GOSSIP FOR LADIES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10268, 10 February 1899, Page 2

GOSSIP FOR LADIES.

m The enterprise of the American woman is an ever-growing wonder. Her latest invention, writes a London correspondent, is j the Society for the Encouragement of Love Matches. It has been started by the wife of the Governor of Kansas, and its objeot is to collect funds for the endowment of young couples who have not the means to marry, or whosa matrimonial aspirations have failed . to obtain the blessing of wealthy but stern parents. The new crusade has, we learn, been warmly taken up by the principal Women's Clubs, and the financial results are already most satisfactory. There is a frankness about Transatlantic arrangements which is apt to be a little startling to us old-fashioned folk. One could fancy that so much well-meant interference might not commend itself equally to all young people whose finances happened to be "shaky." It is possible that the course of true love may be indirectly assisted by* it, since parents, placed " 'twixt the horns of a dilemma," forced to choose between giving consent and a provision, or seeing their daughters become pensioners of this novel strike fund, may consider the former alternative as the lesser evil? .1 hope, though, that in cases where this fund is adtua'ly bestowed it may not prove to be a doubtful blessing. Personally I should be inclined to "say three prayers" (according to the Arab Counsel) before accepting a man whose marriage with mc was to bring him a handsome testimonial. One | cannot get over one's antiquated ideas, you see, and the superstition that .real love is founded uon sacrifice is one of them. I | have an inveterate belief—which, I feel

i sure, is shared by many—that a man who really cares for a woman will work for her. Tho theory that there is not enough work in the : world for able bodies and brains is mare nonsense. Moreover, when he has worked for her, he will undoubtedly love her better than he would have done if all ■ tho rough places had been carefully and artificially smoothed out of his path to her. Depend upon it, happiness of the best sort was never intended to be had cheap—much 1 less to be picked up for nothing. Where there is real love, there must be sorrow, anxiety, labour. The diamond must be dug * out of the mine at cost of long nights and days, of heat and cold, of danger, and of weariness. Aye, more ; wherl it is won, it must be cut and polished, and ground by its own precious dust, wounding itself, as it were, for its greater perfection. No matter; these things are worth, while. Yoii can't go to any sort of Heaven in a coach-and-four. t But if I cannot admire the Kansas Fujifl, still less can I applaud the agreement of the young ladies of Bridgeport, who have pledged themselves to "refuse to receive a fourth ovening visit from a man who failed to propose on the third." How very hard on the Bridgeport bachelors to be expected to make up their minds so rapidly! " Perhaps the fair ones suspect them of getting their even- , ings' amusements on the economical plan of • the man who got a good supper for a penny, you remember tho story? He bought- a penny loaf j then went to a grocer's and asked to buy some cheese. Of course, he was given a piece to taste; then another; but the sup-• plies of that establishment did not seem to pleaseJtiim, so hf left without making a chase. As soon as he got outside he took s bite out of the loaf. This he did in the inter- _ vals between all the other cheesemongers' v . i shops that the.towhiboasted. Evidently the ' maidens of Bridgeport do not consider this sort of thing business. They think that a man who enters the shop ought to do so meaning to buy. As if a male creature could tinderstand a woman at the third visit! And yet he is perhaps as likely to do so then is n^:'would be at the thirty-third. Besidef, is, it?<ii£r<t_in that intimate acquaintance would every woman's matrimonial chances? £n|ay be that the spinsters of Bridgeport, &dhn —— but let mc not purs_e the subject;, lest I draw down upon my head the vengeance of so. strong-minded a band! . ,