The Delta independent., 1913-09-26
GASOLINE AND coURTsHiP IN
THESE DAYS OF SPEED MANIA

1t has agreeably fallen to our lot OF
late to spend some little time in the
country. We not only spent some time
there-we really lived there. Years
ago, when spongy straw hats and bare
feet were the fashion for us, we hao
worried along with the country LAD
misfortunes-bruised toes. milch cows
potato planting, corn tbinn1ng-put
twenty years of city life have changed
the meaning of misfortune" while the
sweet, pervasive taste of real cream
fingers longer in our memory than all
the boyhood troubles that assailed U.S.
The telephone has already played
great part in changing the tone of the
country since those days. Ii mas
brought distant dwellings voice to
voice; now comes the automobile,
bringing them face to face. We could
not help but speculate as to what IN
fluence on the character of our coun-
try friends the automobile is destined
to work. And while We were speculat-
ing under a maple tree in the front
yard, we heard the purring of an auto
mobile engine and looked up to beho'l
a car entering the lane. Rapidly 1t ap-
preached: then it stopped shortly;
briskly the young man who had
steered it alighted and came up to US
Good afternoon" he saluted, breez-
lily. rs Miss Louise at home"
Good afternoon" we returned easily
and leisurely IF you'll take sea.
we'll see if we can find her. Have you
come far?"
Apparanetly he didn't appreciate
our slowness of speech and deliberate
ness speech.
No need to trouble you, thanks. he
assured us. hurriedly. as he strode TO-
ward the house twenty-five miles,
he called back in answer to our 1ues-
ton. I came twenty-five miles"
In few minutes he had found Miss
Louise and was returning with he to
/ the car.
This dispatch rather took our breath
away. As they whisked out of the
lane and down the road, we philoso-
I phized:
The country girls charms can radi-
ate much farther under gasoline than
( by Dobbin-power. No matter how pro-
nounced her attractions. they seldom
in the oIden days brought a horse-and-
buggy lover more than ten miles. This
meant a two-hour drive, so that in or
der to reach bed by midnight it was
necessary for farewell to be said by 10
o'clock On the other hand. two hours
on the road for the gasoline-propelled
I Romeo means forty-two mile jour
ney. Thus Miss Louise's charms have
ouadrupled their radius and she knows
sixteen times as many young men
from whom to select her mate. Sixteen
men where before she knew but one.
Do YOU sense the Significance of that?
And the character of the wooer Is
changing under gasoline. This young
man was not the country lover as
had seen him twenty years before
slow. indirect. bashful Barrie has
pictured him for us when he tells us
that "Sandy's method of making up to
Belle was to drop in at Tnowhead
and talk with the farmer about the rim
derpest." Under gasoline. courting Will
no longer be done by indirection. The
man will have learned of his machine.
There will be no more lovemakins
] with the reins dangling from the dash
board and Dobbin taking his own head.
Under gasoline. it will come to "one
thing at time" And 1t will have TO
be done well. whether it is driving the
car or making love. For competition
at sixteen to one will force to the fore
the best In every swain.