The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-01-09
COURTING.
Advice to Girls Against Excuses
in the Way of Receiving
Attentions.
BY ONE WHO WAS THESE.

4 This is a very familiar subject; fer al
present have courted, or have been courted
are counting or are being cOurted; intend u
court or hope to be courted. 1t is scarcely
Necessary, therefore, for me to define it, fol
like some have said of thing more sacred
it is better felt than told, and all attempts
at definition could never make it half SO
plain ss little experience.
1t is astonishing, when yon come to think
about it, how much of our time. and money!
and thought, and conversation are spent in
counting. Not less is our astonisbment
When we think of the happiness and the
1nhappiness, the trust and the mistrust,
the joy and the misery, the dreams and the
dissppointments, the glances Of approval
and disapprOval, which are described By
this one little word of two syllables and
seven letters.
1t is. moreover, very exciting for the
reason that the prize is not always certain.
Now, one thinks he il ahead and now he is
discovers he is not /; now he thinks he is
GETTING BITE,
but soon finds he has only been bitten now
he hopes to gain hand bat gains instead
only q miIten. Then it is so absorbing the
hours of the day, yes, even OF the night, go
by unnoticed-Our studies, our business
and sometimes even our religion give place
TO it.
In its last stages, either lifting enc to the
delec,able heights, where, living in the
clouds: he feasts on the poetic nature and
the dreams OF love, or casting him down to
the slough Of despond, where, surrounded
by an impenetrable cloud Of blues, he
signs FOR THE END OF HES LIFE,
causes loss of appetite, and interest in all
things earthly, till the spell is finally bro.
ken. As ii is not limited to any age, so it
is not limited to any way. or means,
our words, looks, finger touches, letters,
friends, visits, presents, etc., are all media
Tor counting.
Nor is it limited to any one place-the
parlor, the yard, the sitting-room, the
kitchen. the school-room, the church, the
front gate, etc., have all been found good
places.
There is, however, right counting and
wrong courting-both in purpose and
manner.
When We court We ought to have not
only an object in view but good object.
That good object is marriage. ii your
counting does not look to this, / not only
pronounce it wrong but sinful In court
ing we deal With the tenderest and best
part of our natures. and to win affections
simply to win them or to fan them into a
fame of ardent love simply to put them
out, Is
CRUEL AND SINFUL.
1t is hypocracy. /, Of course, do not
now refer to the experimental couriships
of children, which, by the way, are most
always genuine. / refer to coqueting eth
er by lady or gentlenan-you not only do
an injury, which often times mars if it
does not destroy the whole life of another,
but you wrong yourself by learning to act
a lie and BY practising such duplicity as
will leave serious blot on your moral ma
ture.
Make it matter of conscience, and il
you are satisfied that the attentions of any
one will never bring you to love them,
why then, by all means do not encourage
them. Do to them as you would have
them do to you, is not only the Savior's
direction, but would gain for you their
confidence and respect.
Be a christian while counting as we'll as
in every thing else. But l remarked there
was a wrong wss to court as we'll as wrong
counting. / shall limit my remarks here
to ladies'.
First. refuse summarily to receive atten.
tions from any one who will seek to make
himself more entertaining by the use of
INTOXICATING BEVERAGES.
Your self-respect and future safety as
we'll rs his good demand this. II all young
ladies would do this, they would not only
save themselves much misery and want in
after years, but would become our fore
most reformers.
Second. avoid familiarity with gentle
men. Never allow them to hold your
hand, for If you allow them this they will
venture to do more and you will find it
difficult. to resist, having encc placed your
self under their influence.
For this reason
AVOID DANCING,
which finds its chief attraction for gentle
men in the fact that 1t brings them into
the familiar relations with the ladies.
Long buggy rides also are for this reason
to be avoided. If you would retain q
geutieman's respect, maintain proper dis
tarce. and avoid all undue familiarity.
Kisses, of course, are the price of victory,
and il bestowed too soon they not unfre.
quently, prevent victory.
Third Never allow yourself to be
courted in church-not because counting is
rot good, yea, even divine thing, but
because il is not the