How Women Propose.

Lake County Press, Issue 904, 29 March 1900, Page 7

How Women Propose.

Mademoiselle de Praga happened to be at La Che-'uaye when the completion of the Suez Canal had caused the name of Lesseps to be on everybody’s lips. One morning. seeing the engineer taking Jiis morning stroll on the terrace, site plucked a rose, and, approaching' him, begged of him, for her sake, to wear it at dinner. Lesseps was considerably taken aback by this mark of attention from so/young a girl, and hastily a-ked if the flower was not intended for his son. No ; it was for himself. The engagement thus begun quickly ripened, although the Count was a widower on the wrong side of 60. and the giii was scarcely 19 ; and the wedding came off during the fetes which celebrated the opening of the Suez Canal.

Some time ago a prominent man (a bachelor) twvk a very active part in an attempted social reform. The scheme was not perfectly successful, and the prime mover experienced bitter disappointment, and incurred a great amount of ill-will. Not, however, in every quarter. One day a young and beautiful lady, accompanied by her father, called on this gentleman, who could not conceive what her errand might be. Standing at the table, the damsel, in a few beautifully chosen words, told the bachelor that she had so much admired him for his pluck and philanthropic endeavours in the late movement that, out of love and pity for his lonely life, she had come to offer him herself and her fortune, which was considerable. The offer was made with perfect modesty, and the bachelor, though surprised and a little put out, was sorely tempted to yield. He craved a week for consideration, and the end of which he decided to reifuse, and there the matter ended. The philanthropist, it is curious to note, died a lonely bachelor. Here is another story of how» a clever damsel helped her lover to an understanding. She happened to possess a very pretty little watch with an enamelled picture of a cottage on the back. One day the man took the watch in his hand, sand began to admire the picture, whereat the maid, looking afar off and blushing furiously, said : “ I wouldn’t object to love in a cottage like that

“With.whom?” said the lover. “ With you,” came the answer, spoken steadily. SSo lit was arranged.

Women take different ways of getting •over the stile. Sometimes their words are a little ambiguous, as were those of the Scotch girl who received her lover with the following doubtful welcome, which, happily, he understood in the complimentary sense :—“ Sit doon, ma dear, sit ye doon, an’ mak’ yersel at hame ; for I wish ye war !” „ Generally speaking, the way of the lady who proposes is not so straightforward. The following conversation illustrates her method better

He : “ How are you getting on with your cooking ?”

She : “Oh ! splendidly and she tells of the many things in which she is successful, and especially of her skill in making a cake. _ He : “ And what kind of cake do you like best ?”

The lady describes in glowing terms a wedding cake. He : “ Why, that’s a wedding cake.” She :“ I meant wedding and, as the teller of the story says, he had to admit that he, too, meant wedding. It often happens that the lady, although she docs uot actually propose, has to encourage the man up to the point of doing so. So it was with a young lady with whom a young officer sat out a dance, and bemoaned bis celibate condition.

“ It is easy to remedy that.” she said ; and already a step had been made towards doing so.

Still he professed not to see it, and went on :

“ I am not so sure of that. I don't know a girl who would marry me ” “Try,” she replied. The next step was rapid. “ Will you have me ?” “With pleasure.”—“ The Success.”