New-York tribune., 1907-12-29
A DREADFUL DILEMMA.

Misery loves company is as true as IL is trite-
Thomas A. Edison tells unhappy bachelors who
want to lead lives of single blessedness and fear
they can't about the tribulations of those who
want to marry in leap year and are forced to wait
until the calendar adjusted itself usual con-
dtions and the matrimonial bureau is being run
according TO its former methods. despondent
swain confded to Mr.. Edison last leap year that
fearing the girl he adOred would never take adj
vantage of the opportunity afforded by leap year
of informing him that he the only man she
could ever love, he asked her 10 marry him. was
accepted and them when he begged her TO name
the hapy day that would make him hers. vas
plunged from rapture into despair by her announce
u1ent that she could marry him until the fol-
lowing year. nor could their engagement be made
known least carping critic should assert that
she and not himself had made the proposal of
marriage
The plight of the engaged man who cannot
avail himself of the protection which an announce
u1eut OF this happy state affords against designs
upon his single condition is. indeed. TO be plted
He cannot realize his own dream OF domestic fe-
Iictty or prevent women of belated romantic ten
dences from induging theirs at the expense CT
his peace of mind. He cannot enjoy the
ciety of his fancee In comfort for leap year has
turned everything topsy-turvy. and leap year
parties and frolics that seem designed purposeiy
for the disauetude of the unmarried man. have
taken the place of orthodox forms of entertaining
Instead of taking in to dinner some fair guest
assigned by the hostess to add to his pleasure at
.abIe-aud hostesses have a wonderful knack of
picking out congenial spirits for such occasions
the secretly engaged man tries to preserve q CAIN
and dfspassionate demeanor he watches the
evclutions of undesired furbelowed beings in his
direction and knows that he will be led to the
table by the last woman he would have selected
as tete-a-tste at the feast. is also forced
suffer a tornado of emotions he sees his adored
one lead another man captive He becomes posi-
tive that after all, her preference lies in another
direction than his. and gloornily ponders the ques-
ton OF how long 1T may be before she informs him
that solitaire ring is not exactly to her taste
His doubt OF her affection becomes confirmed
when at a subsequent dance. the object of his
jealousy seeks his rival partner and he sees
them waltz off together.
He does not half believe her assertion that she
cannot shower attentions upon him without caus-
ing others to think them engaged 20 be married.
and so his wrath SINNERS throughout the social
season. and the path OF true love resembles a
thoroughfare with a subway in process of
struction through it. Happily for himself. his
moods are of quality calculated make a
thoughtful woman inclined 10 propose marriage
shrink from asking him 10 hestow them upon her
for indefinite period.
Leap year would not be possessed of so many
terrors were it not for leap year parties. When
girl invites a to dance how he guide her
properly I'm the maZes of the two-step when he
doesn't know whether her next invitation be to
the altar or the opera? lie talks desperately TO
gain time-for man is by nature and habit gallant
and breads saying mo- to a woman-and vet when
the dance is over he draw a sigh of relief
for conservatory is close hand, with its pit
a favor bestowed in the cotillon will not be fol-
lowed by a bestowal of the fair giver of ft-pro-
vided he is found reasonable and properly appre-
cative under the circumstances?