American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-01-16
For the American Republican,.
Hratcn for the Social Circle.
ON THE HABIT OF TEASING.
BY ESTHER wETuERALD,


each other about their beaux and sweethearts,
as they are frequently termed Gin other words,
about their friends and acquaintance of the OPP
posite sex, and so many appear to consider it
so harmless way of passing the time, that
am afraid shall be considered little better than
a croaker, if | address few lines on the sub
iect to my friends of the Social Circle. And
vet am sure there is not one of them, but will,
upon mature consideration, agree that it is a
practice productive of much more harm than
good. | am not afraid to use still stronger
pressons; tits indicate, foolish, and even wick
ed But must not be misunderstood. | know
that mary persons who indulge in this habit
mean no harm they are at a loss for moro ra-
tional conversation; their minds are unfurnsh-
ed; they have nothing to say, yet will not be
silent. If they discover afterwards that harm
was done, they can only plead the excuse we
all SO frequently heard from the lips of children,
awe did not 60 to do it,"
TO such persons | would recommend a iu-
dicious course of reading. | would counsel
them to study our best authors; they would
then soon consider the kind of talk in which
they had hitherto INDUCED as "iat, stale, and
improbable" and would, before long, help TO
give higher tone to the conversation around
them. Perhaps may be deemed severe, but
have not gone beyond the truth.
young girl s1ffilsed with the flush of innocent
shame, as she listened unwilingly TO the ban
tering of one of these inveterate teasers. What
painful embarrassment has suddenly taken the
place of the happy artlessness of manner we
50 much admired. She can no longer reply as
she ought to the brilliant conversation of the
young gentleman about whom she has been
leased. She feels as if every eye was upon
them; as ifevery ear was bent to listen to their
voices; and when, after time, the gentleman
concludes from her constraint and embarrass-
ment, that his presence is unwecome, or that
he had been greatly mistaken in the estimate he
had formed of her understanding, and rises up
in search of some more agreeable, or rather,
more selfpossessed companion, can we not
readily mag inc what her feelings must be. All
pleasure is over for the evening, perhaps for
much longer time. She is conscious that she
has acted like simplcton, and is ready to weep
with shame and vexation She determines to
act differently on the next occasion, but such
another may not present itself The gentle
man may have been leased in the meantime
and may have resolved to keep at respectful
distance or if he does venture to approach,
her embarrassment may return, heightened by
the secret consciousness, injudciously awaken
ed, OF @ desire to appear to advantage in his
presence. In case lake this real injury may
have been inflicted or the young gill, which
may even interfere wiz her matrimonial pros
poets.
But we will not stop here. Many persons
who could enjoy each Gther's society as friends
and acquaintance, are prevented from doing so
by the silly reports whie!, are Immediately put
in circulation if they are seen together once or
twice, in company, or cut of company.
Females then, should be especially careful
to dscountanance this absurd practice, which
e IA, -.
vantage to themselves.
Is there one amongst uss7ho cannot remem-
Der to have seen some old bachelor of sixty,
who was foolish enough to imagine that every
woman he encountered must of necessity fall
in love with him2-and that be had only to Of
fer himself to the prettiest girl he knew, to be
Immediately and thankfully accepted? Who
was to blame fer all this? Net the poor man
himself SO much as those who had amused
themselves bysPerting with his creduty, and
persuading him that every time he went into
company he made new conquest.
This perncious habit grows BY indulgence.
| have heard OF persons who had become so
unprincpled, that no one was sacred from
their attacks. One or two of these undertook
to persuade an afflicted deaf and dumb woman
that man who visited the family IN which
she resided was in love with her. They did
this in order that they might be amused by
witnessing her foolish behaviour. So successful
were they, that when the woman found out it
was all a mistake, she nearly died from dsap-
pointmcnt, and for many months was some
what deranged in consequence.
The misunderstanding and disappointments
Ito say nothing of tragical occurrences) which
have been brought about by persons who in
dulge themselves in this perncious habit, would
fill volumes. | cannot, in one short paper,
touch upon many, will therefore confine my
eelf to one.
Alice B was a beautiful orphan, who
resided with an uncle and aunt in the city of
P. She was poor, but her kind relatives
were wealthy, and as they had only one child
"A son, they received her at the early age of
'c7 wears into their family, and bestowed upon