Leap Yea.

Lake County Press, Issue 696, 20 February 1896, Page 7

Leap Yea.

It happens that 1896 is leap-year, so that for a term of twelve months man does not necessarily possess the sole privilegeof “ popping the question.” But it is as well for ladies not to bo too ambiguous in their communications. An Arrow bachelor has received the following proposal from Queenstown, hut as only the writer’s initials are given, and as the initials would fit with more than one lady’s name he is in a dilemma, and asks advice. The proposal takes poetic form :

’Tis Leap Year, and you must excuse The liberty i am taking. And I hope yon will not refuse The offer I am making. They say that you’ve made up your mind To disregard the fair. Oh ! pray do not be so unkind To leave me in despair. Oh I what a miserable life A bachelor’s must be. Pray take unto yourself a wife And let that wife be me, And if this offer you refuse The consequence will be A pair of gloves I shall expect To be addressed to me.

The bachelor says that he would prefer a personal interview to the risk of communicating with some other person possessing the lady’s initials, and he also wishes to satisfy himself that the lady would he able to support a bus band as well as herself. He has no “ bobs” to spare for gloves, and hints that the lady’s affection must be very light when she values her wounded feelings at the price of a pair of gloves, Wc hear a lot about the “ new woman,” but leap-year brings out the “ new man ” prominently.