The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-16

son,s!sre ..dearest friends" no. more, and find
that an exceedingly useful centre from which
to work onward and outward. For. II any
thing wilt do on which to hang q discourse, go
will any relationship or adoption serve the ends
Of flirting, II it be 30 wllled. -; II
But what is flirting? Is sitting away in cor
ners, talking in low voices, and looking per-
sonaly afronted il any unlucky outs der comes
within earshot, flirting? Not necessarily. It
is Just possible that Henry may be telling An
genna all about his adnirstlon for her sister
Grace, or Angelina may be confessing to henry
what Charley said to her last night, which
makes her PIE Ssr sm doing
vously. May be, II not likely. So that sitting
away in corners and whispering together is not
necessarily flirting, though it may look like it.
Is dancing all the "round" dances together
Tins goes for decided flirting in the code OF the
bah room. But il the two keep well together2
Il they are really fond Of dancing, as one OF the
fine arts combining science and enjoyment,
though outside the ''msrble halls" they might
be deadly Observation-Disclosures and Capulets,
with no echo of Romeo and Juliet to soften
their mutual dislike. So that not even dane
ing together oftener than is absolutely neces-
ssry ID unmistaksble evidence, any more than
sitting away in corners, seeing that equal skill
and keeping well ii step are reasons enou yh
for pen potual partnership, making all idea Ct
hirtation unnecessary. 1n fact, there is no
outward sign or symbol OF flirting which may
not be mistaken and turned round, because
flirting is 90 entirely in the intention, and not
ID the mere formula, that it becomes kind OF
phantasm, q proteus, imposs,b bic to seize or to
can say-that taking gifts and attentions, Of
fered with evident design and accepted with
tacit understanding, may be certainly held as
constituting an important element Of flirting.
But this is flirting on the woman's side. And
here You are being continually taken in. Your
flirt OF the cunniDgly simple kind who smlles
30 sweetly and seems 30 fatter1ngly glad TO
see you when you. come. who takes all youe
presents and acted expressions OF love with
the most bewitching gratitude and effusioD,
even she, 80 simple as she seems to be- sips
the thread and will not be, caught il she does
not wish TO be caught. At the decisive mo-
ment when you think you have secured her,
she makes bound and is away; then turns
round, looks you In the face. and with many
tear and pretty asseverasiou will declare she
never understood yon,to mean Fhat you say
cruel to dispel her dream OF o pleasant and
harmless friendship. and very wicked indeed
because you press her for Q decision. Yes, you
are cruel, because you have believed her hon.
est; cruel, because you did not see through the
vel of aattery aud insihcerity I'D Which she
COLQ6Q uoE b6tuSuHesb1 Cru0i, OCOuuoo oaV
was false. That is woman's logic when brought
to book, and forcedto confess that her pre-
tended love was only flirting, and that she led
you on to your destruction simply be ause it
pleaSed her vanity to make you her. victim.
Then there are airts Of the open and rolhcking
kind, who let you 80 Tar, very far indeed. when
suddenly they pull up and assume an offended
ar, as il you had wiItully trsnegressed known
and absolute boundaries girls and women
ouI, tosA nm o. m W.
ship, to knock you over when you have got just
far enough to lose your balsnce. That is tneir
form OF the art They like to see how far they
can make man forget himself, and how much
stronger their own delusive enticements. are
than prudence, experience, and common
sense. And there are htrts OF the artful and
''still waters kind, something like the male
f,rts spoken Of Just now; sentimental little
pusses.-perhaps pretty young wives with un-
comfortable huebands-whose grIefs have by
no me lns soured or scorched, ut just mellow
ed and refined them. Or they may be OF the
sisterly class, creatures 30 very franki 80 very
sisteriy and confding and unsuspcious o. evil,
them at all And there are firts Of the seien-
tific kind; women who have studied the art
thoroueh ehly, and with the grave attention due
TO an art; and who are adopts IN the use OF
every weapon known-using each according
10 circumstances and the nature Of the victim,
and using each with deadly precision. From
such may kind Providence deliver us IS
the tender mercies OF the wicked, so aye the
scientific Hirts-the women aud the men who
play at bowls with human hearts, for simply
the stakes Of whole life's happiness
1t used TO be an old schoolboy maxim that
no real gentleman could be refused by a
lady, because no gentleman could presume be-
yond bis line of encouragement. A tortiort,
no lady would or could give more encourage
% ,nt than she meant. What are we to say
then OF our 1irts II this maxim is truep Are
they really 'sno gentlemen" and mo ladies,
according to the famous formula of the
kitchen 2 Perhaps it would be esid so IL gen.
tlehood meant now, as it meant centuries ago.
the real worth and virtue OF humanity. For
flirting with intent is q cruel, false and q
hesrtless amusement; and time was when
cruelty and falsehood were essentially sins
that vitiated all claims to gentlehood. And
YET the. world would be very dull without that
innocent kind Of nonsense which often goes by
ths name Of firting-that pleasant something
which is more than mere acquaintanceship
and less than formal loverhood-that bright
and animated intercourse which makes the
hours pass 80 easily. yet which leaves no bitter
pang of self-reproach, III It indefinite and un-
by which the one man or the
cne woman becomes kind OF mIcrocosm for
the time, the epitome Of all that is pleasant
and Of all that Is lovely. The only caution to
be observed is, not to 20 too far.
Special 1lotifes.