The San Francisco call., 1906-06-11
PEOPLE and Things
BY LOUISE WELLER.

axodus of narriageable young "onieH
s~. .ha GOOD old state of louisiana
+ snepee smith of Rapids. La, has IN
troduced into the State Legislature .
bu with the following provisions
.Tt shall be unlawful for any young j
man 10 attempt to court any young
woman before he is "a years of age
..Before making such attempt ne
shaI1 inform the parents or guardians
of the woman he proposes to court Oh
his intention to do So
He shall also make afidavit oerore
Justice of the peace that his courtship
will be in good faith and for the pur-
pose of trying TO convince the young
woman that it will be profitable for her
to marry him"
What a strange bill. Not for an in
stant do 1 doubt that it was introduced
in aught but good faith But what
want to know is. Whose friend is Mr.
Smith?
1 would hardly imagine that this bill
was framed having the protectlon OF
the signing SWANS in view IL II IS
the girls friend. then. that Mr.. smith
wants to be-well, he has just gone
the queerest way round to show It.
How could the heart of a Louisiana
maid palpitate with joy when. with
parents or guardians full knowledge,
''he," making poetry out of the COM
monpIace. takes her hand and whis-
pers, What beautiful weather We are
having? What would be the use pre-
tending to misunderstood and getting
f.4ct
weather bureau people? He would
know that she knows that mamma has
consented.
1t is simply awful terrible To put
it mildly. Mr. Smiths big is most un-
kind. Louisiana girls night just as
we'll rub right out Of their lives the
years between II and %.
And the man. AS ii it was not bad
enough TO inform the parents or guar
dian" the would-be benedict must
make affidavit before a justice of the
peace" Why not Mr. Smith have him
advertise his intentions? He might
just as well. If mamma and papa for
get to tell it, the justice or his clerks
certainly will. There is nothing so
amusing as some other fellows love
affairs. nothing that makes better food
for gossip. And there are no better
gossips than men gOssips
1 am inclined 20 think though. that
Mr. Smith framed his bill in the hope
of furthering. the cause of matrimony.
He was going to protect girls from
''trifers." and he was going to have
boys sit up and take notice that if
they hoped 10 enjoy the society of a
girl they just had to Convince the
i young woman that it would be profit
able for her to marry him.
Wrong. Mr.. Smith. all wrong. Many
good matches" have been broken of
just by that kind of proceeding. You
seem to take it for granted that it is
the man that does the choosing. Well.
Y it is not; that is. rot in most cases
The girl chooses. The man thinks ne
does. To ask a man at this stage OF
the game what his intentions are is
! to scare him of. After a girl has
picked out a man she leisUrely pro-
ceeds TO allow him to court her. This
. selecting is rather an unconscious act
:, on her part. Only as the courtship pro-
> ter into her head sac always let's mat
ters drift--there is a certain delight in
drifting. And that IS why, when the
fateful moment comes, she is truthful
when she declares 1T is so sudden"
The game of courtship and marriage
has been played for centuries. my good
Mr.. Smith. AID with big and happy re-
, suits. Why seek to change that which
is good? Why revolutionize tfrne-tried
methods? I am almost sure you are
f not married. Mr.. Smith. 1 am positive
that you do not contemplate matri-
mo1y. Take my advice and withdraw
= your bill You might wish to marry
one of these days. and then you would
be sorry.
1t is unkind to laugh at the infirmi-
ties of people. but one must smile even
when extending sympathy to those
who rushed of on the morning of
April is. forgetting their teeth, their
wooden limbs. their wigs. their
switches. Many is the woman whose
hat won't stay on straight these DAYS
because she escaped leaving her tresses
, hanging on the back OF her bedroom
chair. Much is the Inconvenience that
has been experienced by those, who for
got their teeth and their limbs
Strangest of all strange stories Of
physical infrmities. though. is the one
, MT. FenHsmore, an optician. tells. On
the awful morning after the quake his
/ store was crowded with people. Busi-
ness was rushing and they wanted-ar-
LIS
tinciai eyes Men and women had es-
capped from burning buildings forget
ting to put their eyes in. AT FIRST. ac-
, cording to III. Tennimore. an ATTEMPT