Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-05-21

eral years. Not engaged, but
49, crazy about each other. We
are in Our very late 20s and want to
marry and settle down. He wants to
continue having an affair with me
Indefinitely. He goes gallivanting
around with other girls, though I am
still the best, ETC., but not all. Came
Christmas. He gave me a beautiful
Christmas present. though not as
handsome and well chosen as last
years, yet he boasts of the money
he is making and his future plans. Is
the Christmas present episode sig
nificant? Does a girl have a chance
by sticking to a man and hoping that
something will hit him on the head
and make him realize that she is the
girl that he wants to marry, or does
he get tired and call it quits after
while? RED HEAD.
Answer think a mans gifts are
not only highly indicative Of his senti-
ments toward a woman, but that they
are just about as good a pre-matri-
monial picture of his character and
disposition as she Is ever likely to get.
Also, they are prophetic of the way
he is likely TO treat her if she marries
him.
You can almost chart the course of
mans affections by his presents.
When he first falls in love his i'm
pulse is to lavish gifts upon the
woman on whom he has set his heart.
Smother her in silks. Feed her on
nightingales' tongues. He is alert to
crafty her every desire. His offerings
are chosen with an almost occult
knowledge Of her tastes and wishes.
And then as his romance wears thin
and he begins to lose interest in the
woman there is gradually descending
curve in the number and quality of his
gifts, until it gets to place where a
man throws check in his wife's lap
at Christmas and on her birthday-if
she had prodded him into remember
ing it-and tells her to get herself
something she needs, that he doesn't
know what she wants. Or he buys her
a new cook stove as present.
u Il
ID EMEMBER what the astute young
~ lady said in the poem about the
imitation diamond or the phoney fur
coat or whatever it was with which
her sweetheart had presented her: If
in his gifts he can faithless be, there
will be no gold in his love for me"
So it is a wise virgin who casts
practical, as we'll as a sentimental, eye
upon her boy friends presents and
deduces therefrom the following con-
illusions:
That as long as a man is in love
he gets a kick out of giving things to
a girl That when a man denies him
self something that he wants in order
TO give something she wants, that is
proof of affection strong enough to
draw money on at the bank. That the
man who always makes misflt pres
ents, who brings candy to girl who
is on a diet. who sends her pink roses
when she has impressed on him she Is
going to wear a red dress. who gives
her q wrist watch when she is dying
for a new pair of earrings, may have
a good heart and be actuated by a
deep and abiding affection, but he
lacks perception and will make dumb
and aggravating husband. Further
more. that the man who is stingy
lover will make a misery husband
who will begrudge his wife food and
clothes.
So I think you are quite right in
recognizing that the falling of IN your
Christmas presents indicates that your
friend is cooling of in his interest in
YOU and that your little affair is about
over. Which is lucky for you. For
when a girl is lowering around 80 she
has no time to waste on man whose
affections are not serious. Evidently
your friend regards you as merely
pleasant acquaintance nice little
playmate-and that's all.
So don't delude yourself into be-
lieving that some miracle is going 10
happen that will warm up platonlc
friendship into hot romance. or that
the man who has known you for years
without falling in love with you Is go
ing to suddenly become enamored OF
you. 1t isn't going to happen. Your
affair will Just go dragging along and
dragging along until you get worn out
with watchful waiting. and then he
will forsake you for some pretty young
| girl who is q novelty.
OF course, occasionally a girl does
wear a man down into marrying her
by hanging on to him. but it doesn't
happen once in a blue moon. And
when it does, he makes her such
an unsatisfactory husband she wishes
he hadn't.
ye,.3ssssssasssassssssmssss8