Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Marriage Proposal

Suppose you received this marriage proposal in the mail from a potential suitor:

"I can't advise you in my favour because I think it would be beastly for you, but think how nice it would be for me. I am restless; moody; misanthropic; lazy, and have no money except what I earn, and if I got ill you would starve. In fact it's a lousy proposition. On the other hand, I think I could do a Grant and reform; become quite strict about not getting drunk and I am pretty sure I should be faithful. Also there is always a fair chance that there will be another bigger economic crash, in which case if you had married a nobleman with a great house you might find yourself starving, while I am very clever and could probably earn a living of some sort somewhere."


Above all things, darling, don't fret at all. But just turn the matter over in your dear head."

First of all, you would have to give him credit for honesty. Let's throw into the mix that you are nineteen and he is over thirty.  Oh, he had previously been married and she had left him. It was reported that he wasn't very nice to her. He was severely depressed and tried to commit suicide by walking into the ocean, but then a jellyfish stung him thus changing his mind and he stormed back to shore.

Her name was Laura. That is her picture on the right.

Laura married him and they had six kids and they remained married the rest of his life.

His name was Evelyn (that's right, Evelyn) Waugh. You may know him as the author of the bestseller Brideshead Revisited which had been made into more than one movie.



He was born in London in 1903 and died in 1966. During his life he wrote Decline and Fall, Vile Bodies, A Handfull of Dust, Put Out More Flags, as well as Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder in 1945.

That is the conclusion of my entry. I just found the marriage proposal curious. And I find it just as curious that they did marry and stayed married. I just thought I would share this nugget of new found knowledge.

Perhaps I need to change my approach to writing love letters.




26 comments:

  1. "Perhaps I need to change my approach to writing love letters."

    You cracked me up!!!!!! Amazing they married and stayed married.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It appears she gave him points for honesty, funny how things you think will never work out does exactly the opposite.

    ReplyDelete
  3. As Houdini (apparently) used to say at the end of his performances: will wonders never cease!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I guess it also tells us something about the bride...Or maybe, it was just their mutual sense of humor. Either way, an amazing proposal...

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you are still writing love letters you get major points - no matter your approach!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I suppose she saw something in him that transcended the words. But you are correct, if I received a "love letter" like that I most probably would have run for the hills. Love works in very mysterious and strange ways. I think attraction is a thing of mystery...no science there. If there were then I guess everyone would be happily married forever. P.S. keep up with the love letters (if you do write them.) We women are suckers for those things!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are so right, about being amazed they married, & then stayed that way! On the other hand... I have a similar story, sadly.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Silly me, I would have thought he was just being self-deprecatingly funny and would have married him. Surely he couldn't be serious.
    Amazing story.

    ReplyDelete
  9. straight to the point, I would say. I supposed it did the trick..

    ReplyDelete
  10. He was a writer...famous..I suppose by then. It must have seemed quite glamorous to a young lady.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I guess I've been turning all the wrong guys away. Next time, I'll know better!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Talk about being swept off one's feet. This story is reminiscent of Virginia Woolf in reverse... how fascinating. One never knows what love means to someone else.

    ReplyDelete
  13. He was obvious quirky and creative and she was very open and adventurous. I love the story via the letter. I just recently watched Brideshead Revisited on TV late one night...clever in deed.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I reckon it was the jelly fish. Does strange things to people's brains. Especially sensitive artistic types.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There's more than one marriage been saved by a jellyfish to the crotch.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I had no idea! What an amazing story. Truly amazing. Because when you tell it, with the facts that people probably witnessed first hand and thought she was nuts...it's an even more compelling story.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm with Gigi, love letters are so much more interesting than gorcery lists. Are you reading bioggraphies this season :}

    ReplyDelete
  18. If I ever received a proposal like that, either I'd run for the hills or, God help me, I might actually elope with the fellow! Yikes!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow. Who knew that playing yourself *down* would work out so well?

    I found your wording interesting....that they stayed married for the rest of *his* life? I take it that he's passed? She looks pretty good for a lady that had six kids. I've only had half that and I don't think I've held up that well.

    She was probably charmed by his swirling handwriting...which wouldn't do anything for her today, 'cause it would be in an email with a default font.

    ReplyDelete
  20. A survey of women once found that, at the top of the list of things they like about a man... a sense of humor.

    ReplyDelete
  21. A "can't say I didn't warn you" proposal if ever there was one.

    Had to laugh at Arkansas Patti's comment that she would have married him.
    Patti...! We are not surprised! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  22. 10/10
    Caroline xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh she knew a good thing when she read him! Why aren't more men more honest?
    I would have married him in a heartbeat!
    XO
    WWW

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sounds like a good proposal to me.

    ReplyDelete
  25. She must have thought "Well, I'm not sure, but I think he just proposed!" LOL Indeed, love letters go a LONG way! :)

    ReplyDelete