The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-05

A GRAY afternoon on a gray day,
- With snow coming before night by
all the signs in the almanac But
in our living room the glow of a bright
fire on the hearth, and, for wonder,
at 4 o'clock, every body there. from the
judge TO the child playing with her doll
in the corner one of the silences that
fall into intimate talk was broken by
the mother, who said, casually, to no
one in particular: so Julie Z. is en-
gagged. l received the announcement
this morning.
All" said Aunt Jane, locking up
with interest Il am glad to hear it.
She is a finished firt, but she will
probably marry and settle down as her
mother did before her. For my part"
the old maid went on, with a charming
smile, Il approve of girls flirting, TO a
certain extent"
Il have no doubt, Aunt Jane" ven
tured the young fellow from Harvard
that you yourself know all about it,
Father and Uncle Edward can tell
tales
Aunt Jane is frankly an old maid
She glOries in the title, and wears it
like decoration. There is a tradition
in our family that. she and a friend
who pays semi-annuai visits at our
house have carried on a Irritation for
the last thirty years. Whenever the
old doctor calls he lays his heart and
his fortune at Aunt James feet, and she
as regularly declines them, but they re-
main fast friends. Lately Aunt Jane
has been growing handsomer; her
mourning put on two years ago for her
father, the general who was helpless
invalid SO long, has been softened and
exchanged for laVenders and grays.
Maybe she'll accept the doctor yet. His
nieceS, however, have had the immense
advantage of living with an unmarried
woman who has not despised what may
be called airs and graceS.
Julie +. was a finished fiiTt. you
said. Jane; by that did you mean
heartless f1iTt2 1 cannot endure a girl
who goes through life carried away by
n desire for admiration, and paTading
her triumphe." The speaker was a wo-
man older than our beautiful aunt
her half-sister-
do you mean such "A girl as Rosa
mond Vincy. in 'Middlemarch,' or
Eustacia, in The Return of the Ma
tive? " inquired the Harvard boy, "or
perhaps one of those fascinating crea-
lures that Kipling tells about at Simla
girls like cats with the feline nature
and the stealthy ways. and the purring
sweetness regular deceivers2''
Dear me-" said Aunt Jane, looking
speeulatiVely at the young colIegian
You read something beside Greek at
Cambridge, don't you, Fred? No, L don't
mean any heroine out of any book
flIrt nor, for an instant, sister Pa
thence addressing the older lady, do
j intend TO call a girl heartless who
flirts prettiIy and naturally, as a bird
sings. or a rose blooms. In your day
sister, and mine, we were taught to
hirt.'
''Meaing precisely what?, The
grave voice was that Of James brother
in-law. the judge, father of the Har-
ward man.
Meaning this, Louis. begging your
pardon, that we girls were shown that
loneliness was rare and exquisite
thing in maiden; that we held our
selves proudly and had to be courted
and were not too easily won; that we
were never, never anxious To have a
man call on US, nor defgned to Won
der why he stayed away, nor thought
IL possible we could be slighted by
anyone who belonged to- your AFRO
CANT sex. Until girl had actually
said yes TO "A very persistent and
humble sutton. he never felt quite sure
that she wouldn't say no Julie p
Is that sort of girl She has not been
too lightly won. 1t has taken much
trouble and pains to secure her love.
! have only contempt for a tickle
hearted cOquette. as you well know
But 7 consider a certain amount OF
pretty. coy. elusive flirting to be le-
Ultimate. 1t is girls chain armOr
over in Japan they teach the little
maiden I'm school how 20 dc II. They
put value you see. on the graceful
by-piay which a woman ought to have
az her command. l don't care very
much about those downright girls who
are solid and substantial but never
understand how to take compliments
or TO give them. They are like peo-
pie who have large bills In their peck
etbOolSs. but never a single bit Of
small change. Worthy girls, no doubt.
but not fascinating"
Aunt Jane left the room. She had
noticed a poor pensioner of hers step
ping in at the area gate. and for all
such. on her tongue was the law of
Kindness and on her pantry shelves
q store of bread and meat. When she
WAS gone, her. brother-ih law took up
the strain and talked on.
You girls and bows he said. may
have your doubts. but trust me- the
truest. tenderest, best woman T. ever
knew, and the most domestic, ~ the