The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-06-01
Presents For Young Ladies.

There was good deal of wisdom in
the now obsolete notion that young Ia
dies should be chary in receiving gifts
from gentlemen who are friends only"
and that they should be still more chary
of making presents to gentlemen.
I heard young fellow say the other
day, out of the depths of his vexation
"I think I'll cut the girls entirely, if
they don't stop making me SO many
trifiing presents. You know they
always at it. A fellow can't be intro
duced to girl and make himself agree
able to her, but what, after seeing her
two or three times, comes the inevitable
fancy necktie, or smoking cap, or hand
kerchief with your initials embroidered
on it. All very nice and very good oi
them, I'm sure. But it gets to be bore
after time, because it places you under
so many obligations to SO many differ
ent girls. The young lady who en-
broidered you pair of slippers thinks
you an ungrateful wretch if you take
the young lady who worked you note
case cover out to drive, and the one that
worked the note-case cover thinks that
she is horribly treated if you ask the one
that embroidered the slippers to go to a
concert with you. And so you catch it
all around, and you have to be better
diplomatist than Bismarck if you can
manage this sort of thing and not get
into scrape or several scrapes.
whats fellow to do about it
That's what want to know. One dislikes
immenselyto be put under any obligation
in this way. But what man would
dare to refuse to take present of this
sort from young lady after she has ia
ken the trouble to make it for him Most
of us would rather they wouldn't do it !;
but, if they will do, how can you help
it,"
think hear Minnie, who wears her
hair a Ia Pompadour and Nettie, who
lets hers flow in crinkled masses of light
brown over her shoulders and Josie,
who is an angel in light blue; and Ella
of the rose-leaf complexion-all uniting
their somewhat high American voices in
a chorus of" Conceitedl What wretch
Just like those horrid men, you know
Don't let's ever give them anything
again. Never! Never! No, we will
notw
1t would be a great deal better if you
wouldn't, young ladies; or, at least, if
you'd wait till you are asked. But 1
know you don't mean to keep your word,
and you know it, too. Like a good
many of your sweet little promises,
made on the impulse of the moment, l
fear this particular one is made to be
broken.
You call these young men-who re-
ceive some delicate triHe from your fair
fingers and then swagger off to boast of
it and to mako mysterious illusions to
such and such q girl who is "sweet on
them -" conceited." But whose fault
is it that they are conceited? Nobody's
but yours and the way half dozen of
you will make idiots of yourselves about
one young man is wonder to see. You
nearly pull him to pieces in the contest.
How you angle for invitations to the
theatre How you give gentle hints as
to your wishes in this direction or that
direction And do you suppose he can
not see what is going on all the time
You put him up as premium among
and then you are surprised
and angry that he begins to value him
self accordingly. Conceited' Yes, of
course he is The wonder would be if
he wasn't; and it serves you Just right
for spelling him so. 1t is great pity
that you don't lavish some of this spon-
taneous petting on your own brothers
You can make your homes so attractive
to other girls brothers but the lights
are not turned on, and the new music
practiced and the becoming dresses dom
ned for your own! Else, perhaps, we
might have more home-loving set of
young men among us.
You say if young man don't want
what you propose to give him, let him
refuse it. 1 should like to see one of
them dare to do that. AS one young
gentleman remarked little while since
T" What man would dare to refuse to
take from a lady present that she has
been at the trouble to make him ? 1t
would be the blacklist ingratitude and the
greatest discourtesy.' And no man will
be found to pioneer the way. On the
contrary, they will continue to submit
to be hypocritical, to grumble and to
swell on the strength of these enforced
presents, and get called conceited for
20 doing"
Angelina gives Edwin an embroidered
and Edwin mutters ICON
founded BORE" behind his moustache,
remembering that he has plenty of pen
wipers kicking about at home-presents
rom other admiring young ladies. But
Edwin is as grateful as if his
iole hope of existence hung upon that
lew pen-wiper; and Angelina forthwith
begins to design a cigar case for some
'ther hopeful youth. And 1 know that
Angelina will be one of the first to ex-
,iaim "Cruel treacherous ungrate-
'ul !" Dear Angelina, there ought to be
/ magic echo which should reply to you,
Unmaidenly scheming ! calculatingw
For you know very well that you
commonly give in small measure that
you may receive in greater measure.
You want to put Edwin and Tom and
Dick and Harry under those very obli-
cations to you of which they so loudly
The cigar cases and worked
and cravat bows are so
many spells to bind men in your train
% many lures to get cavaliers for par
les and concerts. You understand we'll
nough the weight of the maxim, "One
rood turn deserves another; )" and that
'ou may have a good turn done you,
'ou take the initiative in the matter.
Indeed, you are altogether too fond of
aking the initiative; and in so doing
'ou cheaper yourself immensely. 1t is |
. popularity of woman nature to scorn
he fruit that is ready to fall into its
mouth, and to prize most that which it |
las to climb for. So with men in re-