The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-26
The Married Flirt.


monde do more harm than do those |
married women who amuse them |
selves by carving on a harmless |
fiirtation"-a designation which is a
misnomer, for no Irritation can be |
harmless where one of the parties to |
it is a married woman. There may be |
nothing essentially wrong in the
affair mo harm may accrue either to
her OTTO the man upon whom she eX-
ercises her power of attraction, but
herHusband is made unhappy and she
becomes the subject Of unpleasant
comment. 1t is frequently said that
pretty young married women are
frequently much more attractive to
gentlemen than it is possible for
young ladies to be- The reason as
signed for this is that men can talk
to them with less restraint, can adopt
toward them more free-and-eaSy tone
which renders them agreeable com
panions. The truth of the matter is
that men may with impunity lavish
upon married women atten-
tions which, if offered to single
women, would be decidedly com
initial; and as society men
are not often burdened with money,
and are not prepared to set up estab-
society of young girls, and join the
train of some gay young matron, are
contented with such crumbs of COM
fort as she sees lit to bestow upon
him. 1t is almost incomprehensible
that any man of sense should be will
ing to become one of this retinue,
who are permitted to carry my lady's
shawl, or hold her fan, in return for
= assidious devotion. but they are flat
tered by such distinction-it makes
them fashionable. No unmarried
man should be blamed for carrying
on a Irritation with a married woman
when she takes the initiatives; but Il
woman should be censured who, hav-
ing voluntarily exchanged the free
dom of girlhood for the responsible
ties of wife, disregards her husbands
claim upon her time and attention,
and fritters them away in silly fir
tation with some man who, while
protesting ardent alteration secretly
Condemns her, and perhaps ridiculeS
her at his club. If a woman feels that
she is unwilling to relinquish the at
tention which as girl was hers by
right; that the devotion OF one man
cannot compensate her for that which
she gives up in marrying him, she
should remain unmarried; but, being
married, let her content herself with
the admiration of her hucband, and
cease to desire that of other
men. | do not mean
to imply that because IL woman is
married she should be isolated, and in
society be relegated to the companion
ship of her husband. There is GER
tain kind of attention to which mar
ried women are entitled, and which
they may receive without provoking
comment. Talented, attractive women
may draw around them men of intel
lect, welcome them to their homes
and make themselves the center of d
cultivated circle; may show that they
take pleasure in their society, and
may accept their chivalrous atten-
lions in a pleasant, frank manner
without being at all tlirtatiouS. But
when married women permit men tC
pay k,silSnme compliments, tC
MAJ IN Speeches to them, and
to show them marked attention, they
depart from that matronly dignity
which is one OF their greatest charms
1t is alleged by those who seek to eX
cuse the flirtations of married womeI
that it is very hard for a married
woman who had once been belle tt
do without admiration; and another
excuse that perhaps the husband is
lacking in admiration, is uninterest
ing, and so she seeks the companion
ship of men who are interesting. Al
though gradual diminution of af
fectionate attention on the part of {
husband is great grief to wife, i
does not warrant her in engaging in ;
Irritation as cure for ennui. There
Off .ai.n OIL 10 n
dealing-With recalcirate husbands
pmd- while d loving wife wht
is neglected, always ELECTS sym
pathy, sympathy gives place tt
censure if she becomes fir
in order to avenge her wrongs
No woman whose love TO
her husband is all true deep will care
for the attention of other men; sh,
may like TO look well, and endeavo
to be bright and attractive in socie
ty, but neither by word or look viii
she encourage any approach to tlirta
ton. Women who do encourage Sucl
advances have much to answer for
they not only wreck their own happi
ness, but they exert a pernicious in.
fiuence over those with whom the,
come in contact, aud lower all womeI
in the opinion of men. If younS
man sees that his friends wife pre-
fers his society to that of her hus
band, he reflects that were he to be
come Benedict" in his turn, yer,
probably his wife would prefer othe
men to him, and he concludes that h
is much happier as a bachelor, spend
ing his evenings in the society OF tn
wives of his friends, since he is s.
cordially welcomed. Married womel
who are flirts are often unscrupu
lous, and instead of being the advis
ers and co-adjustors of young girls il
society they become their most dan
gerOus enemies if they think thei
preserves are being trespaSsed upoI
Married women should be power il
society, they should take precedence
or young girls by reason of thei
knowledge of the world, their savio
faire, their superior wisdom; bu
when they exchange the title Q
"Mademoiselle" for that of MADAME,
they should make their tutelary d
vinity Pailas-Anthene instead of Apt
rodite.-San Francisco Argonaut.