The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-02-03
OUT.OF.pOOR BEHAVIOR.


One can scarcely take up a paper
nowadays without coming across a
paragraph warning girls against street
flirtations. | have waited a long time
hoping some one would speak to the
boys on the subject, but as no one does
[ am going to talk to them a little about
it myself.
/ have observed that there are always
two parties to Irritation, and if one is a
girl, the other is Just as certain to be
roy; and if flirting is wrong for one,
why is it right for the otherP
So | said to a mischievous lad once
bob, did you ever ilirt on the streetp'
ITO be sure | have; lots of times"
he responded, with much frankness.
"Have you any respect for young
lady who uirts on the street," l went
on.
They aren't worth sFucts,n was his
answer
"Why isn't it just as bad for boys?"
l asked.
"Oh, they are diaerentn' said he,
conclusively.
"Would you like to have any one nirt
with your sister," said l, giving home
! thrust.
I'D like to see any fellow try it,"
was the indignant response.
you should behave toward other
boys sisters as you would have them
behave toward your sisters,h said /,
] applying the Golden Rule with a 81 ght
/ twist to suit the occasion.
! American gentlemen pride them
! selves, and with reason, on their polite
/ behavior to women; but | sonnet mes
/ fear that the rising generation win not
| be so courteous as their fathers were
before them. Young ladies now are
often subie ted to annoyances on the
| street, or in public conveyances, in the
shape of st res, bows, ell ow-thrusts.
and attempted conversations which are
very unpleasant. Sometimes q girl is
foolish enough to respond to such i'm
pertinent overtures, and, forgetting her
womanly dignity, to enter into llirta-
ton; that makes matters worse yet; for
boy always thinks that he has a right
to hirt with a girl who hirts back at
him. He makes a mistake; he has not
the right, not only because he wrongs
the girl, but because he wrongs himself.
A man can not be truly manly without
he has deeply implanted in his nature a
habitual respect for woman; and the
boy who practices such impertinences
whenever he has chance, is undermine
ing that habit; he is bunting his noblel
sensibilities he is destroying his moral
tone. This may seem a very seriou;
view to take of piece of careless non
sense, but it is a true one.
1t would be pleasant for lady TO fee
whenever she goes out that, in the words
OF an old song which our grandfatherS
used to applaud'
Friends in all the old she'll find, ,.f q.
And brothers in the young.
A generous, protecting care is a beau
tiful thing for a man to give, and an
equally beautiful thing for a woman tC
receive. Foreyer-to- be-remembered is
nameless knight in shabby suit, anC
a shocking bad hat, who was a passen-
ger in Fourth avenue horse-car one
rainy morning, and who, when young
girl wished to get out at Stewart will
I big bundle and an umbrella to man
age, stopped the car for her, and with
one quick motion raised the umbrella
then took the bundle. and carefully
shielding the young girl from the wet
ran with her up the steps to the store
opened the door. closed the umbrella
returned the bundle, responded to hel
grateful "Thank you, sir" with {
touch of the hat and smile, then ran
through the pelting storm after his car,
caught it, and disappeared therein
Equally unforgotten is another gentle
man who. when a Broadway coacl
stopped in mud-puddle, which tn,
, same young girl was about to step de
spairingly into, said frankly: "Wait {
minute. Step on my foot, and I'll swinl
you across. and suiting the action t
the word, he p anted his foot in wha
; was apparently the worst spot of all
|. and as she stepped upon it, with on
delt swing she was landed safely on tn