Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-07

OF herself
eli Perkins," in the New York Com
ntercidt Adoertiser, Celebrates his ideas of
flirting after the following fashion:
The following letter, full of-suggestions,
| comes written in patrician hand. The
writing is graceful, swOoping, and dashy.
1t tells the story so truly, and teaches
moral so keenly, that cannot resist giving
it to the Commercial.
Miss Mollie Brown, of Forty-sixth street,
writes:
DEAR Mr.. PERKINS: wish to ask your
sympathy and advice on a subject that has
long been weighing on my mind, ap1 that
is flirting. - = p, -
You see have got the name of being
that despicable thing-a hirt-simply be-
cause look after my own interests. Par
example: am pretty-eYery one says so
and have many admirers. Wei, so soon
as young gentleman whom like pretty
well calls on me two or three times, am
brought up for examination before my pa
ternal.
"WhO is he?" my relative sternly inquiries.
'Mr. Smith, papa" meekly respond,
telling in ten words all know about the
man. -.
"Where does he live? What's his fathers
name? What's his business? How much
does he make year? What are his hab-
its?" follow each other in quick succession,
and, not being able to answer, l steadily
set to work to discover these important
facts, my father never thinking of doing for
me. -..-
Well, in two months, by continual pump
ing Il discover his place Of abode-quite
stylish! ----.-..-.
Inthree months discover his fathers
name-John.
In four, his business-sman broker in
Wall street.
In i've, incOme-uncertain
In six, habits-ditto y
Now, what is left for me TO do? have
wasted three months finding out that it
would be very foolish for me to marry
Smith. can't help it, tried hard, but in
big city like this, it is hard to find out
about any body, sol can do nothing but
give the case of Smith up, and try again.
Or course I've treated Mr.. Smith kindly,
because he looked like a solid fellow, and
didn't like to lose good opportunity.
Now, it happens, having tried to look
out fol myself in this way some dozen
times or so, I have drawn down
upon my devoted head the oppro.
biOus eplthet of-firt-and as a natu-
raj consequence, all your 'Brown's boys"
thinking me fair game for Irritation, are
overwhelming me with their detrimental
attentions, to the disgust of all the eligiblesr
Now, dear Mr. Perkins, can't you advise
me on this subject, or at least make Mrs.
Grundy Tetract the unenviable name she
has bestowed upon me?
My only desire is to pursue my own way
peacefully, and, before l die, marry some
well educated young man with good fam
lily, good business, good habits, good in
come, gOOd-looking, and goOd-natured
enough TO make me love him; and surely
no girl could ask less, could they?
Yours, imploringly, MoLLIE Brown.
FOTty-siXth street, March II.
ono, Miss MOllie-no! your experience
1 believe to be the experience of almost
every pretty young lady from Madison
square to the park. The mission of an &C
complished young lady is to marry brave
young fellow with money enough to sup
port her, and love enough in bis big, gener-
GUS heart to make her happy.
"YOu are not 'flirt.' You simply show
little management. You are doing simply
what your big brother and shrewd father
ought to do for safeguarding against be-
ing deceived. You don't want to wreck
your young life by marrying man whose
life is purposeless, and who is Pennies,
reckless, and heartless.
"What is to be done ?"
Why, there should be confidential rela-
tons between you and your father. don't
mean that he should be an old pepper-and-
salt dromedary, who drives blooded fellows
away by boring them to death with bust
ness questions the first night they call, but
as soon as Mr.. Smith shows the least
speck of devotion, you should go right and
tell your father, and be in a gentle and
ChesteTheldian manner should make a
quiet inquiry about Smith aforesaid. Find
ing Smith one of Browns boys, he should
tell you so, and the next time he called YOU
could be out; while if Smith was found to
be plucky, brave and aspiring young fell
low, your papa could say that, and leave
the rest TO you and Smith aforesaid.
"What is flirting, anyway"
1t is iSimply making yourself agreeable. !
1t is a compliment TO be called a hirt. |
never knew fiirt who wasn't pretty, &C
complished, and whose heart, when once
caught, wasn't big enough and warm
enough to make man worship her all his
life. Such being the case, of course she
was fixed out with velvet walking dresses,
camel hair, siX-button gloves, and boxes at |
the opera for the rest Of her natural exis-
tence.
If you call it flirting TO become engaged
to fellow and then break such engage
ment, and with it an honest mans heart,
after cabhaging a solitaire and a winters
supply Of opera and big bouquets, don't.
If you call it flirting for scamp to absorb
a year of young lady's life, to steal her
cOnfding kisses of betrothed maidenhood,
and then break an engagement and con-
tiding heart-f you call that flirting, don't.
call such things criminal, and a man
ought to be put in the Tombs for doing it
just the same as he ought to be put in the
Iom0s for any other swindling confidence
game.
Flirting in the New York sense is when
young lady makes herself agreeable, and
consequently has lots of admirers, whom
she keeps "On string" until she makes up
her mind which one she loves best, and
which one has the biggest and brayest heart
full Of splendid bOyishness, loves all the
pretty girls on the street, until, by-and-by,
some sweet angel captures him, head, heart
and Russian overcoat, and the thousand lit
tie flirting loves are concentrated through
the focus Of honest love upon the new OBJ
ject of his alteration. And there they both
stand-MOllie Brown both caught, both
true and together-one spirit. they travel
down the happy highway of life
-%~
CHANGE OF CLOTHING.
IL would be a GREAT deal hetfar m wear