Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-09-10
WAYS OF MEN IN LOVE.
A SCIENTIST HAS CATALoGUEC THE
ACTS OF cUPlO'S VICTIMS.

Serious Minded German Professor Has
Evolved a Guide Book of Love Games
-Caressing, Fighting, Self Exhibition
and Coquetry - Make Love as Sport.
The long ago poetical phrase, The
sportiveness of love-" assumes a fresh
significance since Professor Karl
Gross evolved a guide book of love
games and catalogued them into classes
and sections with erudite observations
upon the heads in general and enter
tanning tales by way Of specific in
stances.
Love games, says Professor Gross,
arc chiefly four; Caressing games,
games of self-eXhibition, fighting
games, and games of coquetry. Sweet
hearts play caressing games because
they like to be near each other; they
play games of self-eXhibition because
they wish each other to behold their
merits; they play fighting games be-
cause thay find it necessary sometimes
to fight t. win each other, or because
fighting Is one method of displaying
their adorable qualities; they play CO.
quetry games because they are made
coquettish and for no other reason in
the world.
Despite the fact that they have been
pursuing their games since time pre-
historic, and although they are sup
posed by those outside the enchanted
pale to be laughable alike in their COO
ing they have not decided upon a uni
versal pattern for their games. Not
even the kiss is excepted when Pro-
fessor Gross propounds this interest
ing revelation, honored with supreme
glory by dreamy bards as we'll as by
intoxicated suitors. All children play
catch and hide and seek, no matter
whether they be the dainty scions OF
lordly Fifth avenue houses or sooty lit
tie beggars from South African novels,
or heather Chinese, but when they are
grown and begin TO learn the games of
love they each make up games of their
own fancy.
Perhaps the little play toying with
Insignificant objects is the nearest eX-
preston Of universally in love games
of caressing. Even those berightel
peoples who have not discovered the
ecstasy of kisses enjoy this petty trif-
ling of which the lovers in the Mill
on the Floss are type. Kitty was do
Ing her fancy work and asked Stephen
for the scissors, which were passed and
repasscd between them without the
least reason for doing SO, eXcGrt the
proximity to which it led and the hand
ling cf one object together. 1t is the
trick Of the boarding school hoyden--
and who shall say how many others OF
the fair-to let her shoestrings unite
SO that the spruce STRIPPING who has
captivated her heart may have the op-
portunity of tying them again. The
dignifed Oriental wooer Who disdairs
the intimacy of kiss does not scorn
the delights Of examining the orna-
ments worn by his beloved not only
with his eyes but his fingers.
The more naive the period or social
class, thinks Professor Gross, the more
common is this sort Of play. At the
spinning fetes of olden-time Europe
couple after couple sang spinning
song while their hands crept in and
about the spinning apparatus.
Plays Of self-exhibition arise out Of
the lovers desire TO present himself
in the most advantageous light posi-
BILE before his loved one With this
in view he plays part. He acts as
though he were Drawer, stronger, more
skillful, handsomer, of more delicate
feeling and keener intelligence than
he is actually and habitually. A COM
ic paper once observed that a lover
always tries to be as lovable as possible
and hence always makes himself RI
diculous.
The lover not only has the aim in
view of pleasing his sweetheart but he
also enjoys his little exhibitions for
heir own sake He appears to be look
ing on at himself listening 10 is own
fairy tales, and e,!iGyirg his own par
aiding. When this is done to excess
his game is commonly known as flrt-
ing.
One of the features of self-eXhibi-
ton arc the contests of many swains
before their ladies. The old-time tour
naments, whose victors were given the
privilege of crowning their chosen
one as the queen of love and beauty,
are one of the many examples. And
man in q contest feels double stiEula-
rion to do his utmost when ladies are
present. They have long learned that
prowess and a martial bearing are ad-
mired by the fair ones. This a1mira-
ton is in part a relic of the earlier
form Of lover-like exhibitions. The
Indians use their war paint and feath-
ers primarily TO delight the squaws.
In some tribes men do not dare to
marry for no woman will have them
until they have slain number of foes.
The conquest of rivals in this way
; becomes one means Of self-eXhibition.
1t proves his supremacy. In some
tribes the youths gather together and
fight for the belle, and the conqueror
| bears her off as his prize. In the west
Victorian tribes a man is allowed to
carry away another mans wife If he
can defeat the man in combat. Both
the husband and the new suitor are en-
tirely satisfied and the woman takes
her fate as a matter of cours" In
New Zealand, when two suitors pre-
sent themselves before single charm
ing maiden, and both ere equally
strong, courageous, and clever in bat
tie and in combat, she gives the cov-
eted yes to the man that can pull
her arm the most vigorously. Each
man takes an arm aud they pul! simul-
taneously.
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