Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-24
FILTRATION.
Attentions Without Intentions The
Eiirts of Both Sexes-The Married
Elirt Governs society

AtkeHt1OhS - stneut InfentlOnS he
fiirts of Both Sexes-The Married
Flint Governs society.
From the London Standard
1t appears that We English folk have hitherto
Enjoyed a monopoly of one Of the pleasantest
forms OF social intercourse. Mr.. Max O'Rell
informs his fellow-couRtrymen that in England
they have a delightful national amusement
called flirting. and he happily defines Irritation
BY saying that in the practice Of this pleasant
art the male paws to the female attentions
without intentions" Mr. Max O'Rell hardly
requires to be told that the practice comes to Us
from Frances neghbOr in the sunny south. To
hirt originally meant to be apt in the manage
ment of the fan, that delicate barrier which art
has given to modest maidens to hide their
bushes and to cOquettes to conceal the absence
of bushes But Irritation has certainly under
gone much modification since it was imported
to our country. 1t is usually innocent that
IL has become part of the education most of our
young women pass through in their training for
society. The British matron smiles content
eddy when she sees that her daughter.
Just entered on her teens. exhibits a
partiality for long walks and soft-tOned
combinations with her cousin Fred or her bro
theirs favOrite schoOlmate. Three or four such
Juvenile attachments will do the girl no harm. if
they are gently watched over by the parental
eye. They serve to evolve the seXUaly social
instincts in gradual way. Through them the
basnful maiden learns the nature of man in the
same fashion as she takes lessons on the piano.
In word. she is getting her hand in" for the
real game OF matrimOny that is to be played In
few years. Her youthful SWANS. of course,
derive their own instruction from these innocent
amOurs. Calf-lOve has it's sublimities. Mr..
Grant White has lately remarked that he can be
no worthy man who has not been half a dozen
times head over ears in love when a boy. The
romance of such attachments strikes deep roots
in the youthful being. although its blossoms
are so ephemeral. Chivalr0us feeling is deyel-
oped which it takes a deal of worldly wisdom to
smother in after years. The blue-eyed Damon
OF thirteen. vexing his young life out over Eu-
cid and the AOrists. feels his heart beat heroic
prophesies twenty times a day when he thinks
of the fiaxen-lOcked Musidora. whom he secretly
kissed al the last Christmas ball. and whO-he
has swOrni: TO hmself-is to be his wife when he
Is a man ard can work. When We observe this
sentimentality in a boy. we derive great amuse-
ment from it. but it should raise the lad in our
estimation. He has something in him to which
ideals appeal. and his early developed suscepti-
bility wil-tO use beautiful but forgotten
woTd-engentle his nature.
To be sure. when our sons and daughters be-
gin to near the goal of maturity their attach
ments are more hazardous. Here. OF course
comes in the true spice OF excitement. Given
a happy-natured girl Just touched with the first
flush Of real WOmaniy beauty. with heart still
free for any one who may win it, can she help
flirting more or less2 If she simply looks
pleasantly on a man will he not be ready to fall
down on his knees and worship her? When
she finds others by the score similarly minded
eau she be blamed for becoming little weary
of such tame fattery? She commences expert
ments. These experiments reveal to her not
only the weaknesses of her adOrers. but her
own powers ON the one hand she learns the
feminine pleasure OF tOrmenting easily tor
mented men; on the other hand she studies
Establishment with little aSsiduty when
good subjects for practice present themselves
Do not blame the charming creature too Sc
yereiy. 1t is her very admiTableness that gives
her little crueities the appearance of crimes
Miss Plainface may fail to find your converse
tion very amusing, but you only call her stupid
leave her alone and forget her If the tiirt
however, is good enough to look pleased with
YOU and your talk. but fOrgets you at the next
meetiEg-she, poor thing. who has so many
men TO pleaSe--iniuriOuS calumnieS against
wOmankind arise to your lips. Is this Just?
Her fault lay. not in forgetting you. but ia ever
trying to make believe that you interested her.
Amlable being! She was only too kind to voui
For the male fiirt it is less easy to find an
apology. Be he as winning as he NAV. there Is
something seXually anomalous about him. The
effect ne produces on our mind is like that pro-
duced by the male terpsichOrean artists who
never quite delight US. be his feet ever so MIN
Bile No doubt some men are born fiirts: some
2chieVe irritation with difficulty. and some have
1t thrust upon them The born fiirt however
is to be pited in his destiny. There is touch
OF the lap dog in his nature. No doubt he is
usually endowed with a certain amount of good
looks; his manners are gentlemanly; and if he
even falls over chair, the creature manages to
do 1t gracefully. Looks. smiles and a pleasant
voice are his attributes; the drawing-room is
his study: petting is his reward. There are. of
course. degrees OF weakness in the male fiirt:
but even al the best he is very weak Look at
him when he has reached the age of forty. A
medium-siZed man with carefully arrange d
but grlZZied hair; smooth face and self-con-
tented eyes. altogether too f1ippanty younger
than they should be. and giving the owner the
appearance of thing of naught He smokes
the HshtesJ of cigarettes. for tine odor of
cigars would cling to him too much in
the petticOat world. He spends his morning
at the club in reading and answering letters con-
tained III tinted envelopes. He always considers
himself in mirror launching himself into
the street again. and he sacrifices as much atten-
tiOn TO his trowsers as if they were his con-
science Perhaps there is no hour OF the day or
night so sweet TO him as that of afternoon tea
Making experienced choice OF the house where
he will visit about five O'clock he il ushered
into room in which he probably finds dozen
women-vlstOrS or members of the famiiy-alI
hstlessly ready to be aroused and amused by
any tittie-tattle he may bring with him. For
the greater part of an hour his existence is one
OF refined ecstasy, and his happiness is COM
pleted II he is able. before taking his leave to
make an appointment for squirting some fair one
TO the morrows picture gallery. or concert or
what not. At sixty the beau will guide his life
still on the same principles. A fictitious senti-
mentality has long ago taken the place of any
earnest desire for wOman's love, and the typical
male fiirt ends his days as bachelor "a body 8
is naebody's." as the Scotch say
weil-knOwn clergyman-nOw a high digni-
tary OF the chUrch-Once remarked in our hear
Ing that a man could not truly enjoy the pleas
ures OF Irritation until he had married
virtuously minded gentlemah of the company
Ventured 10 remark that u man could ALWAYS
enjoy the best OF Irritation with his own wife if
ne had chosen her wisely; but we are sorry to
add that the majority Of the males assembled at
the after-dinner chat thought otherwise Here
We draw the line The married fiirt we will by
no means defend. even be the fiirt a bishop or a
bishops wife. Whether We defend it or no
however. II Is the married fiirt who has from
time immemOrial governed society. and at
thls day is not the perfection of Irritation eXen-
phed by the wives OF some of the worlds chief
dplOmatists, their labors Of fascination con-
tributing most powerfully to the success OF
their spOuses? Another and less useful kind of
welded hirt is known TO Us all as frequenter of
seaside watering places. The Riviera Is her
fayorite resort. She travels slowly along the
Mediterranean shore every winter unaccom-
panied by her husband vino remains at home
attending to his business. She is delicate and
very interesting looking. Somehow all the
ladies' in her hotel at once dislike her and most
Oh The men undergo a slightly pleasant magnetic
shock at the sight of her. Ere she has been two
days In the place you find her stretched out on
q sofa or on the yeranda with half-a-d dozen
males round her, her maid dscreetly disposing
herself on seat some distance Off The flirting