Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1874-01-03
THE vAGARxEs OF LOVE.

1t is pleasant to see .ssDooning" on the
stage. The love-sick heroes and hero
ines of certain comedies when they are
rep resented by clever and agreeable ac-
tors and actresses, rarely fail to make
people sympathize with them. The as
sumption is that their billings. and COO
ings, and caressings pleasantly remind
those of mature years of old times, and
excite spirit of emulation, and de-
sire to become slaves of the tender pas
sion In the young. But it is only on
the stage that most persons care to con-
template pronounced love-making. This
is not surprising, for off the stage it be-
comes very different and, all things
considered, much less agreeable pro-
ceeding-at least SO far as spectators are
concerned. Perhaps the actors them
selves think differently, albeit that
their appearance and demeanor lead to
the couclusion=that, they are often in a
state ofswliat may Be best described In
the contradictory term, ssdelightful mis-
sery.v AS matter of fact, the love-
making of most individuals is a very
commonplace and stupid proceeding, if
it is not something worse. Many men
never appear to less advantage than
when they are in love. Graceful postur-
ing and Towering rhetoric do not come
true that the heroes who figure on the
stage, labo-ing under the wounds in
flicted by Cupid's honey-tipped arrows,
are the personifications of easy conf
dence and elegance, but to this they are
true to an ideal not q reality; and the
probability is that when these self-same
nonchalanI customers retire into priva te
life and endeavor to do a little business
Of similar character on their own ac-
count, they do not appear to so much ad-
vantage. 1t an actor were. to venture to
represent commonplace loye-making ex-
actly as it is, with its intervals OF vacui-
ty and its periods of clumsy boldness,
he would very soou discover that it does
not pay to be natural, and that if he
wishes to succeed he must content him-
self with presenting fanciful and
highly-celored portrait, and speak his
authors carefully rounded and eloquent
sentences in that manner which he has
reason to imagine will render them
most acceptable. History affords many
examples of the fact that love-making is
not an edifying thing to gaze upon. A
very large proportion of our great men,
for instance, have seriously marred their
regulations by the vagaries and acts of
| idioey into which they were led whilst
suffering from the tender passion. Were
| it not profitless task, many celebrated
names might be cited to prove the truth
of this. iiz
All things considered, then, it is evil
dent that actual love-making should be
conducted on the principle of the right
hand not knowing what the left hand
doeth. The. amorous swain, who is
| longing to initiate the successful and
| talented wooer whom he has seen at the
theatre, would do well to make the at
tempt in as unos tentatious manner as
possible. The probability is that when
he comes to offer his hand and fortune
| to her for whom his soul is withering,
he will succeed in getting into guam
dary and making sad mess Of the
whole affair; and it is certain that the
preliminary Cuisines" in which he
will, probably, deem it necessary to in
/ dulge before taking the final plunge
/ will compare most unfavorably with the
1 preliminary business INDUCED in by the
individual whose lot it is to unburden
his mind, in general way. at least once
a. day. But many anlorous swains have
i not the good sense to refrain from oh.
truuing upon public notice. There is q
stealthy openness about their ogles and
Imurmurings which never fails to com.
mand attention. Their bushes, their
awkwardness, their occasional leers OF
triumph when they imagine that they
have, as the Americans say, "struck ile'
are neither amusing, artistic, nor clever
but they are very apparent. Their in
attention to everything but one special
object is too we'll known-as is also the
mystery in which they try to enshroud
| themselves-to be commented upon
Suffice it to remark that they can be
seen through as easily as can piece ol
crystal, and that it Is the reverse of di-
verting to watch their proceedings, as II
is, unhappily, the fate of few people
some time during the course of thei'
lives to be compelled to do. There is
however, some excuse for the unpleasant
line of conduct adopted by the class un-
der notice. However disagreeable art
the doings, it cannot be forgotten that
they are, probably, the result Of rea
feeling, and that they will cease to be
: practiced after the lapse of a certain
time.
The case is different, however, will
another class who go in very extensive
|. ly for the mystery of love. 1t is com
posed almost entirely of young ladie
who have not entered upon the real bus
mess of life. These Young ladies max,
, point of contracting with one anothe
what they describe as 'seternal friend
: ships" As matter of fact, these setter
nal" affairs last, in general way, unit
; one of the contracting parties marie
, this ideal of a man and no longer. .5u
J while they do continue in full bloom
they are things not to be spoken light,
2 Of. The s'friends" are friends to a pos
: itively alarming extent. Many and tles
perate are their vows and declarations
No man shall sever them Is the burde
Of their song Admitting that they ma
3 be trapped Into matrimony, which, b.
9 the way,li Is asmOst remote contingency
II their husbands shall only have the sec
9 ond place in their affections, Is thei
! declaration Thav care about M On