The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-28

cries with which the astronomy OF our time
is continually surprising the world.
What Shall She DO?
This letter is the confession OF girl who
is in love. and It is therefore pertinent to
the discussion Of marriage which Is now
| going on In evory civilized country:
liam IL years old and would like to keep company
with nice young man. have auburn hair dark blue
eyes pretty mouth and white. even teeth. and hands
OF nne shape. am very pretty can hirt. and any
young that ever nirted with has always seen me
home and mndo appointment for the evening I
wished: bnt something has always happened that
could not 60. Therefore I cannot see young man
often enough for him to ask for my company no. now.
what will you tell do cannot help asking tho
| question for, to confess tho truth I am in love"
The thoughtless reader might infer from
| this simple letter that our fair correspond
ent is vain OF her charms: but we do not
| so interpret her frank description Of the
beauties which her mirror reveals to her.
She refers to her comcliness merely to indi-
onto that the desire Of her heart Is unsatis-
| fled because she is deprived OF the oppor-
tunity for It's qualification. not because she
| Is unpleasing In masculine eyes. She means
| to convey to us the necessary information
| that circumstances and not nature itself
arc excluding her from matrimony. and to
ask US why 1t Is possible that men can be
insensible to such attractions.
1t might also be objected to her letter that
itdescribes only the symmetry other person.
the beauty Of her hair. eyes, mouth, teeth.
and hands; the pcrishable beauty which
| appeals to the eyes. and not the immortal
beauty Of the soul. She does not tell us Of
80 ,1,o orl ~ Al nj iv,
tellectual cndowments which deserve re-
spect. but presents only the physical lowell
| ness which allures the manly heart. 1t may
| be to destruction.
She also confessss very frankly that she
is ablc to make this armament Of beauty Of
fectlve in the mimic warfare Of love which
She calls flirting: thereby revealing a dis
position which might be censured as frivo-
lous. and method Of subjugatton which
might DO reprobated as unbecoming In a
| girl. and even sinful. But wo cannot join
in any such criticism OF our young and
beautiful correspondent The flirting Of
| which she speaks Is only another name
for tho instructive and innocent femi-
nine art OF provoking admiration and
kindling love in man. It Is tho
skirmishing preliminary to the great
| engagement which tho woman would
| incite She cannot make the offer Of mar
riage herself. but she can prepare tho way
| for it: and even II the man with whom she
| firts is not the particular man from whom
she would have the proposition come, he is
| a representative Of the masculinity she
| would interest. Neither ought VIC to expect
from her a recapitulation Of her other
claims than beauty upon the consideration
Of men. She could hardly make it without
betraying conceit and opening herself up to
a charge OF self-laudation which might be
moro justlfiable than the charge Of vanity,
for which the explanation Of her personal
beauty will give occasion in some minds. She
would be loved for herself as an interesting
and lovely creature: and she implies that
| physical symmetry and perfection are typi-
cal OF moral and spiritual beauty. First Of
all. she understands instinctively. that such
personal loneliness appeals to man in accord
ance with tho law Of natural selection. and
it is Of high Importance to the race. IN
| doubtedly it may consist with moral de-
| formity or intellectual weakness. but it is q
valuable possession for the mothers Of men.
for such physical charms as she describes
are suggestive OF sound health and vigor-
GUS constitution. both so desirable in q
woman and so important In marriage.
Our fair questioner has not thought out
| all this. 1t is instructive in her, so wonder
| full is the providence OF nature. She Is a typ
| ical woman, so far as her sentimental tactics
go. who reveals the secret Of the feminine
heart in the confidence OF THE SUNS SYM
! pathetic love confessional.
What shall we advise her TO do in the Sit
| uation? How shall she make known to tho
| young man the love that Is in her heart ?
Alas tho question Is unanswerable unless
| by herself. There Is no precise and in
| variable way OF accomplishing the purpose.
SO far as We have ever discovered. but
| girls usually succeed in it. we have OBJ
| served. by some indescribable method Of
their own: and we do not doubt that she.
| too. will find the way by the mid OF her own
wits alone. 1t is secret which Is usually
revealed to tho man whom 1t concerns.
though he may be the last to find 1t out. for
the run OF mon are modest as to their ca
pacity to provoke such feminine partiality.
Very likely this very young man would toll
the same story OF love concealed and timor-
Gus II he ventured into tho confessional OF
THE Sun: and II we could tell him the secret
OF our correspondent. his heart would
leap with JOY. Instead Of attributing
her failure to keep company with
him to causes beyond her control. probably
he deems it due to her Indifference for him.
II not absolute aversion. He may think
that she Is heartless fllrt who delights In
making him wrctched Ten to one. that Is
the case. we will DO bound. He does not
ask for her company lest he be refused and
all his hopes dashed. He has not got his
courage up to tho point YETI but the timo
will come when his surcharged feelings will
compel him to take the risk nay. not risk.
but blssful certainty 1t is. as We know IN
sacred confidence.
As our correspondent ia only eighteen.
VIC suppose the marriage will not be
fastened, but that the lovers will be salts
| Gpl ,sith the dnliaxhtS Of kaapipcx ~