The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-01-07
LIADIEs COLUMN.
FIirts.L

rlIfGIud H0rS6Il 10 dHply repair 1OT
her trouble, by the reception which
greets her as she entersAa ball room,
the scene of so many bloodless battles.
All eyes are turned upon her, and in
them she encounters but two express
sions, hatred and admiration, both
flattering, the. former especially, for a
woman must be fascinating indeed to
draw upon herself such marked dis
appreciation from the gentler sex.
Upon the latter Flirtina looks indul-
gently enough, though she is too well
seasoned to be conspicuensly elated by
it. Her mood of action in securing
converts is very simple. Her favorite
weapon is fiattery, and it is rarely
found to failwhen welded by her dis
eliminating lips. The vain and frivo-
lous she meets upon their own
ground, and trusts mainly to her
beauty and agreeable manners. To
the Indifferent she shows herself gentle
and re- assuring, while to men of an
arrogant disposition, she affects the
most enchanting humility. Of course
great tact is needed in dealing with
different natures, so as to offend
none; but tact is faculty in which
all fiirts excel. Still, accidents oc-
cur in the best regulated families. and
even under the happiest rule, and the
subject sometimes runs contrary to
the wishes of their sovereign. Also the
affairs of the most discreet flirts get
into confusion, and men who under
peculiarly aggravating circumstances,
have been DONE" have, instead of
submitting quietly to the inevitable,
taken leave to revenge themselves in
most disagreeable way. Some of
these infatuated creatures have even
taken the extreme method of blowing
out their own brains, leaving on rec
ord their reasons for so doing
in language the reverse of fat
tering to Flirtina. Clara We're
de We're is not the only lady
who has a dark memory of the past
sin on her conscience which effectually
tempers the moderation of her tri-
umphs. Flirts, indeed, enjoy an al
most universal reprobation among
their own sex! In these latter days
especially, when marrying men are so
few, and the best efforts of female
competitors for honors matrimonial
result often in defeat and discomfort
ure, we cannot wonder at the enmity
of the dowagers with unmarried
daughters. 1t must be aggravating
for them to watch the insolence with
which a thoroughbred fiirt monopo-
Lies the attention of the best men in
her set. Old maids, too, long past the
wall-fGwer stage, with its latent jeal-
ousies and entire dreariness, find
pleasure in abusing them, possibly
not without reason, for looking back
at their own remance-which people
tell US no woman can escape-they
think Indignantly what a differ
eDt ending it might have had but
for the counter destinations of an
inscriptions Airt. Nor do firts
receive any mercy, even at the
hands of the young and fair. The
crime which human nature finds hard
est to palliate is successful rivalry.
But, when a rival is not only success
full, but carelessly disdainful of the
victory which was far above the abil-
ity of the other, forgiveness seems out
of the question, and hate is borne, de-
corous or with fierce intensity, ac-
cording to temperament. With men
it is much the same. They enter the
list eagerly enough, happy at first to
receive but smile of recognition
from the reigning beauty. To those
to whom the Fates grant subsequently
the bliss of finding especial favor in
her eyes ensuesa period of infatuation
more or less prolonged, from which
the awakening is bitter, to judge from
the rancarous sentiments expressed in
the numerous "Odes on the incon
stancy of woman"