The Proper (and safe) Way to Terminate a Victorian American Courtship

We've seen the financial, legal, and emotional costs of a courtship gone wrong and culminating in a suit for breach of promise. In Victorian America, where such a consequence was possible if not common enough (to scare a young swain or two), advice of how to break up an unhealthy courtship--or cancel a planned wedding--must have been given by mothers, fathers, society matrons, and "Dear Abby's" of the day. Indeed they did! This article includes quotes from 3 era-specific books published during the time period.