Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-07-23

an act OF self-denial, and adore un-
s~elishness in men.
Afterwards when I was stepping
into the carriage l somehow or other
managed to let one Of my gloves fall.
You saw II at once, and instead of at
tending properly to me, you picked it
up, and made such a grave bow as you
handed it TO me saying: i think
you've dropped a glove lit wasn't even
your glove'l. Of course my glove had
dropped, and any other man would
have waited till | had driven away be-
fore he picked 1t up. II know, because
| have looked
Il was annoyed. The glove was
quite a new one and | had hardly
soiled IL, for somehow or other | hadn't
danced much. You looked dreadfully
glum as you picked it up. think it
must have been my carelessness in let
ting 1t drop in the dirt. | am extrava-
CANT, fear; and as you told me last
night that you were a poor man, am
afraid | must have shocked your sensi-
bilities!
why on earth did you say any
thing about money? What had 1t 10
do with the question? | know | have
heaps of IL; and It's not a bad thing
either. as It sometimes helps a man TO
marry the girl he loves. Remember
ldcar Jackl-I needn't mention the
brackets again-when you ask another
girl TO marry you. II she happens to
have money (which | hope she will
for your sakeI don't refer to it, If she
cares a bit for you, as You deserve.
she'll be only ashamed to feel that Al
has so little to give you.
"Pve heaps of other reasons for say
ing No. but under any circumstances
! could never marry a man who didn't
take his answer from his lady-love's
own lips. The girl who consents to
such a thing deserves to be married in
her bonnet and in shoes two sizes too
big for her.
Now, III give you a piece of good
advice before | stop. When you pro-
pose to the other girl, don't mention, as
| have said, her money, If she has any;
don't ny you are unworthy OF her
that won't be truel and not At to tie
her shoelace, though | recollect you
once tied mine very nicely in spite OF
your fingers trembling. Don't. above
all, say that you are not anxious TO
hurry her, but would like her to con-
slider the matter well. | can't imagine
a lover OF mine saying that. when. per-
haps, my heart was like the warning
OF a clock upon the point OF midday
striking, and breaking into a perpetual
high noon chime of love and joy. After
that, it could only go on 'gurr-gurr-
r%rrrrr,' straining its poor works and
chords, and allowing the true sun time
, of life to leave 1t behind. Ii could never
speak clear and true to one who want
ed to set 1t back.
Now, to finish my good and impair
tial advice: when you are addressing
the other GIRL you should lay your
hands gently upon her shoulders, and
look closely into her eyes believe
you have learned this Already. 1t Is
| cruel to retreat at this moment, espe-
cially IL, as | have said. the heart
! clock is on the point of striking. At
| the same time 1t is most difficult to go
back, for, like particles of matter, the
forces of attraction grow incredibly
| strong at infnitesimal distances II
have found 1t sol. Then, having got
so far, you should say: Claude Tor
whatever the name of the other girl
may bel, | love you. Will you be my
| wife,
You'll possibly hear then a sound
like the warning of the clock, a sort
OF sob of all the strings of its heart.
You should have lost all hesitation by
| this time, and you should take the face
| of, say, the clock, quite close, and kiss
it gently first on the figure XII That's
the browl, then most warmly on fig
ures TX and III these are the cheeksl,
end then rapturously on figure vi, just
where the comic artists put the mouth
| when they make the clock-face human.
| You shouldn't neglect the hands, which
are often fascinatingly pretty and de.
| lightful to kiss-at least, so they say
in clock-hand! | hope your little
clock, when you try all this, will give
the true cuckoo cry, which is the tit
song of the ever new season when the
young maids fancy turns-but not
lightly-to thoughts Of love.
Il sha'n't trust this letter to the
hands Of the penny postman, but shall
send 1t by my little groom. Isn't 1t
funny that we used to call him Cupid
because OF his rosy face and bow legs?
| Now he shall speed, not indeed with
his shafts, but behind them, in my W
polo-cart.
al inclose the glove, in case you may
have liked to have something to re-
mind YOU of an old friend, WHO is very
| sorry to have to send you such a de-
cisive No
II shall be in the conservatory at
nine tonight, and if you care to go
through a rehearsal Of the scene with
the other girl ! shall put on my pref
test frock-the pale green one that
you like-and do my best to make you
perfect RI think You are that already.
But don't forget that you must al
ways be kind to your little clock; firm.
too, so as not to let the works run
down for want of judicious winding.
There is only one universal key, and
YOU have it. Ever yoursl.
"CLAUDIE."
Black and White.