The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-09-19
PROPOSALSOF TO-DAY

ibuS SlOSIly NOllldli, viz nav -
girls and Young bride to lunch with her
"They do" chorused three girls. The
prettiest one felt that she need not testify
Glow could that young thing have mar
fied if no misguided man had proposed =
ishe inquired, waving her hand toward the
young married woman.
The bride laughed.
Its quite simple, dear. believe l due
the proposing myself" she said.
The girls were surprised. The elderly
woman wasn't She is ready to believe
anything of this generation.
you see," the bride continued. dick
and l were both busy. He was running 6
Sunday paper and | was editing an idiotic
.woman's page in a magazine. We didn't
see each other very often, except at din
ner time; but | used to go out to dinner
with him two or three times a week.
The elderly woman's eyebrows expressed
her opinion, but being hostess, she con-
trolled her emotions and the bride seemed
shamelessly oblvious of chaperon tradl-
tions
Zone evening we were dining together,
she said, after little reminiscent pause.
t'He was reading the Sunday supplements,
and | was looking over dummy OF the
magazine | glanced across the table. Dick
WAS SOOU-lOOhluS, wash uhoblioSSAfN.
He was buried in his work; / was buried
in mine. The situation seemed all wrong
j resented it.
1--WE might as well be married. 1 said,
Grossly.
Dick looked over the top of his paper.
I've thought that for five months, he
said.
''He came to the Office and brought me
my ring the next day
The girls sighed.
at wasn't so very romantic" said the
pretty one.
The elderly woman frowned
'It is the sort of thing one expects IN
these days, said she.
The bride smiled
at satisfied Dick and me-" she said.
She has a fashion of saying Dick that
makes the name sound musical.
"'But the men do propose" urged one OF
the girls.
The pretty girl nodded.
'"They 90, she agreed Then she set
lied down to giving expert testimony
Give studied the thing good deal, she
said.
You've had exceptional advantages"
suggested the bride.
vi course L UOil I hlOh JuSC NOW NTH
used to propose; but I'm afraid it is lost
art-that is, in its highest artistic form.
Why, it was a regular function in the old
days. Now, we crowd it in during two
step, with 900 people looking on, or we get
through it while we are waiting for a couple
ahead to leave the putting green.
Gwen if we do have plenty of time and
an appropriate stage setting for the cere-
mony, we don't manage it with any artistic
skill. There isn't any trembling suppliea-
ton or trembling yielding,
'You see, man and girl know each
other so well nowadays before they get
TO the proposing point that the result of
prU posal IS a fo- egone concIus'Cn. When
our grandmothers were courted they posed
pc ~1vS+o'e-
.Tna su.u didn't golf with EN- all
morning, and sail with them all afternoon,
and dance or sit on the veranda with them
all evening, didn't know exactly what the
girls thought on every conceivable sub
ject, couldn't figure them out like mathe-
NAUTICAL equation
NV rrandfa tier wasn't cocksure When
he proposed to grandmother that she'd
say yes. The uncertainty led to noble eff
fort. It might have made things much more
Interesting.
'They were taught to conceal their real
feelings in any particular instance at any
post \ girl may do that to-day, but If
she does, it isn't no general principles.
''NIy uncle says women used to be born
coquettes, but now they are educated firts.
If a girl doesn't firt now, she shows man
frankly just what she thinks of him, up
to a certain point.
"Given that much information, it is easy
TO speculate on futurities. A man isn't TAX
ing any chances in proposing
Occasionally one will risk what he sees
to be forlorn hope, but the average mod
ern man feels very sure he will be accept
ed before he thinks of proposing.
'Then you think the percentage of re-
jected lovers is going down. asked the
bride.
The pretty girl laughed.
Il do all 1 can to keep it up to standard,
but I'm sure it is falling"
''And the men, feeling sure of the re-
suit, proposes in an offhand manner?"
Exactly. / never had really artistic,
impassioned proposal in my life. Our men
are so deadly afraid Of making themselves
ridiculous.
''They may be sentimental, when they
don't mean anything or sentimental after
they are engaged, and absolutely sure the
girls adore them, but no matter how sure
of girl, the modern man feels he isn't go.
ing to take even the remotest chance of be-
ing laughed at.
''He is too horribly self-conscious to
propose with flourish as his grandfather
did l hope it is a sign of modesty, but
suppose it is only egotsm
dick says" began the bride. She
usually begins that way. Probably the old
editorial instinct crops out and Dicks re-
marks are the only copy she has to work
with. Dick says that it is hard for a man
to make up his mind to marry to-day.
''In the first place, he is so abominably
comfortable as a bachelor. He doesn't
need home as much as his grandfather
did. He is free, has every material comfort,
and little responsibility.
He must be tremendously in love to
marry for love. Even when he is in love
he hesitates and holds back and wonders
and questions.
"He has a good thing, and knows it.
Matrimony is lottery, even when one mar
ries for love.
$50 he puts off the fatal step and fools
around. If the girl is fond of him, there's
practically an understanding long before he
hoe oro,rn1 To- JaE