The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-06-06
FLIRTING IN AMERICA,

american men and American women are
perhaps, the boldest and most uncompro.
missing firts in tho world. 1t must needs
be SO in society which banishes mothers
as superfuous, old ladies as nuisances, and
any kind Of chaperonage as an infringe.
ment of the glorious Transatlantic birth.
right aud ap insult to human nature. We
10 not say for moment that this unchecked
uncontrolled intercourse between the Young
men and women in America leads to grave
mischances but VIC do say that i, leads to
an organized system aud recognized tone OF
flirting which strikes us, used to more re,i
seeses and sless sfreadep. asssoad. ~. .sax,ths
least OF ", and essentially abad foru, % 4.
tho youth Of the day would call it. IF an
Englishman were to permit himself to saw
to slrgle favored one anything like what
an American man would say to apy girl
whatsoever with whom he might converse,
society would mark him as dangerous. and
careful mothers would keep their daughters
out OF his way, as watch-dogs guarding the
lambs from the prowling wolves. But the
American girl would and does think moth.
ing of it. She is used to close sailing and
gives as good as she takes. She has made
one Of party of youths and maidens who
meet up in the mountains for summer.
and who pair off day after day and far into
the night, among the lonely valleys and in
the dusky glades of the silent forest think.
ing nothing Of it and not supposing that any
one else will think more than she does
She has been used to being taken to dane.
Ing parties by the young man of the hour,
who calls for her and is her "frend" for the
occasion. The mother does not 20 and the
girl is con6ded to the care of her male chan.
erou without hesitation or repurnaree-
Human nature demands gallantry in such
circumstances as an absolute necessity-the
inevitable overgrowth of the occasion and.
unless she is weaker and rasher than most
she has to take care of herself while nav.
Ing back her entertainer in his own coin.
shielding herself whilo attacking him, and :,
above all things, showing no fear. Hence,
hlrtiny becomes, as We have said, both an
organized system of intercourse and rec
ognized fashion among the American youth;
and the consequences are to be found in a
certain dash and boldness and hardness and
discretion all combined, whereby the par.
ties engaged in the pleasant game seem az.
ways on the brink of danger, and yet Sc
cure.
Another consequences is, that English
men and maidcns are at disadvantage when
they meet with their compeers from over
the water; for the American men would be
sure to say moro than they meant to sub.
stantiate to the English girls, and the
American girls would lead the Englishmen
farther than they meant to follow and tho
chances are that there would be heartaches
and disappointmenes for the more reserved
of the two.
We have firts enough, however, among
ourselves, and We do as much harm to each
other as is ever done by outsiders, whose
ways We misunderstood because we Judge
of them by our own. The serious firt
among US Is especially dangerous, and we
question if the boldest American OF
the most impassioned Italian ever did
more damage than the quiet, undemon-
strative English firt, who takes senti-
ment as his ground of action and Pla-
tonism as his point dappui. Soft eyes, that
look dark and melancholy in the twilight I:
a sweet, sad voice that awakes responsive
echoes in the Imagination of the hearer; q
languid, still and selfcentained manner,
giving the impression of reserve fund of
force, of talent. of feeling, of capacity for
sorrow, of power of sympathy-these are
the various items which make up the stock.
in-trads of the sentimental firt, and with
these he or she dispenses sweet pain and
pleasant anguish to all around. All, that
Is, who are weak enough to believe and in.
nocent enough 70 be deceived, and who take
tinsel and tinfoil for shining silver and
ruddy gold,