The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-15
THE ENGAGED GIRL.

Maud is Just any girl, and Maud is
engaged. She is going about with
splendid diamond ring on her finger,
enveloped in maddening air OF super
natural wisdom, and with the aggra-
waiting expression Of having cornered
the whole visible supply of human hap
piness. She is also very good these
days, and is living on an uplifted plane
from which she lectures her old girl
friends. She doesn't see how they can
enjoy the admiration of a lot of men,
with emphasis on the lot, and she
grieves TO observe that they still con-
tinue TO be amused by balls and par
ties. and frivolous diversion. Nor, by
any chance, can you escape Jacks
opinion on any subject. She waits UNI
Ill others have had their say about the
the matter under discussion, and then
she brings in Jacks views, as if they
were an ultimatum that disposed of
all argument.
isn't it pity" giggled her chum,
that Maud can't bottle up some of
this admiration, and enthusiasm, and
belief in Jacks infalibnity for use IN
the future? It's dead waste of good
material that she's liable to need in
after years"
oh" l replied, shell never known
another rational moment until she is
married and has had a quarrel with
her husband. Then she'll come down
TO earth, and be glad to cast herself on
the mercy of the friends she has mis-
treated and neglected"
Jack and l shall never quarrel" re-
torted Maud hotly. How do You
known? You were never engaged
| laughed, and then because she
looked so fair, with all the halo of
love like a visible glory about her, l
bent and kissed her.
Make the most of your engagement,
my dear" l said, enjoy it. 1t is
the primrose time of the year with
you, little sister, before you have found
out that there are thorns that pierce
hidden even among the roses of love.
II is "A time that comes but once in
ones life and having passed, never
returns. 1t is the little poem set
amidst the prose of existence, the lit
tie drama in which, for a brief space,
every man and woman even the most
commonplace and embarrassing, are
heroes of romance, about whom clus-
tiers a thousand dreams, and fancies,
and sentiments that will never belong
to them again"
No love story is ever so sweet to
woman as tina. which she lives through
In the days of her engagement Lut ii
is just as well to remember that it isn't
a magazine serial that runs on from
month to month and year to year. 1t
is a novel, complete in one volume,
and it ends fer most women at the
church door. after that, life isn't To-
nance. 1t is facts and poor cooks, and
while the love her husband may give
her is just as strong, and true. and
better worth having than the alteration
of her lover, still it is mighty apt TO
be a flower with all the bloom rubbed
OFF. A peck of potatoes may be Just
as much a token of affection and re-
membrance as a bunch of Yiolets, but
nobody pretends that there Is the same
amount of thrill to them. Love, with
most men. is vIolets before marriage,
and potatoes afterwards, and it is just
as we'll to MAKE the most of your re-
nance, while you have it. so when the
time comes when you are short on SELL
timent. you may be long on memory.
1T may seem like a douche of cold
water thrown on you, but the most I'M
portant piece o. advice that anybody
can give an engaged girl, l went on, is
TO warn her 70 make sure she has not
made a mistake in picking out a hus-
band. DaVy Crockett's maxim, BE
sure you are right, then go ahead"
was probably not intended as a com
plete guide to matrimony, but it comes
pretty near to being one, and it ought
to be printed in letters an inch high
on the top of every marriage license.
You are a woman and used to shopping.
You know that there are many attrac-
tive materials in all the stores that take
your eye, and are well enough for a
party gown, or dress up occasions, but
there is no wear to them. When you
marry look well TO the quality of goods
you are getting. Be sure that the col
ors are steadfast. and that 1t won't
shrink in washing, and that it is guar
anteed to stand the wear and tear of
everyday life. 1t takes something that
is genuine and not shoddy to do this,
my sister. 1t takes a real man.
1t is possible-it happens often and
often-that a girls fancy is captured
by a handsome face. or "a fascinating
manner, but she finds out on closer
acquaintance that her god has feet of
clay. / say nothing of the big sins,
because girl who is idiotic enough to
marry a drunkard or a roue to reform
him, is so besotted with love and folly
that there is no use in wasting words
upon her. Sometimes, though, a woin-
an sees little meanness cropping out
in the man to whom she is engaged;
he is narrow and suspicious and care
less of hurting her feelings; he is cruel
to animals, and insolent to servants,
and stingy. If he has these faults,
don't run the risk of curing him Of
them. Have the courage to break your
engagement. Before marriage, a man
is on his good behavior. If he is over
bearing and unreasonable to you then,
he will be a grinding tyrant when you
are in his power. II he strikes every
stray dog that crosses his path, he
will abuse his wife. Don't trust your
future to him.
Even If the man is all that he ought
TO be, and your own heart fails you. if
you doubt the strength of your love to
be all things and suffer all things for
him, turn back, though you were at
the foot of the altar. The most mis-
taken and cruel kindness that any
man or woman ever showed another is
to marry them without loving them
because they are too cowardly to
break an engagement. We have all
seen that done, but we never saw any
thing but misery result from it. Better
q million time a broken promise than
Q broken heart and a broken life. An
engagement is a serious thing, but it
isn't as serious as an uneongenial
marriage with a person you married
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