I remain, dear Miss Searles,
Yours devotedly,
E.C. NICKS.
Miss E. Searles,
Waterford, Maine.
16.—Proposing Marriage.
Wednesday, October 20th, 1894
Dearest Etta:
The delightful hours I have passed in your society have left an impression on my mind that is altogether indelible, and cannot be effaced even by time itself. The frequent opportunities I have possessed, of observing the thousand acts of amiability and kindness which mark the daily tenor of your life, have ripened my feelings of affectionate regard into a passion at once ardent and sincere until I have at length associated my hopes of future happiness with the idea of you as a life partner, in them. Believe me, dearest Etta, this is no puerile fancy, but the matured results of a long and warmly cherished admiration of your many charms of person and mind. It is love—pure devoted love, and I feel confident that your knowledge of my character will lead you to ascribe my motives to their true source.
May I then implore you to consult your own heart, and should this avowal of my fervent and honorable passion for you be crowned with your acceptance and approval, to grant me permission to refer the matter to your parents. Anxiously awaiting your answer,
I am, dearest Etta,
Your sincere and faithful lover,
GEO. COURTRIGHT.