The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-01-28
Leap Year Won't
!. Change Ways of
Maid With Man
BY Beatrice Fairfax
An Authority on the Problems OF
Love and Marriage


" the Leap Year jokes are with
as.
No one knows when or why It
FIRST became the custom for wo-
men to WOO and propose marriage
during Leap Year. But that the
idea was once taken seriously Is
proved BY the following extract
from q law enacted In Scotland
In 1888: .
s.It Is q statute and ordaint that
during the rein of his maist blisslt
Megeste. for fix yeare knowne as
lepe yeare,5 ilk mayden lady OF
bottle highe AMI lowe estait shall
hae liberte to bespeake We man
she likes, aIbiet he refuses to talk
hir to be his lawful WYE, he
shall be imulcted in We sum ane
pounds or less, as his estait may
be; except gif he can make It
appeare that he is betrOthit ane
other woman, he shall be free.
Imagine the glee of gold diggers,
and anxiety of bachelors, II q
similar law were enacted today,
so that girl might propose mar
rage in Leap Year to any unat-
tached bachelor. and il refused,
might collect a substantial sum
from him!
whether this law and others
like 1t in France and Italy were
: ever repealed, do not know. But
by the time the priIn Victorian era
began the very idea Of young
woman possessing the right to pro-
pose seemed I,-dricous and gave
rise to that chestnut, the Leap
Year joke.
She laughs best who laughs last.
To-day the Leay Year joke is that
anyone should doubt the right or a
Happier to propose marriage. the
only question f. whether the mod
ern girl cares to exercise her in
aIienable right to WOO q man VINO.
attracts her.
Does proposal of marriage
from woman arouse a mans
love for her? Or does it repel and
disgust him?
As one humorous philosopher
writes: Every girl always has the
right to propose. She also mas Lils
right to go fishing with shot
gun-but she wont catch any
thing.
You know, of course, and I
know. that the average nice girl
would not for an instant dream or
proposing marriage. Her problem
as a rule is decidirg which of the
men who wish to marry ner sne
shall accept.
There Is the case Of Mary. for
instance. Three men loved Mary
Al. xR1aE3lA
been supremeIy r nored an bliss
fully happy had she replied les
Ia his Ynomento-ls question. Mary
liked Charles and Bob. But when
Frank came along-that was dlI-
ferent.
II am serious now she con-
fided to me. Il have found the
man who can make me happy.
Did Mary proposs to Frank
Certainly not. She knew the Sc
cret-as every clever CIR does
of being so attractive SO dainty,
30 lovable, such good and sympa-
thetic company. sha' before he
realized what happened Frank
had proposed to he RAND they
were planning marriage.
Not every nice girl - beset with
admirers Some girls are shy and
Il takes time for The Man to find
them. But every ovahie girl
sooner or later, ACCORDING to the
rule of averages, Is going to at
tract the love of n nIure or less
congeniaI and lovabl> na'.. She
will not have to propose to him.
He viii adore her for hei gentle
modesty and find supreme interest
and Joy In the effort required to
earn and win her love and neat.
That effort is what make court
ship days so adorably happy.
OF course, there are exceptions
to all rules. If Young man has
been taking up all your time fer
several years and processes TO love
you, why do you no. come to
clear understanding W In him?
universally. man IS the born
hhnter and fighter. ARD the prize
[br which he will If need be, fight
ITO the death is love of the woman
81 attracts him as mis- chosen
mate.
IF this reason the rule of sue.
cess in the technique If love is TO
take account of the truth that
man, due to inherited instinct and
Unborn, aggressive strcngtt. thrills
to the pursuit and wooing OF
woman he loves, and coon despises
love offered cheaply,
Your inalienable right az a wo-
!" man, leap year and every wear, ls
to attract and en7haE' youI help
mate. IL he truly owes you he
will, with the aid of your sympa-
thstic encouragement, propoee
marriage to you So on see, you
will not need to exert that doubt
full Leap Year privilege and right
of proposing 10 him in order to