The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-26
THE ETHICS OF
FLIRTING.
A Feminine Art Regarded From
a Moral Standpoint.
Is Mock Love-Making a Harmless Amuse-
ment or a Bad Trait - Women Who Go
Out CT Their Way to Attract Men.

~
jerk.
As applied to the conduct of women, it
borrows its significance wholly from the use
of the fan, which centuries ago was the in
strument used for the attraction of attention
from gentlemen. The fan was fiirted in
recognized signals, hence one who employed
the fan for this purlose was fiirt, and the
intercourse thus established was called a
filtration.
The modern desire 10 secure attention is
not unusually expressed by the use OF the
fan, but he word remains without any ETY.
theological connection with the means EN-
ployed to gain the end.
A debating society recently spent whole
evening discussing the question: lis 1t
Ever Proper for Lady to Flirt?" and when
at the close vote was called for the assem-
bly, was equally divided, so no decision was
reached. We asked one who voted in the
affirmative whether he took that side merely
to express an opinion as to which OF the
contending parties had the pre-eminence in
the debate or because he approved Of the
action involved in the question. He an
swered, both" He thought sit was a lady's
privilege to engage in this harmless amuse-
ment.'
But is it a harmless amusement? asks
writer for the Journal OF Commerce. In
its most innocent aspect when carried on
between unmarried persons of the same
social position, it seems to be evil in its
nature, dangerous i'll its tendency and al
ways liable to excess by Indulgence.
1t is born of vanity, fostered by a love of
admiration and Subversiye, when practiced,
of all the finer traits OF womanly character.
10 paien'aso 20 s'iihNieu. " ~. :;
Nelhlhg that comes from lhe IoFe VI III
discriminate admiration, leading the one
under the control of the passion to court
the applause of all behoIders, can fail to be
,,bollv OWL in its insuepce on hotb the
-
iiiho anu heai''
Some people are ATTRACTIVE Dy nature
They have charms Of person, of manner or
of speech. and there is magic in their pres
ence that comneIs the HOMAGE of others. IT
il a very dapgeTons nossession. If borne
meekly and With due mudestv. ii is en-
HANGED Inv the
'hAcEf VI AND bkooAiiNu eElliNa'
But the temptations to pride are manifold.
The involuntary applause of an admiring
world is a most Intoxicating incense, and
few can live in such an atmosphere and
escape its poxious effects.
But the fiirt may not be, and generally is
not. one richly endowed with gifts to attract
the world.
She longs, however, for the incense, and
she puts forth her utmost efforts to win at
tention. Bv all the little arts she has
learned to practice she besets every one she
meets, to obtain, if possible, the food for
her vanity.
She studies her intended victims with the
keepest scrutiny. to see by what avenue she
can best approach the tender side of their
nature and turn their love to herself
1t is sometimes a serious effort PIT forth
with skill and energy to win a husb aud
to securea settlement in life. Then it rises
above the giddy temper which plays at
courtship for the amusement of the passing
hour and becomes daring hunt for place
and maintenance But Irritation, as fine
Art. has no such grave designs 1t puts on
an anorous garb in the mere desire to be
admired and petted, to win attention and
admiration, to be set in q shrine and wor-
SHIPPED, II that IS possible, and not TO be In
stalled as SAINT IN ti;e househo,o.
W men the nlft develops mo the coquette
she Is eeneraiiy ihcuIaDle.
She tribes Win hearts as Tue prayer Win
the pieces ne moves III Saihe; que becomes
hafdeneu 10 Tue ANGUS. Vi 'loSe Whose au-
hlraton sue mas efI i Gnu Gnu pu,pos So.
tanned mo a naiie ol lose. one Ias ~ ply
ior tneIr uisappointheih3I "neii SIC shioH w.
Oh tle hia9h' "nu oue "uus SO ai.ei eealp
70 hei siiu ., WIN 'tie ; 80 ~, =" VIZ
hunt ana Ine sense OF triumph IN tne maj
Success, p I no' AWAY "'e '"o 'i'''iii' oh
'iG o,iiei siue. o,,,ro,,on. +1,a +-fei,o.
~ ID unnseIouS aiiiuaeiiie ii VIC uii1riS
WIN !eatls uuuei lo'e uissnioe' nc
plooI 10 VI, an1
tne leelnss 'oo oi. . siow Man'uh m. ai;u 60
cape eontiul, anu . tne MI. iuoee M ti,ie eA
cItihs pas. iuio al INA. "1ii"h si,uuid i,os1
tiuis p,tA. ,d o.u :"
nea.e are .he seiuei VI .Ho many his.oiieS
I Ia VI aIinia VI " n $500 ooiNo 0"e DIT
lea I2 w" uoNn Ill auol!hs noinase.
nheL onG VI a mai MAJ ieu pan haheo "a .Iis
Idsh tApIiiten' .ne iUllo 10 W. Wy -. Il
Th e"9 az sO0o 10 ~ "a, ny
Cul 'ail i"Iie. me ms aio n.y. an Va Wy
iThi'Iiho sgiit1i, a'.hvuSn VIZ nato ,io''eu
thus lar ohis OF lhat ciass. L nt siiisie man
VINO assumes tne loie g Gn s why nay asiue
the serious Duslbess ol ne anu must SUI
renuer HIS own sell-leSpect aL
THE OUTSET OF SUCH CAREER.
But we regret to say that neither in his
success as trifler with womau's love nor
in his failure as victim Of his own false
hood does he receive from the world at
large the punishment or the contempt he
deserves. And the married man, whether
he hides the fact that in every advance he
makes 10 another lie is false to the one lie
mas sworn 10 love anu cneIlSD, OF goes
ooiaiy anu oeiiahtlJ III tne lace oi SUN !,.
S...l;a. +t,.. -. ~. f.I,ab.oa :, -.
tIopiles t f s.bw MS i"is f TO- 40 noS
sco.iis ecu lip tnG socieiS VI .iIe u ue anu
slI'uous d. ~ uus,lt 70 De III cuiiioh JUSTICE
III .iiu ,ie i'st u lls f bo
cue VIZ w loohi ous iiu,', lioa loiile
mItn lGnstiS vyeS lEl e.,d "'iioroua sano VI
l9keiS in Va" ~oin .heio ~ Sohe T.
any oiioa .nu piia,ie .taan
l,lnis, perlaps III NUS VI ,ese enSes' nine
uesetses ,ne ScUtt el f U.iio a,yo Up &
hava cited an ny ,iti, far than onr h
ila'e eAcl.eu our ply Lar ihoie 'nan our piI-
'et ie eia,t'.,, +,,o .,roo S,,,,do,.s ovo
a,o .,J, ti"n ~ VI ~ ~
~ I 1ieu IA
W WILL ne m"s ,nn 10 of .e pu
80, 9npp', bo h. 70 lie bc,, "a LIZ
plous n,an wno i W ~. n'G,G IT. viz
aod % nan In fr,i Hn 1ino
,,;t,, Sar antandod rn's I'D tha otTar ~ q
n W. ren,lssd bor With iba rep,ar ha hod
hios, lepi..se nei WIN Jug reiiiaih ne hau a
10 o,rind was ,; o az vUne; me
" M,t this nomsenon,, ''''o W "'' N0Ae
Tbsre ,re thnnsands ond tbo,sonds of
aching hearts in This conntrv starvins for
tntans Of Love i'' '''A'-' ''i -0-
'oN Wownp wber MY, mosor1ino i, tomnor or
hardened Inv some bi,tar evnnrience into an an
;nsensibiI,y WbolIy MN af,,raI are Iva, ",'