SHORT ENGAGEMENTS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 45, 30 March 1914, Page 4

SHORT ENGAGEMENTS.

The girl who becomes engaged after the new method is "really to be pitied. She has no time for romance, and eertainly misses a great deal of happiness of a kind that can never again enter into her experience. Short engagements are sanctioned now; indeed, they are preferred by most parents and brides-to-be, though they tend to rob the affianced pair—especially the girl—of a great deal of the romance and sentiment that accompanied the long engagements favoured in the past. The bride of this century is not hampered with a colossal faith in her future lord, such as possessed the timid maiden of a bygone age. A measure of common sense, mixed with sentiment, enables her to face the situation in a businesslike manner. But should we blame this practical trend in her nature? The bride-elect of this day, who gives never a thought to her future home prospects, but rushes off to get married, in ignorance of the monetary side of the contract, risks starting her matrimonial career in unfavourable circumstances, and should such in fact arise she is apt to receive little sympathy from the world at large for not making sure of things beforehand. One argument in favour of short engagements is that there is never any telling how being engaged is going to affect a girl. Generally it does not improve her in the companionable sense to the rest of the home-dwellers. If, as often happens, she becomes selfishly wrapped up in the joint affairs of herself and her sweetheart, the relatives come to feel that the sooner the event is fixed and over the better. What with furnishing and house hunting, not to mention trousseau buying, . little time is left the modern girl to enter dreamland in the few months of rush considered necessary to the present-day wedding.

For the bride of other times much of this was done. The new home and its burnishings were chosen by the bridegroom. This arrangement left the future wife time to make her own trous-

seau, also the household linen, her contribution to the ifew home. To the new fashion of expecting the bridegroom to stock the home with a supply of readymade linen is attributable a further diminution of sentiment's chances. "The bottom drawer" supply of treasures amassed by degrees for the beautification of the house represented long hours of needle and thread work, associated with , the happy occupation of building castles in the air. But the engaged girl of 1914 has not time to make her own lingerie, even if she possessed the inclination to display such industry, much less devote hours towards fashioning sets of drawn-thread work and hand embroideries; consequently romanee iB gradually fading out of her surroundings.

The bride-elect of other days really lived in a castle of dreams, and so steeped herself in joy that her happiness was reflected on. everyone who came under its influence; but the girl of to-day, living in a whirl of unhealthy excitement, has not time really to realise the situation, much less enjoy the position as it deserves to be enjoyed.

On this extension of time point girls should make a stand. And as old fashions are constantly being revived under | the heading of new ides,s, why not re- ! vive the old honqured custom of providing the linen, or at least some portion, and into it stitch a measure of content, to presently mingle most hapjpily with the atmosphere of . the new [home.