The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-01-19

prOyed.-N elc J. ORR w ora. t4t{eHGtl
The FLIRTATIoNs OF, MARRIED La
DIEs.-Ssic, the viyacious local gossip
of the Chicago Tribune, reads the fol-
lowing lecture to her married sister -
One other topic want to touch upon:
1t is the Irritation of married women.
1t sounds bad, doesn't it ? And wish
it were confined to SO low strata Of
society that you andI erneed touch
upon it. But this is not so. Women
who are wealthy, refined and, educated
with good homes and attentive hus-
bands, are continually talked about in
conaectionswith some filtration which,
if not scandalous, is criminally inn
prudent. A few evenings since, a
gentleman of this city went to lee
ture accompanied by his wife and two
lady friends-all moving in the high
est social circles. While waiting on
the street corner for a car, the two
ladies entered into a conversation with
q couble of gentlemen, who followed
them into the car, and were only pre-
vented from speaking to them by the
presence of their gentleman attendant.
When he demonstrated with them for
carrying on light, trivial eonversa-
ton with strangers in that way, they
answered that they enjoyed tit
was such fun. There are hundreds of
women in this city to-day-not young
and thoughtless women either--Who
are idly participating in '.such fun, .
receiving and encouraging the atten-
tions of men who, like themselves,
are bound by the most solemn vows
to others, and who are no less eiim-
inal than the ladies in their. weak II
not wicked intentions. Is it an infat-
-uation !? Is it natural moral deprevity,
lack of those good principals which
once firmly established by persistent
/ Christian teaching, can never be shak-
en-, that women part SO lightly with
their good names and run the guant-
let of foul suspicion? Wives, too
mothers, who seem to forget that 1H'
"a wife suspected is wife tlisgraced. ~ ii
lat least in the eyes. of those to whom
1Nshe can never affirm her innocence,
/ 1t is not love! That is too honest tc
deal in Irritation or invite scandal. Il
is selfishness. 1t is selfishness, van.
ity, or love of admiration-a species
/ of gambling in which character is a.
stake. Men wrapped up in the cares
OF business leave their wives alone il
i the fashionable boarding houses Will
nothing to employ their time or oceu
pv their thoughts except othe routine
+ of fashionable dressing, dining, ani
visiting, which, without some higher
Influence, goes further than an ythins
lelse to demoralized women. Othe
men tell her she is pretty: waylaI
her on the street corners; meet her a
The matinees f; take her to the opera
4 and sipiwine with her in Fashionable
restaurants. They are only pleased
with her, but she soon fearns to max
lit the grand passion of her life. Wo
!. men willnot warn her, or, if they dc
4 it is in such a way as only acceier
ate matters. When men begin to tall
about her, heaven help her! AM
the man for who she braves scorn an,
dishonor is the first to turn his bacl
and walksaway on the other side
And some, fair women will read this
! and lay it down carelessly, with th
remark, "How true"; but she vii
never think of making the application
or imagining it could mean her.