The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-01-04
Different Sorts Of Young
Men.

VgCIIs
First, there is the fast young man,
whose tricks and manners are fraught
with untold fascination to confiding
damsels There is no Disgusting the
fact that the fast young man is the most
successful masber of his kind, this fact
causing many who lack the money and
inclination to be really fast to cultivate
their appearance and reputation of this
quality. This will do quite
as well as the real thing among the
girls, and is, perhaps, rather to be pre-
fcrred on many accounts. Having ac-
CURED his reputation the fast young
man enters an assembly with the proud
consciousness of his overwhelming ad-
vantage over the other young men
This natural pride he wells nobly under
dignifed melancholy Of manner that
is one of his chief attractions to the
girls. With them he often alludes to
his wild, reckless life, halfjokingly, half
sadly, smiling down upon them indul-
gently from the height Of his unuttera-
bic experience Conversation is not
one Of the strong points of the fast
young man. Indeed, it is astonishing
how little he gets on with; but he al
ways has speaking eyes, and can express
infinite meaning in shaking hands.
Then we have the sentimental young
man, who is generally slim and much
pcrfumed. He shakes a girls hand
very gently, and pronounces her name
with a peculiar tenderness of tone.
Then he asks her if she is fond of music
and poetry, quotes something about
moonlight, music, love and flowers, and
thus gradually glidcs to his next subject
love. On this subject he has much to
say, limiting at many dark chapters on
this subject in his own life, and declar
ing his adherence of flirting, which he
thinks totally unworthy of the nature
of true woman. At this point he is
generally more personal in his remarks,
and the probabilities are that he will
approach dangerously near love-makng
before he takes his leave If he is
sn,.bbod it makes no difference, as the
sentimental young man thrives on refu-
sails and bad treatment, the cruel of the
fair sex being his inspiration and stock
in trade.
Chief among the more various varie-
ties stands the earnest-minded young
man. He refused to look upon the
most trivial subjects in anything but a
serious light, and answers any attempt
at irony with disappearing silence.
He spares not even the prettiest girls,
and in reply to any doubtful statement,
always says he is not so sure of that,
would like to argue that point little,
etc. Sometimes the earnest young man
has a mathematical puzzle, which he
propounds to whomsOever he meets.
When this is done he has reached the
climax in the boring line.
The confding young man runs the
last mentioned variety pretty close as
the champion bore, but misses il in
view Of his overwhelming good nature.
He always takes the first opportunity Of
informing you of his peculiarities, gifts
and failings; for example, if girl
Iaughlngly tells him she is afraid he is a
little obstinate he Immediately express
es surprise at such an acute guess at his
chief trait Yes, he always was an OBJ
stinate fellow. No one could ever dc
anything with him, and he proceeds to
tell long story about one of his college
scrapcs, in which he and his determined
will played prominent part. Then
encouraged by the happy hit the I'M
conscious girl has just made, he asks
her to tell him plainly just what sort OF
fellow she really thinks he is, and
proceeds to inform her very infinitely on
this interesting subject. OF course the
family pedigree and history come in,
and the confding young man, becoming
warmed up in his own absorbing inter
est in his subject, prattles on with a
confidence in that of his listener which
is sweet and touching to behold in one
of his years and sex.
The funny young man generally
starts out with conundrum, the ans.
wcr to which follows with many appre.
ciative laughs on the part of the young
man. Then he proceeds to entertain by
relating the circumstances of the best
joke in the world he played on fellow
last week, and follows this up with the
outline of u still more exquisite one he
is to play on another fellow next week.
1t may be mean, you know, but some
people cant help it; he must have his
fun, you know, it's his second nature.
The literary young man is rather
quiet in society, not having much to
say in general conversation. But let
him get girl off on quiet sofa, and he
wakes loquacious. He first inquiries if
she is fond of reading, and deplores the
lack of attention accorded by most
young ladies to this most useful occupa-
ton. He asks her favorite authors,
and proceeds to discuss their works in
what he imagines fine review style |;
inquiries which she prefers, Dickens or
Thackeray, and why. Nothing ever
stops the literary young man but the
assurance that you can't read.