Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-09-24
FLIRTS AND FLIRTATIONS.

Dut aH aHuiu rue is great Hirt. -
Yes but not half as bad as be is These
two remarks l could not help overhearing
the other day in the Row, an1 a very
strong desire come over me to politely ac-
cost the authors-two nice looking. gen.
tlemanly persons-and ask them il they
would kindly favor me with definition Of
the word 'Flirt.' | do not believe that
there is any word in the English language
which has less distinct meaning and con-
veys such different impressions to different
minds. You sit next to a lively and
amusing young lady at dinner. and find
that her conversational powers, ifnot vast :
ly intellectual, are at ali events quick. aud.
in certain sense. clever; aud as there is
a considerable freshness and some amount
Of originality in her remarks. you talk to
her the whole Of the dinner-;ime, and
are not unwilling to renew the couver-
sation when you meet in the drawing
room afterwards. After your fair young
friend. to whom. perhaps. you are prin-
cipally indebted for having spent very
pleasant evening. has been carried home
by her mamma. you casually remark
to your hostess. How very agreeable
Miss Dash is Whereupon madam re-
joins. oh! yes. she is very vivacious,
but l fear she is sad firs.' Anything
but sad you say to yourself; but fir. :?
In what way does that undc6nable word
apply to charming Miss Dash? You re-
collect that at ball. two or three nights
age. you were introduced to Miss Blank
and your friend wEo introduced you wara-
ed you previously that she was 'an awful
flirt. you know Well. you found tha,
Miss Blank had q way Of leaning very
heavily on your arm. locking up dream
lily into your eyes before she answered the
most commonplace remark. and holdiu q
your hand with an almost masculine grasp
when waltzing; or. should you be the
sharer Of her tolls through the Lancers
you discovered that she had habit oi
greeting you with q smile and shake ot
the haud whenever you met her in the
last figure OF that may dance. Her con.
versational powers. you soon became
aware. were limited. She appeared to
think it to be her meek duty to hang upon
your words with fascinating gase-ii
may use such an expression and to
look as If she invested every trifing re-
mark you made with a sublime dignity
far beyond the occasion. True, she new
er seemed in hurry to be taken back to
her chapcrone, and possessed wonderful
faculties for imbibing tea and lounging in
n quiet corner till her next partner dis.
covered her; and if she was not engaged
for the next dance. she evidently expec.
ted you to sit it out with her. But her be.
havior has not assisted you towards the
information you thirst for rs to the mean
ing Of the term 'firt;' for. as far as you
can divine her character provcrbially gal
liant as you are, you cannot resist toe
impression that in Miss Blanks case
lfir, is only another word for bore; and
firt is certainly the pret,ier expression
Of the two. On another occasion-say q,
a picnic or in a grand stand-yoa fnd
yourself next to Mrs. Threestars, who i:
apparently eight and twenty, or therea.
bouts, and who has. to your knowledge,
four or Eve charming children (supposing
of course, that you allow that children
ever can be charming), and whose lively
rattle and graceful manners compel yot
to confess rs you dress for dinner tha
you have really passed much more pleas
ant day than you had anticipated. IL
the course Of dinner. while you are silent
" wishing tha, Mrs. Threes,ars we're 81,
ting beside you instead Of the insane beau
ty or dull old dowager to whom the exi.
gencics Of going down to dinner passed. i,
allotted you. you hear the name of the lady
you are thinking Of mentioned. Some
body-soms kind soul who never would
+, say an unkind word except from . shee
sense ofdaty--inssaa,ly remarks. Oh Yes
she is very nice. but. am afraid she j.
q dreadful firt.' Again the iuoompre.
hensible word. 1, seems TO be like the rail-
which fails upon ,he just and upon the IN
Just. The notion of Mrs. Threestsrs ant
Miss Blank being joined 10 the same ea.sgo
ry!-What can il all meant You turn to th'
douagcr BY your side. and cay
Do you know Mrs. TsTssstarss Mrs
ProPper1