THE MAN ENGAGED.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2038, 16 July 1875, Page 2

THE MAN ENGAGED.

:W vH-hy : the term without*^specification as tp :; tUo- f particular occupation Jn pursuit of which, the person spoken of is engaged in, should bo confined exclusively to those on matrimonial thoughts intent, is oue of those things for which we are unable to account.' We often speak of persons with whom we ouEseJves^ or, x>th]er]s, may^cjiaftce to bo acquainted;" asbeing engaged m'business, or trade, and make mention, when we speak, of the particular line of calling eajeft oiSie'Easichoseri^r himaelfjT|or Md thrust upon him by those whose duty it was to attend to his "bringing up." But when we talk of an individual of either^se3c;aS simplyj'^engageay' vfe ;in% mediately present to those'twHo J .hj|ar, iis the picture of one who has marriage in his or her mind's eye, definitely set off, aslikely to take place at a date more or less remote. ItosTwith the? "i'man 1 engaged: f tgatlwje; wish now to have to do, by which term we mean one, who has taken upon himself —whether with his eyes open ;|notj )^aMers]r not;tT:as ,ifar as the result is concerned—a course of action from which he cunnot deviate without loss of honour, and in this practical age of " breach of^tomise " actions, and unsympathising juries, what is, alas, of more moment to some, loss of money. The "man engaged" is one who, having fottn^|hat:^ efi|t\ beWeenhitaliildlthelobjlci; of Jris aftee'tions, has declared the same with more or less timidity, hesitation, and stammering, and obtained of one whom he, doubtless, calls:<!Msangel;^ or "hisidol;" Br's6fxie other epithet equally irue and new, the right to plajrKqmeo;to her.Jviliqfc, ? ,to> : walk with her, talk with' her, offer numerous attentions./pertaining: to the office of <v Cavalier"serviente" and" ■ exchange^/' meaning; glances/';tp ]the. .e ( x--; ; elusion bi others leas tavbured than himself. ,In fact.this f term of, engagement IS; n6£tb;:tne'maiiengaged always a period ■of blis3 ? ; he is by no means quite sure, of bringing his* prize to' land^We" speak after the manner of,Walton, but with'iaH:?due rre^peict~and^?fea*rs' amiclst his hopes lest the old-adage concerning "crips"''< and- A* lips ";? anil ", beih 1 his case verified; and even if all causes of.ltbe/sUp be carefully!; avoided* and oscillation in private bo unreservedly allowed, still the lady is—to^use f ; ,T^uU^so/ much more the master of the situation tlian the man, that he appears _ by the side of his fiance more witlJUhe air of one

"Walking with dejected features,..Close behind his victor's car," . r thin£ with? tH^aispefe^ of 5 ttfe "victor triumphant. He is, of. r eourse, when alone in the presence of his Jove, more bold than formerly jrv^an speak to her without stammering * and '"talk-. of other subjects ; than,.the ; or ; heat; in public, tooj'heiban aspire'tb the full-grown audacityiofs,the;ffprQyerbial '," sheep glances "in place of ttie lamb-like •looks he may hamhithertoventured on; but still his term of engagement partakes ;to a greater or lesS|'degree,7accprding ;to the fancy of his mistress, of the I character ~/fo£ ;■ t-and '!v-he ; is right in being unfeignedly glad when it is brought nt<3 a.;;cjqse^ioii;*the;^ame • principle that a dog may beg for a bone, ; blit: ihd must be;; e^ceeaingly trejbiced— ; however well he may look—when the i.preliminary;;|»eribi^<Jf;stttin[g^o.ii> his hind ! legs is made as short as possible. It is, i however^ (quite Sight; that all v sKould j undergo this period of probation, were it i only dbrill. 'theH >plea;. 'of i i the engaged lady should have^ her term \\6i 'Kfe *itfwhich • ten inake> merry and be iglad, before the irrevocable "l^will" be : pronounced, and she-wakes' to' the fact— i the. honeymoon being spent—that, ",-love ;iri!' apcofctage "-is nbl^ v a3 -perhaps" she .fancied, the promised land in possession; ;that the picture of the ideal child with its jgolden locks has.also a-mouth-iW^ich requires to be'fed, and /a face which reiquires.to.be washed, .besides other, duties : which in \N"ew; Zealand at leasts - force on the two-year-old- bride ; ; the character in parvb • of" a: Cinderella. Small blame then is .it to one who has ;promised to take upon herself matrimony with all its cares and anxieties, if she makes the most of .the period of her engagement to enjoy life to the uttermost; ;and if, in her notions of enjoyment, she 'bci; jsomewhat,; exigenatej in: herrbearingt -towards the " man engaged," she may Icertainlybe .allowed to plead extenuating circumstances. ' And so'the engagement goes on, ending, be.it,. v long or.sho.rt, as it jcommencedv withd day^of^Humiliation for the man engaged. The feelings of ;the would be wooer were probably hot jenyiable when x sere weds hisH courage; ;up to the point of proposing, and it is |hardly\Jikelyj that he jwould. Mve chosen jthe moment before th'ei lady's assent was igiven in which to be. photographed. Even llHercules at the feet Jof Omphale looks •decidedly ridiculous—but this is nothing 'as compared with the last scene, which fends his engagement and sends him forth i to the world yclept,*m conventional phrase a "benedict;" it is the lady's closing scene of triumph, the last hour of" danger and distressj'Sto.the bridegroc>rn; Welk ;mayjieiwish?-if ricti, that marriage might ibV performeil by * pfoxy^' To those assembled, of course, the bride in her • ♦'interesting attire is the one object of = attraction. ;ii!!Chis(is():as,it sliould be, and he cannot complain; but he certainly may feel ashamed and annoyed at the style of garments which custom requires for the occasion, to say : nothing of their being new, which, 'to many people, is a source of dis- ; comfort. It seems necessary that for a iman to b^m^r^^^er|aust7Wjßar>clothes ,of »o-gau&y-a''Btyle, tJina; icuti"- ythat the more he looks like a bridegroom, the less Iho looks like a gentleman. The break■jfast following, too, with its attendant | evils in the shape of returning thanks for |himseirand?'wife" (novel sound) is not ! calculated to bring out his qualities in a ! shining light, " and well may'he rejoice, 'and probably does, when the shower of white shoes'puts ah ,end to his single life, and draws the'eurtain"of the past over his .chg-i'apter 3S a "ouau engaged."