Saturday, February 1], 1939
THE M I C H I G A N DAILY
Page Fifteen
Saturay, Fbruar 11, 939 TE MiCIGANcAILY ew,,"Fcfha
4
Love Letters Were Really Hotsy-Totsy
Bilets Doux Of
Mauve DecadeI
a To Have
Mash Notes Of Grandpop's Day
Ran According To Forn Book;
Illiterates Were The Lucky Ones
The art of writing love letters is one
which modern methods of communica-
tion have relegated to the dead past. Af-
ter reading a few sample form love let-
ters from the etiquette books of the
nineties, one can only observe in this
connection, "Thank God."
In our grandfather's day, however, the
penning of billets-doux was undoubted-
ly ,the stuff. .It was scarcely possible,
apparently, to get married -without
knowing how to read and write. Con-
sideringthe form and content of these
notes, the illiterates seem to have had
all the best of it.
Ain't Love Formal
The following .is entitled "A .Formal
Declaration of Love." It is the sort of
thing a gentleman wrote to a lady
when things reached the ripe stage.
"My dear Miss Mary:
"You may think it a presumption in
me to aodress you this letter, but I feel
that the time has come when my future
happiness-and, I trust, your own-de-
pends upon adfrank and honest declara-
tion of my feelings towards you.
"I have long cherished for you a deep
and faithful love, and have only re-
frained from -telling you so in words
that you might have time to see it in my
conduct towards you, and so be en-
abled to examine your own heart, and
judge whether you could return uthat
love. I have not tried to conceal .my
feelings. You beauty, your sweetness of
disposition, your strong good sense, and
the many amiable qualities that endear
you to your friends, have made you dear-
er to me than to any or all of them.
"I ask you to be my wife, and I assure
you that should you consent to confer
such a happiness upon me, the best ef-
forts of my life shall be devoted to your
happiness and comfort. I am not, as
you know, a man of wealth, but .my
means enable me to marry, and though
I cannot promise you the luxury that
a wealthier man could bestow upon
you, I can promise a faithful and en-
during love, and a home in which your
comfort. will be my chief aim.
"Will you not consent to make me the
happiest of men by letting me know that
my hopes are not vain, and by promis-
ing to be at some future, and I hope not
distant, time my wife?
"I remain, dear Miss Mary,
"Yours most sincerely,
"William Richardson."
It seems superfluous for the etiquette
book to include both a favorable and un-
ftf
'41 1
4, I
Kk
3 a,46
"AdI tl 5yT Hl it 9, i"
cline the honour you would confer upon
me, and refuse the offer you make me.
"I have' the highest respect for you,
and I assure you this refusal costs me a
great deal of pain. For your sake, I
wish it could be otherwise; but as it
cannot, it is but right that I should tell
you so frankly. Let me hope that you
will yet find some woman, worthy of
you, who will make you the good wife
you deserve.
"Mary Blaine."
It will readily be perceived that the
(Continued on Page 16)
J-HOP _
MAKE DRAKE'S
YOUR "SNACK"
HEADQUARTERS
FOR THIS ,J-HOP
WEEK END-
SANDWICH SJIOP
709 N. University
favorable answer to this sort of drivel
in its reply form, but it does. The fa-
vorable answer runs as follows, and
could only have been written, in all
likelihood, by the sort of girl that such
a lad as Mr. Richardson deserved to get.
"My dear Mr. Richardson:
"Your letter of yesterday was not a
surprise to me, and I will frankly say
that it gave me great happiness. I will
say to you as frankly as you have told
your love for me, that I return your
sentiments, and will strive to be to you
all that you can wish .me. I shall be
glad to see you this evening.
"Yours,
"Mary."
The unfavorable reply sounds much
more natural. At the same time, it is
undoubtedly a masterpiece of restraint:
"Sir:
"Your note of yesterday has been re-
ceived. While thanking you sincerely
for your flattering estimate of me, and
for the great honor you have done me
in asking me to be your wife, candour
compels me to say that as I do not cher-
ish for you the _feelings a wife should
bear towards her husband, I must de-
sir______--- -- :__ Il
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