[Illustration: Uniformed Men are always Popular with the Ladies.]
1. MAKING THE DECLARATION.--There are few emergencies in business and few
events in life that bring to man the trying ordeal of "proposing to a
lady." We should be glad to help the bashful lover in his hours of
perplexity, embarrassment and hesitation, but unfortunately we cannot pop
the question for him, nor give him a formula by which {195} he may do it.
Different circumstances and different surroundings compel every lover to be
original in his form or mode of proposing.
2. BASHFULNESS.--If a young man is very bashful, he should write his
sentiments in a clear, frank manner on a neat white sheet of note paper,
enclose it in a plain white envelope and find some way to convey it to the
lady's hand.
3. THE ANSWER.--If the beloved one's heart is touched, and she is in
sympathy with the lover, the answer should be frankly and unequivocally
given. If the negative answer is necessary, it should be done in the
kindest and most sympathetic language, yet definite, positive and to the
point, and the gentleman should at once withdraw his suit and continue
friendly but not familiar.
4. SAYING "NO" FOR "YES."--If girls are foolish enough to say "No" when
they mean "Yes," they must suffer the consequences which often follow. A
man of intelligence and self-respect will not ask a lady twice. It is
begging for recognition and lowers his dignity, should he do so. A lady is
supposed to know her heart sufficiently to consider the question to her
satisfaction before giving an answer.
5. CONFUSION OF WORDS AND MISUNDERSTANDING.--Sometimes a man's happiness,
has depended on his manner of popping the question. Many a time the girl
has said "No" because the question was so worded that the affirmative did
not come from the mouth naturally; and two lives that gravitated toward
each other with all their inward force have been thrown suddenly apart,
because the electric keys were not carefully touched.
6. SCRIPTURAL DECLARATION.--The church is not the proper place to conduct a
courtship, yet the following is suggestive and ingenious.
A young gentleman, familiar with the Scriptures, happening to sit in a pew
adjoining a young lady for whom he conceived a violent attachment, made his
proposal in this way: He politely handed his neighbor a Bible open, with a
pin stuck in the following text: Second Epistle of John, verse 5:
"And I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto
thee, but that we had from the beginning, that we love one another."
[Illustration: SEALING THE ENGAGEMENT.
From the Most Celebrated Painting in the German Department at the World's
Fair.]
She returned it, pointing to the second chapter of Ruth, verse 10: "Then
she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him.
Why have I found grace in {197} thine eyes that thou shouldest take
knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"
He returned the book, pointing to the 13th verse of the Third Epistle of
John: "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write to you with
paper and ink, but trust to come unto you and speak face to face, that your
joy may be full."
From the above interview a marriage took place the ensuing month in the
same church.