The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-03-30
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low 70 SPropos Ndarriase.,I

Bys Rattofd n ykel id The wentlethE
M Century Home u .SS
General " spealting most u womer,
and some men give q good deal OF;
thought to the subject Sofs q proposing
marriage: What they think saboutTit,
| isSmalnly theoretical. and therefore,
likelySto be incorrect for matters Of
sentiment, like dreams, 50 by con-
traries. Thus, when You hear q man
declare that he will never marry, you
may6look for an early announcement
that he rs engaged, When you hear.
a young woman vowlng that she will,
marry no one but a man who is tall
and dark and rich and accomplished
IL Is a sure sign that her future hus.
band will be "a short, pale, red.haired
person on q small salary. Who reads
Laura Jean Libby and doesn't know
| the difference between a. symphony
and a ham sandwich. so$itSisb In tho
matter Of proposals, which Is a topic
that has many subdivisions and sramf
iilcatlons. Among them is the ques:;
ton now to Offer oneself. how! to lin
lsure oneself against rejection, and
whether a woman ought under any.
circumstances to ask a man to marry;
her. VI. 4 y, Y II j;
E'veryb odytseemS TO view with scorn
the notion OF "a proposal 81 marriage
may properly be made by letter. The
general opinion Is that itsis "a rather
sneaking, MOTTO say. coWardly, thing
TO do; Men who go through m offer
IN due form must almost inevitably
make themselves absurd IL: they
don't AZ lis because they are danger.
oIslS, experienced persons. or because
they5arc not tall carried away.$by
sentiment, Indeed, there$lsi not 50
much of5this formal Offering as young
girls Imagine. These delightful DC.
ings get their notions largely5 out OF
novels; and they have q stereotyped
idea OF how the thing should be done.
Novels usually represent the man
as torn awitll doubt UP 81 to the$tyery
moment Of the proposal Sas passing
|sleepless nights and us fearing 5and
hoping until heels worn doWn4to.s a
shadow and then ms being suddenly
transported into a very heaven Sof$nn-
Expected bliss. That 3isfall5 very well
i In books, but In life 1T Is otherwise.
4 Putting aside very immature young
men, and putting aside also the rec;
ords of those objectionable coquettes
/ hogangle for proposals which they
do,not mean TO accept, but whichstlley
pleasantly call "scalps,9 two state
ments may be safely made. Tho first
is that no man;whos Knows theSwomen
OF his world Is ever rejected by one
|of $them. The erstatementtisS tina,
very few men ever make any8pro
posal of marriage at all..
] Take the first statement. The right
sort q man ma who has some sense q ING Ild
also q good deal of3insight ne :, I
fers the humiliation Ola rejection
because he learns his fate :without &c
4 tually asking the question. After 4
certain amount 81 eonrtship and whe 4
his meaning has become very evident
woman, II she be q womanlyg w "
man man, VIII tel him what he wants t
know, and she Will do it8i ina hundred
little a: ways, not one Of which will be
LOST upon him. of5course In the earl,
days Of their quasi:friendshlp, whel
4 she Is not sure that he Is serious, sht
viii be caprlcious and give full t!plla,
TO- all her little arts and Vaccinations
Just as she may also be $dimcnltaanS
/ perplexing. That Is her right. BIZ
\ when she really comes to know, ;Whel
j she feels that he SIS sincere--thens l
he d not appeal to her She will he
him see livery plainly; and the sor