Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-11-10
, "only Bit Of Harmless FIirting.n
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

That was all-was it, eh? How very COM
placeutly you speak it, my good sir, with that
hall sneer curling your mustached lip, and
that most approved twirl of your stick, which
you learned with your Euclid last year.
And so it was ''ouly bit of harmless Airt
ing" Just by way of relaxation from your
health inluring studies, i suppose, when you sat
night after night iu the freshiue OF the pleas
ant little parlor, watching the bushes which
drifted over the sweet half-drOoping face by
your side Nothing moro than this, when You
riuged those soft, flowing curls round your
+! fingers, your arm -glided round the girlish
waist, and the little trembling hand which
was lifted with a deprecatory movement, was
caught and held half>unwiiling prisoner in
your stronger grasp? And then, (you re-
member it, what low, sweet words You used
to whisper In her ear, just before parting, rs
you stood together in the d;mly lighted hall,
and now full Of grace and respectful tOndness
was the manner in which you bent down your
lips to the fair and beautiful young forehead
Aud then (did you learn it by practising
at your mirror y what language there was
in your eyes, when the soft, dark ones of your
companion were sometimes lifted t6 your
own Ia language such as your lips could
never have spoken, for no words could rGcog-
nize the love, the devotion which seemed
telcgraphct straight from your heart to your
| glances
What charming moonlight rambles you
used to have, too. How the light arm that
lay on your own would tremble as YOU pressed
| it, and murmured sentimental scraps of poetry
which you had gathered from Bryant aud
Byron, Lon2fcllow aud Landonl And | am
not sure you did not at such times, for the
moment, forget that there was such word
as flirting in your vocabulary. There was
somewhat in the serene, searching glances of
those summer stars somewhat in the white,
solemn moonlight, which lay above and beneath
you, that in spite OF yourself, brought gale
of holier memories, tide Of higher and-nobler
emotions into your soul.
You havn't forgotten either those long
summer afternoon rides, with the great prayer
full arms of the trees crossed above you-nor
the twiights passed under the broad, viae-
wrapped portico, no. the Songs she sang you
while you stood by the piano and turned over
the leaves of her music, and solicited 'Oue,
just one more oil those exquisite little love
| lyrics of Moore's, saying with that glance OF
yours, and you know just the right time to
give it effect that the sweet words would
sound still sweetcr if they came to your ear
through the medium OF one voice"
You know she loved you; don't olGngate
! your features with that look of innocent sur
| prise or meek resignedness, just as though the
idea had never entered your Uranium, and the
thought never tickled your vanity before
You know, say that she loved you-that her
heart would quicken ut the sound of your foot
fall, and the blush that she could not conceal,
flash into her cheek at the tones of your voice.
You knew that during those long two years
you were drawing tighter and tighter around
the heart of your young and unsusPectiug
victim, the chains from which she could not
release herself without suffering, which might
be to her greater than that OF death. Don't
tell me your intentions were harmless, you
never proposed, never told her you loved her,
and all that sort of thing. You did tell her
you loved her, aye, thousand times you told
this, by tone aud deed, and look. just as
emphatically as though your lips had sworn it.
And then, how calmly, how courteously at
the last you said farewell to her, wishing her
that li!e>time of happiness which your work
had for ever blasted.
And now, sir, whatever be your social
position. how broad sOever be the lands Of
your fathers-how deep socver be the Golfers
of your gold, you have debascd yourself and
dishonored your manhood. Go forth into the
world, and let your carriage be as proud your
| air to women as cbivalric. your honor as uGtar
nished as ever, but remember that the stain
| is on your SOUL You have done almost the
! foulest wrong to another that man can do
You have stolen, basely, deliberately stolen,
the one priceless treasure of woman's heart
its affections.
You have robbed her or her trust in human
goodness and truth, and though if she be
true woman, she will summon enough of pride
! to her aid, to hide from the world that never
cicatrising heart wound, its pain will not be
the less terrible to be borne.
You have robbed another of the love and
| the confidence which should have been his,
for that heart will never learn the sweet song
of its youth again, and though the wife of
his bosom, she sits in the shadows of his
hearth-stone, still the fountain from which you
took the seal, will never yield its fresh sweet
waters as before.
And sir, for the words, "uARMLEss FLTRT-
ING" under which specious name you have
silenced the still small voice Of your COM
science, and behold with cool cOmplacency
and exultation, the ruin you have wrought,
write down deliberate heart breaking, and
remember that "for all these things, God will
bring you to judgment" @
WoRDs FOR Boys TO REMEMBER.-Lib-
erty is the right to do whatever you wish,
without interfering with the rights of others.
Save your money and you will find it one
of the most useful friends.
Neverg give trouble to your father or neither.
Take care of your pennies and they will
grow to dollars.
IEtemperance is the cause of nearly all he
trouble in this world beware Of strong drink.
The poorest boy, if he be industrious, honest
and saving, may reach the highest honor IN
the land.
Never be cruel to dumb animal remem-
ber it has no power to tell how much 1t suffers
p---;.-- o,cc At a dinner when