Let us begin, first of all, with the duties of one of the minor
characters at a wedding—the Groom. Suppose that you are an
eligible young man named Richard Roe, who has just become
“engaged” to a young lady named Dorothy Doe. If you really intend
to “marry the girl,” it is customary that some formal
announcement of the engagement be made, for which you must have
the permission of Miss Dorothy and her father. It is not
generally difficult to become engaged to most girls, but it will
surprise you to discover how hard it is to get the young lady
whom you believe to be your fiancée to consent to a public
announcement of the fact. The reason for this probably is that an
engagement which has been “announced” often leads to matrimony,
and matrimony, in polite society, often lasts for several years.
After you have secured the girl’s permission, it is next
necessary that you notify her father of the engagement. In this
particular case, as he happens to be your employer, the
notification can take place in his office. First of all, however,
it would be advisable to prepare some sort of speech in advance.
Aim to put him as far as possible at his ease, lead up to the
subject gradually and tactfully. Abruptness is never “good form.”
The following is suggested as a possible model. “Good morning,
Mr. Doe, say, I heard a good story from a traveling salesman last
night. It seems that there was a young married couple—(here
insert a good story about a young married couple). Wasn’t that
_rich_? Yes, sir, marriage is a great thing—a great institution.
Every young man ought to get married, don’t you think? You do?
Well, Mr. Doe, I’ve got a surprise for you, (here move toward the
door). I’m going to (here open the door) marry (step out of the
room) your daughter” (close the door quickly).