The herald., 1895-07-07
OF THE GIRL WHO FLIRTS.
No Man With Common Sense Wants
Her for His Wife.
CHARACTER OF THE MALE rLlRr.
He II Unht for self-Respecting Girl
or Woman to Associate
With.

II have Just as much right to glance
and smile at passing gentleman whose
eyes meet mine as he has to look and
smile at me-" said a young girl In my
| hearing a girl who was true 1T heart,
| and in many respects worthy of admira-
tion yet who liked to flirt a lttle-"just
| for fun
| Granted. She had as much fright" n
she chose to place herself upon his level,
But does she know what his level jsY
His level is that of dissolute, profiigate
life, nine times out Of ten, yes, ninety-niue
times out of a hundred; but what, to a
pure, young girl, do those words meanf
They mean next to nothing. She has no
conception OF their meaning, until as a
wife she may learn their horrible depths.
she mas as much right to fiirt as a man
mas put should she care to exercise that
right? She has as much right to smoke
and to swear, but does she care to do
those things? If not then the fact of
her right Is poor argument in favor Of
her flirting.
She has as much right to fiirt. How
much right has he? None whatever. He
may, If he chooses. but he has no right ia
do anything that lowers or weakens his
moral character, nor has she.
But some of you girls say: 1--WE do IL
only for little fun" Granted again.
believe you. But be assured that the man
VINO gives you meaning glance as he
passes you has depth of meaning be-
hind that glance which would turn you
sick with horror could you read 1t.
"A passing gentleman" said the girl I
quoted. Would gentleman give a girl
such a look? Neverl He may be ex-
Iulsite IN dress perfect In manner, but at
heart he Is a brute, not a gentleman,
But these girls say again: 1--WE would
not marry such a man for the world. for
we Know man who fiirts with one girl
iiirts with ALL" Who then will they mar.
ry? Do they think an honest, true man.
such @ one as they intend to marry when
time comes for thinking of that-would
choose for his wife a girl whom he had
seen hirting with men whom he despised?
Men know each others characters: thew
read them much more plainly than a girl
can possibly do, and If they do not scorn
the girl who firts they pity her weakness
OF character. Do they wish to place them
selves in this light before those with whom
they associate?
To many girls-and I am writing onlv
of and to girls who are true at heart
there is fascination about a man who
Is "a little fast" and In the company of
such one they feel sort of cautious
recklessness which proves exciting I be-
lieve this Is due almost invariably to their
own innocence and of the, to them, myste-
rious import of that word fast" But .s
well might they expect to handle SCOT and
not be blacKened as expect to mingle with
such men and not suffer stain uron
their moral character. 1t tells. Others
see 1t If they do not. The figure may
seem strange-a comparison of these men,
gentlemen in appearance, with sost-but
1t is only because of the imperfect vision
of our world-accustomeG eyes. We do not
see as God sees. We do not even try to
see as our Maker would have US see and
as it is possible for us to see. We lose
our vision of true womanhood and lower
If girls could but realize in small
measure the agony which comes to the
wives of such men-agony which you help
to bring IL you encourage low thoughts
and wrong desires and drag down the
standard of womanhood-you would shun
the fun" Of flirting, as you would a
plague. tal
You are true at heart; you would turn
from what you saw to be actual evil; then
serve your higher motives, not your lower.
Compel respect instead of losing it, Show
your strength of character and love of
truth by positive avoidance Of the fast"
men of any set-the ''darlings of society,"
quite as completely as the loafer upon
the street. j. d. COWLES.