Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-06-13

| more favorable circumstances, mlgnl
have been useful career. And so the
moral of the tale is lost in obscurity, OF
at least is doubtful. FOrif "young
Laurence, after all, as is quite posi-
BILE, only sought Lady Clara for her
wealth, we cannot but feel that the
simple yoeman," who took upon him
self to rebuke her ladyship so scorn-
fully, indulged in undeserved invec.
tive. Besides, might not this same
Simple yoeman" have been somewhat
conceited, or at least hasty, in presum-
ing that Lady Clara was enleavOring to
get up a Irritation with him? Even the
Poet Laureate has not succeeded in
clearing away the nebulosity that sur.
rounds the nature Of the fiirt
DIR. Johnson defines a hirt "a pert
hussy," and very likely this is the defn.
ition which would be selected by Mrs
Proper and middle-aged ladies of her
way of thinking, as correctly describing
young ladies whose conduct they chose
to qualify as "forward," J." and who in
the result have the advantage over the
Misses Proper in the matter of matri-
monial alliances. But men generally have
a very different notion of firt, and
frequently the girl who is called fiirt
in the smoking-roOm would never be
suspected of any such propensities by
matronly gossips at five o'clock tea
No; the laughing, lively, talkatiye, and
perhars somewhat boisterous girl,
whose animal spirits aud innocent be-
liefs and delights stir the bile of eowa-
ayers whose youth has gone forever
and possibly pinch themselves for not
having enjoyed it more while it was
theirs to enjoy, are never regarded by
the males as dangerous characters. /"
1t is only the very, very young man
who does not know when girlish spirits
are natural and when they are forced,
and who cannot distinguish between the
allurements of the experiencedsiren and
the natural fascinations of the light.
hearted vestal-between Venus sand Di-
ana. The fatal hirt, who alone is to be
dreaded, does not attempt to assume
the artlessness of blossoming Rirlhood.
On the contrary, she assumes the expe-
IlvnUs ~e .. +y;o1 = -
something of the sins and sorrows OF
life. How much or how little she
knows she carefully wells in sighs and
mournful looks. Vanity she possesses
in an inordinate degree, but she hides
it unsurupulously beneath an appearance
of astonishment when her victim first
gives her to understand that he likes
her rather better than her sisters
What is there about her, she asks with
admirably feigned simplicity, that any
body should take such fancy to her?
Oh. no he must be mistaken or
worse, he is endeavoring to deceive her
and that is not kind For she has suf-
fered-ab, yes she has suffered. She
has learned to her cost, that man is
dreadfully selfish, and is it possible that
anv man can be an exception to the
rule =? And so, with soft voice and ex-
pressiFe eyes, she adds another fool to
her long list. She possesses more
worldly wisdom than Lady Clara, and
does not fix a vacant stare on the lover
she wants to be Off as the new one is
coming on. She is clever at contriving
ouarrels, but she is especially careful
not to put herself in the wrong. She
plays the sad and disappointed role, and
tears are in her eyes as she gently says,
"I think it better for beth that We
should forget all that has passed but, "
she dstenderly, "let us part friends. "
She has certainly the wisdom OF the
serpent, if nature has denied her the In
nocence of the dove. Her heart is,
doubtless, passionate one, but very
little satisfies it, and she never lets it
get the better of her head. She has
quite made up her mind to marry COM
Portable, and she is very careful never
to 90 too far in the experiments she
makes. However checkered her ball
room career, she never loses sight of
the wedding breakfast and the marriage
settlements, The motives of her pre-
nnptial conduct are to be found in a
restless vanity. Her one great delight
is to believe that somebody is in love
with her. She is never so happy as
when she has reason to think that some
man or other is fool enough to prowl
about the house where she lives and i'd
iotically stare at a bedroom window
which he thinks is hers. To draw men
away from other women is her great
triumph, and she is in her glory when
partpers eagerly vie with each other IN
claiming her for waltz and gallop. She
reads and re-reads with swelling pride
the warm letters dictated by passion she
knows to be hopeless, and her replies
would excite the admiration OF veteran
diplomatist. Occasionally she catches
n Tartar-a male hirt as cunning rs her
self. but her instinct and her tact are
Quicker and superior, and she rarely
falls into the snare that she has laid for
others. Eventually she marries well
and makes an excellent wife, though she
is ant to look uucommonly keen after
her husband. She denounces tiirts with
an irrepressible energy, and her daugh'
ters grow up models of circumspect be-
havior. How far such character is tC
he congratulated on its success, or how
far it is to be pitied for its littleness OF
condemned for its contemplate selfish
ness. | have no desire to say.
~ But bnlS Won uOS he"A n"H
fair reader exclaim, "The fault o.
flirting does not rest with us alone
Don't gentlemen ever Airt, if yor
please2"
All Mademoiselle, that is just tbt
one point in which we find it Impossible
TO criticise one another. We can pas
our opinions freely upon our friend
horses. mis- tailor, his social qualities
his style Of living, his intellectual ca
nacities, his temper, his income, hi
: debts-snd we can praise or blam
:. nretty generally as our inclination o
pnr reason may dictate but ! assur
YOU we are gifted with extreme ret
k cence if any youngster amongst us yer
tures to remark upon Asterisks SUI