New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-10-10

Do LADIES LIKE FLATTERY' The Southern
Ladies' Companion answers the question very
sensibly, in the following article:
1t is said that women love Aattery. They
may like to be praised for good qualities which
they think belong to them; but if they do not
think themselves entitled to the praise given, or
do not believe that he who bestows it thinks So
when it becomes fattery-it will hardly be
found acceptable. And as weak men resort SO
much to this means Of seeking favor with the
fair, sensible women receive such offerings with
great distrust, especially from one who is known
to be is the habit of bsstowing praise lavish.
ly, Indeed, ladies would consult their interest
and happiness generally by misunderstanding
everything that wears the appearance of Aatte-
ry. If man truly admires a lady, he can
find better, and to sensible ladies more accepta-
BILE means of proving his admiration, than by
stereotyped adulation and overwrought GU
logy, from which true female sensibility must
shrink. A wise man has said that as the SLAM
derer is the most poisonous of wild beasts, SO
the fatterer is the most dangerous of tame ones
Aut if lady be bitten by any of the class of
gross hatterers that abound at this day, she is
hardly entitled to commiseration This sort of
serpent sounds his rattles before he strikes, and
when the alarm is heard, though it may charm
the silly, the woman of good sense will guard
against the poisoned fang which she suspects to
be concealed in the grass If we wished to in
stance specimen Of delicate fattery, we should
quote the letter of Steele to>~his wife: "You
tell me you want little fattery from me. /
assure you know of no one who deserves SO
much commentator as yourself, and to whom
saying the best things would be so little like
fattery. The thing speaks ITSELF considering
you as very handsome woman, that love re-
tirement-one who does not want wit, and vet
is exceedingly sincere; and so I could 90
through all the vices that attend the good ullal-
tiles OF other people, of which you are exempt.
But, indeed, though you have every perfection
you have one extravagant fault, which almost
illustrates the good in you to me, and that is
that you do not love to dress, to appear, t.
shine out" etc. Here Steele not only assume
that no good thing he could say Of his wifi
| would be dattery, but he affects to blame he
| for the virtue Of despising display But evel
| the praising of q wife or husband, and especial
| ly before others, is attended with danger ant
especially does it subject the parties to suspi
clon OF attempting. by fair outward show, t,
cover up-a private state of affairs not the mos
pleasant. 1t is encouraging to a wife to know
she has her husbands appreciation in her en-.
deavors TO do her duty-and so pice versa-bui
for the parties to be ever ministering to each
others vanity, by tiattery or constant praise,
Is a weakness, is in bad taste, and can do no
good. Weak husbands frequently praise the
beauty and wit Of their wives in their presence,
to strangers virtually that there is
so little OF those qualities as not to be discerna-
BILE to others, without being informed of their
existence. This, to a wife Of good sense, wheth-
er merited or not, is matter of humiliation ra-
ther than pride.