El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-14
No Rules For Proposing
But 1t Is Safe to Take the Girls
Hand, in the Moonlight, and
say, Il Love You"
by Beatrice Fairfax.
sGT AN p years q age, and in love

G6T AN p years 81 age. and in love
with a young woman three
years my junior" writes one
VINO signs himself Ralph. Il would
like to propose to her, but do not
know how to begin"
without doubt one could ind some
where, in books new or musty, rule
for every procedure under the sun ex-
cept that Of proposing marriage No
where is there an accepted form for
asking for a girls hand in marriage,
and at the most important moment Of
his life a man Is left without guide
book
ter. man-Iike, does not want to depend
on the leadership of the other sex even
in matters as tender as this, here are
some suggestions gathered from the
experiences of others, which may help
Evening is the accepted time. in
poetry and prose. real life and lcUlOu,
though declarations have been mace
before breakfast and in the glare OF the
MONDAY sun. However. i would not
recommend a proposal oeIore -Dreak-
fast. Aat that most unDecomlng nOur
no man is in a. tender mood, ana II ne
were. the appearance Of his lady love
might chill his ardOr.
Twilight is a pretty hour, the moon
is always good Tor romance Ihqeeo,
many prefer IL. and there is netting
sacred and holy about a love declared
under the stars that no brighter uShI-
ing effects offer. There IS secrecy
about such proposal that doesn ac-
company one made in the light Of the
moon. where a mans arm around q
girls waist becomes q target Tor eyes
and tongues six blocks on
You might begin, Ralph. by holding
her hand This viii not be hard, for
doubtless you have held it many times
before 1 hope you have. for this hand
holding is the time-hOnOred prologue
to proposal This time you will not
let go. as before. You viii hold fast
and YOU will find pouring into your
hand such a current OF inspiration ana
courage that after you have held her
hand at least a minute. nothing short
of the appearance OF mad pull or
the girls enraged father. could keep
back your declaration
Having held her hand till this psy-
chical moment YOU may. say, 4 love
YOU" OF course she knows you do.
but that makes no difference They
are only three words, all short ana easy
to say. and. having once said them, you
must say them over and over Tor the
balance of your life
However. always say them 10 the
same woman
Sometimes in the books and in act
val experience the girl looks shyly
down. and the man must lift her face
for a kiss. If statistics were avail
able, however, / am sure they WOulu
prove my contention that she has ner
face lifted up for a kiss before the last
of the three words has crossed his lips.
I hope. Ralph, YOU viii verify my con-
tentiOn the next time you write.
II you find YOU are still shy on
words, here are three more that are so
short and easy to remember they are
eligible to a child's first reader They
are. Set the day"
You need not say what day it is you
want her to set She knows it IS not
a day for going fishing or for having
the hay cut in the east meadow She
knows what day you mean. thus saw
ing. you any necessity for detail or
verbOsity.
Proposing. Ralph. is so easy and 50