The Washington times., 1904-09-24
} AND INTERESTS
Observations of Peggy.

Recently some one who was very much
down on his luck fell In love with a
girl Of noble and excellent qualities. and
with the natural impulse OF man for
immediate possession. wished to become
engaged to her. although he was with
OUT prospects, as we say. at the time.
Friends Of the couple heard OF or
guessed the state OF affairs. and were
very indignant. claiming the man was
| exceedingly selfish in wanting the girl
70 engage herself to him under the cir
cGmstances.
The man could not understand this
comment. for he could see no selhshness
in the act.
This business Of people falling In love
and becoming engaged Is terribly seri-
Gus and fraught with many dangers.
l am aware many girls look upon ar
er.ga cement as pastime to be changed
perhaps not quite so often as the moon
wakes and Wanes, but very nearly so
Wei, l am not going to talk 10 that
Sind or girl but l am going to say a
few words to the girl who is in earnest
and who looks on life seriously.
-
Personally 1 think that the man who
asks a woman to become engaged to him
when there is evidently no possibility Of
their becoming married for years, sell
fish. ] think IL he loves her, he may tell
her so, but then he should 20 out and
work for her, and thus prove himself
worthy. When he has paved the way
and earned a sufficient competence, 50
that he can see a little home ahead
which he can presently ask the girl 70
share, II she will, then let him think OF
the engagement, not before.
If girl loves a man, the binding ma
ture Of an engaEement is not necessary,
and meantime there Is a certain no
blcSse oblige which should prevent a
man from Cxacting promise OF mar
riage from the girl before he IS really
ready for the marriage.
In like manner. the man who is dis
sipated or who has grave shortcomings
Of which he is wei aware has no right
to 20 TO girl and tell her he viii go to
the dogs, or that he has no hope unless
she marries him. Let him first do that
which is lawful and right" turn his
back upon his old ways and make his
life clean before he asks any good girl
to marry him.
/ have no patience with these ''cry-
babies" God gave US ali will power.
and we must exercise 1t and stand on
our own merits.
There are many men, however, who
trump UP this miserable plea. and the
girl, II she will, may be a sacrifice 70
dangerous and dubious experiment.
OF course. very. rarely a woman comes
into ones life who has reformed man
after marriage. and where he Is re-
formed. no doubt. the pain and strug-
gle was well spent In the saving OF a
human soul from the depths; but no or
6inary woman can do this: neither can
ayone do II without the viii power of
the man being Quickened and exerted.
and the man himself must have been n
man with a capital M in the first
place, who fell away for a little while.
I have said so much about the diverse
side OF the shield, let US look a the
reverse: That there is a reverse is axi-
omatic. Now, what Is on that sldel
Well, we have scanned the responsible
ties and the duties OF a man before
asking a woman to share his ife Let
US briefly glance at the womans re-
sponsibilties. First and foremost let me |
down the ghost OF a woman
With a past. She is not so dangerous as
represented. and will doubtless make |
a better wife than many who have
never felt so deeply.
No one knows what he will do at I
any certain point beyond the present: /
and until one may be sure OF his own 4
impeccability let him not condemn I
others.
Not long ago, during the procession I
from the carriage into the church where /
a ceremony was about TO be performed /
in which 2 woman gave UP her life and 4