The Washington times., 1894-07-08
COQUETRY AS A FINE ART
The Expert is Necessarily a Practical
Woman Of the World.
SHE STUDIES HER SUBJECT
Having Passed the Stage Of Serious Love
Affairs She Is Able to Gauge Consequences.
Her Operations as Methodical as Those Of
Business Man.

A wit has said that coIuetry as an art should
be considered only as an epicure pronounces
on an ortalan or as connoisseur discusses
Rubens. But he should have added that the
true artist in coquetry is the composite pic
ture of all women and envy Of her sex as past
mistress OF that subtle art that requires al
much diplomacy as craftsmanship. as much
daring as battle. as much cunning as law, as
much knowledge as alchemy. as much endur-
ance as poverty. as much mimicry as acting,
and as much originality as invention.
Your true coquetie is practical woman Of
the world. a woman of sense and taste. not q
human butterfly; she has passed the stage OF
serious love affairs and she must be able to
gauge consequences.
She is n WITCH and is forever appearing ss .
metamorphosized Cinderella: she is herself,
and for her admirers she presents the pictur-
esque delusion of perfect but capricious
womanhood; she is the rose. the luxur.ant,
passion-freIghted. exquisite, thousand-per-
fumed. breathing petals We call the rose, with
few thorns by way of contrast and for pro-
lection. No man believes in human peTfec-
tion-or likes it; the coquette knows this and
variety is the first law of coquetry. Then. too,
she is insinuating; she does not challenge ad-
alyst ofhuman nature, this coquette. She stud
les her subject carefully: sne learns his weak
nesses and datters them, not openly and vul-
garry but delicately and astutely. She asso-
cates herself to her circumstances. She real
izes that appreciation is the highest compli-
ment that one human being can pay another;
SO she pays it-in appearance, at least.
She is a wonder-sympathetic. yet reserved;
gracious, yet exaeting: experienced, yet in
genuous. and Gelicately suggestive. She
knows the exact value OF an additional tint,
a moment OF silence, an earnest glance. She
brings the neglected powers of her subject
into action: she awakens his enthusiasm; she
arouses his imagination; she brings his slug
gish emotions into play. She is an emotional
tonic to him, but he doesn't know it.
And how is it all done? All, that is magic.
She probes the temperament of her subject
and finds out what he wants. although he
may not know himself. Then she gives it to
him. Suygestiveness, every bit OF 1t. To be
sure. she is not what he wants, but she makes
him think she is. 1t is an illusion; she is a
magician. All. she is consummate actress.
She appreciates the value Of appearances, and
she caters to them.
She dresses her body in perfect taste-the
eye is satisfied: she modulates her voice to 3
musical pitch, with Just suspicion of
caresS in the tone-the ear becomes willing
victim: she is appreciative-the intellectual
want is filed; she idealizes herself-the ar
tistic sense succumbs; she fiatters- is
her captive: she denies-and her captive Is
caught: she is capricious-and her triumph
is assured. There is saying, crafty four
senses and deny the fifth and mankind is
your slave. That is one of the maxims of CO.
quetry.
She is creature of resources. too, this
coquette. She is magnetic by reason OF her
capriciousness. She is mysterious on prin-
ciple. Mystery is the unbounded fascination.
Never once does she let her real self be seen
or her real motives be fathomed. She appears
in thousand different lights. but never one
of her own. She advances hundred theories,
but she is as careful to hide her real beliefs =
she is to conceal her cosmetics.
Admiration is her realm. and in it she is an
autocrat. Love OF conquest is her besetting
sin And she feeds it and nurses 1t until 1t
kills nearly al the good in her nature. The
greater artist she is the greater her conquests.
She is like brave warrior in one respect
she loves an opponent worthy OF her skill.
But with alI her attractions she is a materi-
alis,. With her everything is subjective or
objective as it aids or illustrates her plans.
Her operations are rs methodical as those Of
a business man. Her philosophy is the philoso-
ply of cause AMI consequence, somewha,
hazy logically. but intuitively to the point
Sef-preseryatiou is her creed. She isn't a
believer in accident. She argues that clever
woman should provide against it. She :.
always careful to leave loophole OF escape
in her wall of triumph. Consequence is her
danger signal. On past causes by the rela-
tive method she bu;lds her victory. and thex
watches for consequences as a sailor does fos
signals and ports at the first ominous cloue
That is where her cleverness comes in. She
never goes too far.
As to her victims safety, that is another
matter, and must depend on her humanity or
his common sense. II she he u modern Bor-
gin in temperament, she viii drive him to des-
peratiou il only selfish. she will satisfy her
self with siugeiag his wings; il possessed Of q
of conscience. she will let him go
with an amusing experience.
As for the rest, VINO shall blame patient
spider for taking advantage Of a foolish fly?
MIR. Carlisle Improving
Secretary Carlisle had so far recovered
from his recent illness as to be able 70 be at
the department for IN hour Yesterday,