Oregon City courier., December 11, 1903, PART SECOND, Page 12, Image 12

OREGON C1TT COURIER;-' FRIDAY, -DECEMBER- 11 1 903,
BiBS TO MATBIMONY
FEAR KEEPS MANY MEN FROM THE
BLI83 OF WBDOED LIFE.
Borne Inatancee of a Lack of Suffi
cient Pluck to Take the Fateful
Trip to the Altar Various Reasons
That All Spell "Afraid."
"There is a grat deal of specula
tion," said a well known lawyer, "as
to why men are bo reluctant to marry,
but one reason never seems to occur to
"the speculators, and that Is that many
of them are afraid to. No, I am not
joking. It Is a sober and well con
sidered statement of fact, for which I
can adduce as many proofs as yon
want, that many men would almost as
soon think of patting a fierce bull on
the bead or facing the midnight bur
glar as taking a trip to the altar.
"I remember as a boy an amusing
specimen of this kind of man in Iowa.
He was a farmer and was as notorious
for his amorous entanglements as for
his ingenuity in getting out of them
when marriage began to loom near.
It was said he bad been engaged a
dozen times, and though he left all his
fiancees in the lurch he never found
any difficulty in getting a successor.
One day my father, who was his law
yer, asked him: 'Why don't you get
married, John? It isn't for want of
opportunities, you know, and it's quite
time you thought of settling down.'
" 'Well, sir,' John answered, 'it's this
way: You see, I like coortlng well
enough, but I can nlvver summon up
pluck to go any further. To tell you
the truth, I'm afeard of getting tied
for life to one of Vm.' '
"If you have heard many breach of
promise sults you will have observed
that this wholesome dread of matri
mony is the cause of a good proportion
of them, though all the defendant
have not the courage to say so.
"One client of mine had allowed mat
ters to proceed rlglit to the eve of the
wedding day, when he disappeared
mysteriously and was not discovered
for some months. The young lady
promptly sued him for damages for
breach, and at the hearing the reason
for bis conduct came out He admitted
that he was fond of the girl, but sun
dry exhibitions of her temper and Jeal
ousy which be bad witnessed bad so
scared blm that he simply hadn't the
courage to marry her. 'I meant to
marry her right enough,' he said, 'but
when it came to the point my courage
failed mo, and I thought it safer to
bolt
"In another case in which a widow 1
sued a widower for playing her false
the defendant put in a singular plea. It
Beems that the widow's family strongly
objected to the match, and as passive
opposition was useless to prevent it one
of the sons, a stalwart young fellow,
called on the middle aged wooer and
told him that if he persisted in his suit
he (the son) would give him such a
thrashing as would effectually cure
him of any further sentiment 'So
what could I do?' the defendant pathet-
Ically asked.
"The more one sees behind the scenes
the more one realizes that there is often
a great deal to be said for the man who
loves and runs away. One of my clients
n- few years ago found himself In an ,
awkward quandary. He bad engaged i
himself to three girls at different times
und, having canceled bis engagements
with two, was on tho eve of marrying
No. 3. No sooner was his intention
known than the two Jilted ladles threat
ened him with legal proceedings if he
porslsted in his proposed marriage, and
the favored lady in turn threatened a
Blmilur fate if he didn't
"Here was a dilemma, for whatever
he did would end unpleasantly. How
ever, like a prudent man, he decided to
run the siuuller risk. He pacified his
two former fiancees by canceling bis
engagement and prepared to face the
music of the third lady.
"Tho mother-in-law is often a fatal
disturber of love's youug dream. One
breach of prouilBc defendant declared
that be would willingly have murrled
the plaintiff only ho couldn't stand
her mother ut any price, and the pros
pect of having his married happiness
disturbed by her interference so Beared
him that bo decided It was more pru
ilent to break off the engagement, while
another frail lover actually stated in
court that he was afraid to marry the
plaintiff lest she should 'grow up like
her mother,' whose 'tongue and tem
per' hud shown him some of the less
desirable possibilities of married life.
"Oue man whom I defended last year
seems to have had a constitutional
dread of matrimony. He had been en
gaged to the plaintiff no less than nine
years. Four times the wedding day
had been fixed, and at many timet It
was adjourned by his wish. Finally
he cried off altogether, and in court he
declared that although he loved the
girl, he felt he could never screw up
the courage to marry her. When he
iv as asked the reason for his diffidence
he said that he had seen so much of
the unhappy side of married life and
the difference ' between wooing and
wedding that he didn't feel equal to
running the risk.
"These are but a few from scores of
similar cast which have come within
my own knowledge. One man feared
to face matrimony on account of bis
fiancee' extravagance, another quaint
ly coufeaeed a horror of hla wife's
I'ooklng and domestic gifts generally,
third defendant was afraid to wed
because a distant relative of his lady
love bad died In an asylum, and so on.
But, whatever the cause, you may take
my word for it that the men who are
downright afraid to take wives are le
gioa" Chicago Tribune.
Careful.
"Bridget, can I trust you with the
china?"
"Buro ye can, ma'am, Oi'll save
"I:
; pIece,"-Ltf6.
'sir 'john'soane's whim:
The Preotleal Joke Celebrated H
Played oa Posterity.
One of the most famous of postmor
tem Jokes was that perpetrated by the
donor of the celebrated Soane museum
of pictures and other valuable objets
d'art to England, the late Sir John
Soane, who died in 1837. In bis will
Sir John made provision for the open
ing of three sealed cupboards on cer
tain specified dates in the presence of
the trustees. In 1866, that is to say
almost thirty years after the death of
the testator, the first of the mysterious
receptacles was with much ceremony
and breaking of seals opened In the
presence of a committee of men, with
the then president of the Royal acad
emy, Sir F. Grant at their head. In
stead of a 'priceless treasure or some
evidence that would throw an entirely
new light upon some doubtful Incident
in political history the contents of the
cupboard proved to be worthless ac
counts, letters and stationery.
Twenty years pased by, and the in
terest that bad smoldered after the
disappointment of 1866 was again
fanned into flame at the prospect of
breaking the seals of the second cup
board, at which rite there were pres
ent among others Dr. Alfred Water
house, R. A., and Sir (then Dr.) B. W.
Richardson. Like the cupboard mention
ed In the well known nursery rhyme, Sir
John's second cabinet proved "bare"
of any sensation, the contents being
chiefly composed of letters relating to
certain long forgotten family quarrels
that bad not even the merit of being
interesting. If some of those author
ized to be present at the opening of
the third and last receptacle of mys
tery were dubious about the profit that
would accrue by letting the light of day
fall upon the contents thereof after
sixty years' darkness one at least, Sir
B. W. Richardson, looked forward
with unabated Interest to that day in
1896 when the last seal would be
broken and the mystery solved, but he,
alas, died Just two days before the
ceremony was performed, and the fact
that Sir John had played a practical
Joke upon posterity was duly confirm
ed by the presence of a collection of
perfectly worthless letters and papers.
MERRY MEALTIMES.
The Table No Place For Fault Find
ing;, Nagalns; and Strife.
Has it ever been your lot to sit at a
table with a group of young folks who
ate the meal in silence or, with a few
constrained remarks, looked askance at
the head of the family before ventur
ing on any remark? I have seen such
a .sight on more than one occasion.
Doctors have told us over and over
again of the beneficial results arising
from a meal eaten with a contented
frame of mind and with cheerful sur
roundings; but, sad to say, there are
many households where each meal is
a constant scene of bickering, nagging
and fault finding.
This is not only the case where there
are young children, who require a
reprimand occasionally for careless
ness, but I am speaking of those homes
where the girls and boys are well into
their teens. Wrong Is that parent, ei
ther father or mother, who chooses the
hour when all are assembled round
the table to mention some half forgot
ten grievance or to find some fault.
If any trivial thing bas been done
wrong or any duty omitted wait until
dinner or tea is over before you scold,
blame or reprimand. Let the food
which God gives us for the purpose of
nourishing and sustaining our bodies
have the opportunity of accomplishing
that end, which cannot be the case If
every mouthful is swallowed with ei
ther a Barcastlc word or an uncompli
mentary remark. More indigestion,
nervousness and other derangements
are caused by the too common fault of
uncomfortable mealtimes than many
people would suppose, and it is our
positive duty, which we should all try
to remember, to make those hours of
the day cheerful and agreeable to the
children and to set them an example
which you would be the first to notice
and approve in others. Scotsman.
So Nice and Sympathetic.
A gentleman whose one glass eye
has served him for years had the mis
fortune to drop it It smashed to
atoms. This happened when he was
far away in the country. He inquired
of a friend where was the nearest
place for him to go and get refitted.
"Why don't you call upon the girl
you were flirting with all last night?"
his friend inquired. "She has a first
class reputation for making eyes."
Punch.
Prarer of the Convert.
A sooth sea Islander at the close of
a religious meeting offered the follow
ing prayer: "O God, we are about t
f to our respective home. Let not
the words we have beard be like. the
fine clothes we wear soon to be taken
off and folded up In a box till another
Sabbath cornea around. Bather, let
thy truth be like the tattoo on oar
bodies-ineffaceable till dath.H-0rle-ton's
Mafasin..
, J The Ttsyfiiatm. '.
"Why do you wateh the thermometer
on the wall so closely f queried the in
valid. "Because," replied - the untrained
nurse, "the doctor said If the tempera
tore got any higher I waa to give yoo
another dose of quinine."
Bewildered.
"John Henry, I'll thrash you soundly
If I ever catch you telling another
story that lant true."
"And yet ma, I heard you say to the
minister that I had great Imagination.''
MSeveland FUiln Dealer.
A show of daring oft conceals great
cowardice Luca 3.
THIS
The. Kimball piano is one of the very best pianos on the market.
It is made right. It has good "stuff" in it. ' It has tone, character
and finish. This is a good picture of the elegant Kimball piano now
on exhibition in the office of the Oregon City Courier- It is worth -every
cent of Four Hundred Dollars. To some subscriber to
the Courier it will come as a free gift. Every subscriber who pays
his or her subscription to the Courier between now and noon of Jan
urary ist., 1904 has a chance on it. It is absolutely free. It will
not cost you a cent. Just think of it, The Oregon City Courier
one year and a 400.00 piano all for $i.So. How much more could
you ask and how much more could we give?
This is not the "House that Jack Built " but the pumpkin that
Lindsey raised. This pumpkin weighs 96 pounds. It is a beauty.
It is well developed in every part. How many fully developed seed
are contained within its shell. That is the question we are submit
ting to you for solution. To the subscriber whether man or woman,
qoy or girl, who makes the closest and best guess as to the number
of seed in the big pumpkin we will give the piano.
This is a Remarkable Pumpkin.
It Weighs Only 96 Pounds Yet Contains a $400.00 Piano.
For Whom? That's the Question. Why not for You?
A Subscription to the Courier will make this Possible.
Your Opportunity Has Arrived.
Mail us your check, or money order or cash for $1.50 and renew
your subscription or become one of our many new subscribers.
Send in your estimate on the coupon found below. We will send
you a receipt both for your subscription and your estimate. Don't
delay the matter. Now is your "pumpkin" opportunity.
JVo.. I........ 1903
To the Oregon City Courier:
Enclosed herewith find $. to be credited
on my sulscriptiov io the Courier. Mg estimate on the
number of seed in the Courier Prise Pumpkin w
mm
a
Xame
Address
The Early Bird Gets
IS IT.
.......
the WormBe in Time
OREGON CITY COURIER,
Oregon City, Ore.
ASKING QUESTIONS.
The Art ef Interrogation Should B
Devoid of Impertlnenoe.
"Do not ask questions" is the worst
piece of social advice which age can
give to youth. A man who never aslu
questions is the dullest fellow in . the r
world. He had better ask too many
than too few. We can defend ourselves
against curiosity, but no armor avails
against Indifference. We must resign
ourselves to be bored to death.
What is the secret of the art of in
terrogation? Putting aside quick sym- ;
pathles, which He at the root of every '
social art, we believe the most essen- j
tial quality for those who would excel
In It is directness. The art of asking ;
questions so as to learn, Instruct, please
and Influence is not the art of beating j
about the bush. The questions which
offend and silence are the questions
which suggest some ulterior motive. It j
is a found out scheme which makes .
men angry. Anything of the nature !
of a trap keeps us on our guard. If
we once fall Into one we resolve it
shall be tho last time. Suspicion kills
confidence. Interrogative hints are ut
terly useless. The average man does
not dislike to be questioned. He hates
to be startled, crossed, interfered with,
reproached, wearied or betrayed. He :
hates the Questions which are not ask
ed with a Simple intention.
There are questions which are asked j
not because the asker wants to know,
but because he intends to tell. Others,
while ostensibly directed to find out a
man's opinion, are really Intended to
reflect upon his character. Some men
Inquire a to their neighbors' projects
in order to put difficulties in their Way.
Strings of meaningless questions are
poured out by those who desire to pre
tend an interest in some subject which
they neither know nor care anything
about I
We believe the conclusion of the mat
ter to be this: The art of interrogation
Is a serious branch of the social urtY
Well asked questions are of the essence
of agreeable .intercourse, but the in
terrogative mood will not justify an
impertinence, an interference, a verbal
assault--nor, for the matter of that, a
bore. London Spectator.
ODD NOTIONS OF WOMEN.
Bosa Bonheur treasured a small lead
image Of St. Anthony of Fadua as a
lucky charm.
Caroline Herschel firmly believed that
If she met a cross eyed beggar in the
morning it presaged the discovery of a
new star that night
George Eliot was a slave to the in
fluence of the hunchback and club
footed man and did no literary work
upon the day when she saw one.
Lady Mlllais, the wife of the great
painter, was convinced that the crack
of doom would sound for any one who
stepped on a crack in the sidewalk.
Harriet Beecher Stowe bellved that it
was bad luck to throw away a tooth
brush which had outlived its useful
ness and, to the anguish of her house
hold, preserved evfery one that she had
ever used.
Queen Victoria cherished a number
of superstitions, and, among them, she
believed that the removal of her wed
ding ring would surely briDg calamity
and that a pet Manx cat would bring
good luck to the royal household. Ev
erywhere. 1 '
I Didn't Care to Be Presented.
I The wife of a well known naval offi
cer tells an amusing story of some of
her experiences in Washington society.
; On one occasion when she Was asked to
: receive at an army and navy german a
congressman entered with a lady lean
ing upon each arm. One of the floor
committee at once approached him,
with the polite request that he give his
name in order that he might be pre
sented to Mrs. Blank, who received the
guests of the evening.
"No, thank you," was the nonchalant
reply. "I don't care to be introduced.
I have two ladles now to take care of,
and that is about as much as I can
manage."
Grace In Old Foreita.
Seme trees are more graceful than
others. The elm and oak are noted for
their perfect and graceful form. All
their branches appear to be perpetually
moving, stirred by every wind that
blows, and the same may be said of
the pine. The graceful movements of
Its limbs, the sighing sounds of its
stems and evergreen needles, send forth
a solemn symphony. Everything con
tributes serene grace and simplicity to
old forests.
Behind Her Back.
"She's very studious," said one wom
an. Tea," answered the other.
"And doesn't seem to care for gos
siping In the least" :
. "Oh, I dont know about that," an
swered the other with a smile; "she
merely prefers to talk about Helen of
Trey and Borneo and Juliet to paying
attention to what Is going on in her
twn neighborhood." Washington Star.
t , -r - A re alarm. - f
' When a young man talks about the '
twtness o "our Asm" In a pitch of .
Voice that can be heard from one end
it a street ear to the other it is a sure
tgn tfcat his wages have been raised
to 6 a week.
The Prime Winner.
' Kaggsby How did the contest In op
timism result last night?
' Waggsby Gaggster won the prize by
laughing most heartily at one of his
own Jokes. Baltimore American.
Versatile.
Hobson How Is your brother doing
at college?
Dobson Fine. He's singing first
tenor and playing second base. Indi
anapolis Journal. .
ORIENTAL LANTERNS.
Bow Ther Are Made and Tsea r
Which Ther Are Pat.
The lantern of the east is as old as
civilization. Its primary object is to
protect the flame from sudden draffs.
Beyond this is the concentration of
light for the convenience of a reader'
and, last and least the regard for beau
ty. The oldest form is a perforated
cylinder or' rectangular box. , Of tele
type there are numberless varieties, old
and new. The ancient ones which have'
been preserved are of iron, copper and
brass, nearly all simple in construction,
and finish, but a few richly decorated..
Occasionally one runs across lantern
made of silver or Ivory. These come
from palaces or temples and in most
Instances are richly carved. Not in
frequently the perforations are fitted
with pieces of colored glass, rock crys
tal, amethyst and garnet
In China and Japan the traveler's or
street lantern Is a feature. This is a.
sphere or ellipsoid' ranging from six
inches to two and even three feet in
diameter, made of oiled paper, cloth' or
silk. In Cathay this lantern is used to
show the rank of its owner by the col
oring or inscriptions on its exterior.
The humble citizen uses a small affair
In white or red, the official of low rank,
a sphere a foot in diameter hanging in.
front of his sedan chair, while the high,
mandarin employs a huge lantern, re
splendent with his titles In colors, car
ried by an ablebodied cooly who walk
a yard in advance.
It is in. bouse lanterns that the great
est variety Is found. Of these the gen
eral type Is a four, five, six, seven,,
eight or ten sided box, whose length is
usually twice its width. Each side is
a pane of glass, plain, ground, frosted,
or decorated. From the angles bang
pendants of many sorts. The frame
work is usually of teak, but ebony,,
rosewood, mahogany and other woods
are employed. Often the sides of the
lanterns are. alternately wood and
glass, the latter being covered with,
ground designs and the former richly
carved in relief or Inset with ivory,
mother-of-pearl or silver.
Upon the pendants the artificers put
their hardest work. Some are made of
colored beads, strung and massed with.
fantastic shapes and knots. Others
are strings of little bells, which ring
with every passing breeze. Lines of
glittering tinted glass balls betray the
origin of a favorite mode of decorating
Christmas trees. Quaint objects in.
gaudy enamel or colored porcelain, con
nected by threads, chains or wires, con
stitute a fourth and very pleasing
group. Floral festoons made of arti
ficial flowers are popular, especially
With the fair sex. New York Post
ANCIENT CITIES.
.
Jerusalem in the days of Solomon'
probably did not contain 20,000 people.
Constantinople at the time of its
greatest Bplendor as capital of the east
ern empire had a population of about
1,500,000.
Babylon, whose name has come to be
synonymous with dense population,
never had over 1,200,000 Inhabitants la
Its palmiest days, so the archaeologists
declare.
Athens, when she led the Greek
states in repelling the Invasion of
Xerxes, had only 30,000 Inhabitants,
but Herodotus speaks of this number
as if it was something to boast of.
Borne, the mistress of the world, the
great city tp which all roads led, "Rome
the Eternal," did not exceed 2,000,000
in population. Gibbon, indeed, believes
that it had only 1,200,000, and in thla
estimate he and Mllman agree.
A Unique Command.
At Boulogne, during a royal recep
tion, a number of English ladles Ins
their anxiety to see everything pressed
with such force against the soldier
who were keeping the line that the lat
ter were forced to give way and gen
erally were to use the expression of
policemen "hindered In the execution
of their duty." The ofl&cer in com
mand, observing the state of affairs,
called put:
"One roll of the drum if they don't
stand back kiss them all."
After the first sound of the drum
the ladles took to flight
"If they had been French," said a
Parisian Journal, "they would have
remained to a woman," Illustrated
Bits.
Policeman's Caution Wasted.
Just now the companions of a recent
recruit to the police force are poking
fun at him because of a remark he
made a few nights ago when he found.
It necessary to arrest a very old offend
er. Arrived at the police station, he
ushered the culprit in with the injunc
tion to "mind the steps."
"Clang with your said the prisoner
scornfully. "I knowed these steps
afore you was boruf'-New York Press.
Harmanr Waa la Daaa-er.
"I have here," began the chairman of
the political caacua, "some charge
against this organisation which"
- His voice -was overwhelmed by tht
rumble of rising Indignation. When
the noise subsided he continued:
"which I will refer to the treasurer.
They're for hall rent and light" " .
And harmony continued to relftv
Baltimore American.
Hla Mark In the World.
"I reckon Josh '11 make his mark in
the world one of these days," said the
fcnd mother. '
"Mebbe he will," answered Fanner
Corntossel, "but I can't help wishln' I
could git him ro take hold of a hoe an'
put a few dints Into it by way of prac
tice." Washington Star.
He is richest who is content with te
least for content Is the wealth of na
tore, Socrates.