The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-12-24
HOW M EN-
PROPOSE
The Amateur SocIologist
Reports on His Investigations.
NE amateur sociologist said:

udie pieces Oh WOTk IN lue uONelS Hdu
always impressed me as being gro
tesquely overdrawn. l could not pic
ture the lovely young male pieces of
works saying such things to girls
who were not insane.
$50 l instituted such quiet inquiries
among my married friends for the
purpose of ascertaining whether any
of these idiotic manifestations had
happened to them at their mating
time. | am giving you the result of
these Investigations
"The first man / tackled was the
head clerk in a crockery store and
he'd been going with the girl for a
year and half when it happened.
One Sunday afternoon he took walk
with her.
'Aggie, he said to her after they'd
been looking at some marked down
refrigerators in a furniture store win
dow, the old man boosted my pay to
80 a week last night. Guess we ought
to be able to scrabble along on 80
week, hadn't we?'
"'Well l should say was Aggie's
offhand reply. There are thousands
of folks in New York who live mighty
comfortably ON half of 80 a week,
and
and the date of that wedding was
Immediately arranged.
Next man, clerk in an insurance Of
flee, had been going with her for
about eight months. There were two
or three others in the field against
him. but he was game enough to take
a gamblers chance They were at
show one, night and between the first
and second acts he leaned over to her
and said:
Say, Hazel, where do stand with
you, anyhow?
Now, pul-lease, Jim, don't get SEN
timental,' she replied.
But, Hazel he persisted. I'm get
ting pretty anxious to find out you
know. l don't know now whether I'm
aces or an also ran.
"Oh, l don't know that you have
any occasion to worry, was her re-
ply, and that, of course, was enough
for him. The date was fixed a couple
of evenings later.
Third friend of mine whom
tackled on this investigation was
shorthand man in a brokers' office,
and he'd been calling on her about
three times a week, taking her out,
too, with considerable regularity, for
a period covering about year. One
evening he was sitting on the front
steps with her when she said to him.
Say, Charlie, guess who ran away
and got married last week? Edith
Startsomething!
That SOP said he. Well, say,
Ethel, how good on the run are
your
Thus it was fixed.
My fourth informant was a young
lawyer-briefiess at that-who'd been
frequent caller at the home of
wealthy girl for two years. Good.
looking chap, and the girl was there
with the looks, too, in addition to hav.
ing the coin. One night they formed
part of chaperoned box party at a
play. The play was about a family
suddenly plunged from wealth to pov.
erty.
Dye know, Kate he'd said to
her, without desiring to appear mean
or cruel, l wish something of that
sort would happen to you.
What very friendly wish!' was
her reply. Why, pray?' she added, al
though, of course, she understood him
perfectly well.
Because, then, my DEAR he very
quickly made answer. I wouldn't feel
like such an internal muff If l asked
you to share the little l have with
me-.
30, is that it?' she inquired, gazing
tenderly into his eyes. We'll. YOU
know very well, Ed, that l should
never consider you a muff under any
circumstances, no matter what YOU.
did; and it is mean of you to re-
proach me for not being poor. can't
help it, can ~
This looked good enough tn NV
friend the young lawyer, and it was
They'd decided upon the date before
the end of that week.
Fifth man | asked was another
lawyer, and he'd been calling and
sending her candy and flowers and
taking her out right often for nearly
a twelvemonth. One evening thew
were taking car ride when thew
passed a tidy apartment house in
course Of construction and nearly com.
pleted
Saw the plans of those flats a
few days ago, he said to her non
chalantly. They're daisies-best ar
ranged / ever saw. Burlap walls and
all that. Mighty cheap at that-only
$50 month for the best of 'em, and
there is an elevator, too.
81 just love red burlap for the din.
ing room of fiat, don't your was
her reply.
That was good enough for him
and he filed his caveat then and.
there.
Il think" concluded the amateur
sociologist, that these few random
cases which l quote, the results. as I
say of careful investigation along this
line clearly indicate tbot ~ a.,