mine! Say
that this is not to be a world of Stygian
darkness for me, but that the sunlight
of true love shall shine ever brightly
as we go through life hand in hand!'"
"Oh, beautiful! Lovelyl" cried the
maiden. "That's just the way I've pic
tured it. And when your Prince Charm
ing did come, what did he say?"
The matron sighed again.
"Hewas taking me home under an UNI
brella in rainstorm," she explained.
81 was wet and he was wet. My hair
was stringy and there was mud on his
trousers, and we were altogether two of
the most unprepossessing looking NOR
tails you ever saw. When he was about
to leave me at the door he suddenly ex-
claimed: Say, I'd like to carry that
umbrella over you all the time
"What!' said, in some surprise.
"'Oh, to put it in plain words he said,
Tets get married. How about it?'"
"How DREADFUL" exclaimed the
maiden.
Wasn't it?"
'Such an inappropriate place and
time!"
eyes, indeed"
Sand such prosaic words!"
"Most prosaic."
"Oh, I couldn't accept man under
those circumstances"
''If he was the right man you would,
nevertheless"
"Oh, I couldn't do it, possibly" pro-
tested the maiden. "I'd feel that I'd
lost half my life. Why, in case like
that he couldn't even fold you in his
arms and all that when you said d."
"Wait minute" interrupted the ma
tron. "Not so fast. You'll know a lot
more about men than you do now when
you accept one, no matter how, when or
where it may be. There are some fea-
lures of the occasion they never over
look. but don't you build your hopes
too high on everything else being in