The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-06-19

halcyon days OF youth.
OF all classes Of male firts the most
dangerous is a clerical one. Scores Of
clergymen are flirts who never deem
themselves such, and who would shrink
from the insinuation as though il were a
deadly sin, as it is. They are insinuat-
ing, and kind, and tender, that they may
WOO souls. They press young hands
softly and murmur blessings, while look
ing into eyes; thus they awake hearts
Instead of consciences, and set young
brains dreaming in way they little wish
or wot Of
OF all deliberate hirts the married
man is the most deliberate. The fruit is
not his; it grows on another mans tree I;
it is forbidden him; he has the like in
his own garden. He does not mean to
appropriate. Oh, no, his neighbor
knows he cannot do that, so il is safe TO
admire and handle and be RECALLED with
the perfume, until the bloom is gone,
and blight has begun, when it is left I'M
plucked to decay.
When married man undertakes to
play this game with a married woman,
it is Greek meeting Greek, and there is
not often much harm done. 1t is mere
ly a passage of arms, which may not al
ways be as agreeable to the other parties
supposed to be interested in it as it is to
those engaged in the sport.
The most insiruating Of all firts Is
the widower, who is mourning for his
dear departed, and is so lonely. He al
Row begins ., s!sxieS on the sTmr.s;
thie9 Of the woman ne Is seekfn- 10 oe-
YOUR. He does not commit himself he
is too wary for that. lie pays sly visits,
is complimentary and tender and gushing
when no one is by. He signs, hints that
he needs consolation, and suggests that
there is one who can give it. He looks
unutterable things, but utters nothing to
the purpose. Should it SO chance that
lie is thrown with his fair one, and must
escort her of an evening, he is only ev'
erything that is courteous and polite be
fore others, as a gentleman should be,
hut outside the door he draws her arm
through his, as though with the sanction
Of proprietorship, probably retaining hel
hand in SO doing, and giving her a feel
ing as if she was claimed and appropri
ated. When weary Of this "lingerine
sweetness long drawn out" he quietly
drops it, and the deluded woman, who
more than likely is one of certain age
to whom this trifing is a serious matter
has no redress, for he has not said an,
thing. She is subjected to modification
ridicule and remark. She cannot do a
some women would, and as Hannal
More is said TO have done-sue him TO
breach of promise, and thus punish hin
in the only way he is capable of feelinI
because he has made no promise. Sh
can only bear it as best she may. To b
sure "she was old enough to know bet
ter" We are all old enough to know
better, but how many of us do better
In the meantime he goes his way, hug
his small vanity to him, and swells wit
the thought that his attractions hav
made one woman miserable.
Just such case came under my oil
scrvation lately. A man with half
dozen children and one son grown, lost
wife who had always kept him in propt
subsection. He was miserable at fist, (
course. By-and-by it began to be nit
gated misery, and he bought a new Goa
rad his hair cut and his whiskers trim
med, and wore becoming necktie. The
he was seen talking to the school-teache
who was q maiden lady who did NJ
know her own age; Was poor and har'
n INV na1 n '.o,, a.
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