Wichita eagle., 1889-09-25

in the beginning that it has distinct mean
ing of its own, and should not be misapplied.
Hood says:
remember, remember,
When my little lovers came.
With poSy or a cherry,
Or some new invented game.
Well be does not mean lovers at all, he
means beaux
One may have a beau, lover, an admirer,
an adorer or comrade, but seldom may COM
bine two of these in one individual, and never
all five in any one epoch of her life. For the
beau is special attribute Of girlhood, and
seldom develops the exacting tenderness Of
the lover, the blind decisions of the admirer,
the infatuation of the adorer or the honest
sympathy and helpfulness of the comrade,
who, however, does often develop camerad-
erie into friendship-perhaps after all the
most satisfying relationship between man and
woman.
WHAT IS A BEAUf
But the beaul The beau! What is he9 Who
is hes What is his origin, habitat sphere of
aciong
Let US describe him first by negatives He
need not be young-in fact, IAN old beau" is
a well known character in fiction, drama and
real life.
He need not be handsome, although he in
variably thinks be Is
He need not be intellectual or learned-in
fact, never knew beau who was either,
although | have known some men Of whom
other men said: He isn't half such fool as
he looks"
He need not be brave, for nobody expects
courage or leadership from him. Nor need
l.
spending the money his father or somebody
else has accumulated for him In fact, the
beau reduced to poverty and real work is the
most forlorn Of Objects reminding one Of
performing canary bird or an industrious flea.
or a poor, little trained poodle, any other
helpless and harmless little animal coerced
into unnatural labor and foreign pursuits.
Not that l mean to speak severely of the
beau, for don't; In fact, | like him and value
him and should be really sorry to miss him
out of the world but he has his limitations,
poor dear, like the rest of us, and one hates
to see him pushed up to the wall that defines
those limits.
Moreover, there is a positive as well as
negative formula in the recipe for a beau. BE
must be good natured, and always ready, if
not with smile at least with shipper; he
must be quick at repartee even though a
mild one; he must have a good memory and
n certain adhesiveness of touch which will
enable him to pick up the floating gossamer
threads Of society talk and carry them TO
just the right quarter for repetition. he must
never forget anybody's connections, relation
ships, friendships and enmities, and never by
any chance step upon anybody's toes or any
body's remotest frills He must discover and
keep the narrow path between harmless Cos
sip and perilous scandal, and while always
having something interesting to say never
say anything that could be repeated to mis-
own or anybody elses detriment. He must
be sentimental to the extent of remem bering
the favorite flowers colors and perfumes of
the lady to whom he is for the moment at
tenttve, and making graceful little offerings
in harmony with those tastes. He must have
sufficient tact TO be always where he is want
ed, and to skillfully efface himself in the
presence of a lover or favored admirer or
adorer; for one of the peculiarities of the
beau is that he has his season, like the mush-
room, and is not ct all acceptable out of it.
THE ADoRER AND TEE BEAU
But, even as one will sometimes caprici-
ously prefer salted. dried or picked mush-
rooms to fresh and tender vegetables, there
will be intervals in Gfe-perhaps to its very
end-whcn one turns from grande passion,
from the pedestal whereou ones adorer places
one. even from the solid satisfaction OF a
scomrades honest sympathy, and finds a
whimsical pleasure in the conversation, the
compliments, the chit chat Of beau, and
finds the same rest and refreshpent in his
society in that of the last fashionable
novel or the highest Of society comedies
We have spoken of the beau as an adjunct
of early girlhood, because it is only an in
lgenue who can be long content In the society
of a beau OF who expects anything serious of
him or dignifes him into an ideal. Young
girls never classify the men who surround
them On their entrance into society; they are
all heroes OF romance; they all are possible
covers and husbands, and the beau, being the
most obvious and the most demonstrative
figure in this new world, is often pitched
upon by the debutante as her ideal, and she
is sometimes good deal disappointed is find
ing how wofully too small he is for the
giants robe" she fain would fit upon his
shoulders
Occasionally the girl is herself female
beau; not a belle. for that is quite another
thing, but trlher, butterfly, epheme-
Ton-a personality answering precisely to
that of the beau. in such case the two be-
come, not friends, for to be friend requires
characteristics neither of them possess, but
familiar acquaintances, even comrades il a
certain sense, and they spend great many
adle hours together in just the way one sees
q couple of butterflies lowering and dancing
over q sunny pool or a bed of miGnonette,
happy while the fine weather lasts, beaten
down and lost in the first wind of adversity
Let me implore all my female friends TO be
more precise in their classification of their
male acquaintance. for IL Is really n grief TO
hear tender, romantic, Drowningesuue
adorer spoken OF as the beau" of her idol, or
to have ones solid, practical. congenial COM
rade dubbed by so trihing name, or 70 in
suit the sweet illusions and lofty ideals of
pair of lovers by calling Romeo the beau OF
Juliet Nercutio was a beau. if YOU please,
anu died with jest upon his lips. but one
cannot imagine hiIn in Romeos place. No,
my dear giris, don't be slipShod in your no.
menclature, and although you NAV be sur
rounded with beaus don't fancy t. II lovers,
or even sincere admirers, for your true beau
admires nobody very much except himself.
although part OF his profession is to assume
the part of an admirer. not To YOU only but
to the other dear five hundred toward whom
he will autter in the course of an evening.
Don't tell him that you don't believe word |
he says, and don't try to set upon solid |
ground with him and find out how far he is |
really sincere, for he does not know himself. |
and 1t Is bad taste and bad policy 10 force |
any man 10 a confession of Ignorance, even |
to himself. Nor can We break butterflies on /
the wheel, or build houses Of soap bubbles; so |
-