Year: 1868

Apologists for the "sex cngendered pou,


damner tout lie monde are wont to say


that the artation of young ladies is only


a kind of necessary experiment. By no


other means can they properly test the


character of the various young gentlemen


solic tous of the honor of their hand.


Filtration enables them to 'diferentiate. ~


1t IA not 80 much an amusement as duty:


and the whole race of husbands that


mi sht he are only asked to sacrifice lit


tie time end attention for the benefit of


the husband that is. In the end they will


all share in the satisfactory results of the


theory lsnpposing that they all marry;


they are like SO many rejected articles


which wander from one Office to another.


until they light upon the magazine which


they really suit. The gentlemen whom


one hears advocating this theory point to


the otherwise defenceless state Of the girl


of twenty. What means has she of test


ing the character Of her suitor except that


of giving him little encouragement ard


observing the effect it has upon him


Then the lover begins to assume those airs


of special proprietorship which appertain


only to the husband; and from the manner


in which he COMFORTS himself in this new


character the young lady may judge of


what his developed conduct is likely to be-.


If the prospect is hot very enticing she


drops her suitor; there is bitter little
quarrel, much denunciation, she earns
some experience, and the reputation.
among illogical persons, Of being dan
gerous firt. This is pretty theory in
deed only we do not see why it should
not work both ways. Why should not
male flirts have the same excuse offered
for them? The women of the present day,
far more than the men, cultivate polished
reticence, graceful reserve, an appar-
ent Indifference which almost defy an in.
quiry into their real nature. But man
who engages in a little preparatory exper-
mental love making with several young
persons at once. or in succession, is hooted
and scorned. We accord to our women
the right Of playing little with the vari-
GUS offers held out to them but we expect
that our young men should 60 strai ght
ahead, like blinded horse, and run his
nose against the first person who comes in
his way. He has no business to look to
the right hand nor to the left. Society
expects him to make up his mind in the
privacy of his own chamber. and then
come out and meet his doom like man.
His business is not to consider, but to
marry. Let him be thankful for what he
gets, and discover the character of his
wife in the impartial time which succeeds
to the first blush Of marriage.


No mortal mau, however, was ever able
to accommodate his life to a theory and so
we find men continually making those ex-
periments which are supposed to be the
exclusive rights of women. Unfortunately,
also, they sometimes go little too far;
and not only in withdrawing incur the
of society, but also put them
selves within the reach of the law. Per-
haps the suitor is at first quiet charmed
with his choice. He forgets those prudent
maxims which the wisdom of previous
generations has handed down to him.
There is nothing in all the earth to COM
pare with his Sylvia; and he does not
mind in what term he utters the opinion.
The mischief happens when he puts his
opinion on paper, and records his unalter-
.ble intention of making Sylvia his wife.
By-and- by he discovers certain flaws in
Sylvia's temper, or family connections, or
individual history of which he was pre-
viously ignorant. He begins to reflect
and the afianced lover who hesitates is
lost. He proceeds to suffer peculiar
lualms about t ose too positive assertions
which he so innocently scribbled down on
note-paper and posted to Sylvia. Perhaps
ne wonders if she burnt them and feels
on remembering how often
she has talked of the exceeding care with
which she boards every specimen of his
beloved penmanship. There are now two
courses open to him. If he fulf!s his
written and spoken vows, he must marry
| woman whom he would rather not mar
y; and such a marriage is not likely to be
productive of extraordinary happiness.
t, on the other hand, he resolves to with
RAW from the society of Sy lvia, that gen.
le creature is down upon him with law
'er's letter, giving him notice of an inten-
led action. Alas for the poor suitor.
those tender epistles which he wrote in
he gushing fullness of his affection are
low read to tittering court they are put
u prominent position in the newspapers
" the inhuman suE-editors they furnish |
ood for goddess levity in smart leading ar
icles. Then the damages. Impertinent |
Inquiries are made as to his income, his
'osition in society, and what not and,
While he is:perhaps in bitter feud with his
ailor and jeweller, two or three years in
ONE is demanded from him in order to
olace the wounded spirits Of Sylvia. He |
aims experience, doubtless, but he has to |
'ay for it. Sylyia's friends look upon


i'm as traitor and villain; his own
rends regard him ompassionately as
,nl ho -, v,o1a tha h,,tt nf rnhlIc r,Ii- |
ule and has to yield up larger sum of
money, perhaps, than he ever possessed at


ny one time during his life. Persons
lave been known to incur these penalties |
more than once in their career; but such
ases are rare, and point to some congenital
lefect oe intellect. Indeed, the wretched
md imbccile figure cut by man who is
prosecuted for breach of promise of mar
iage is almost enough to deter all other |
nen from ever writing to woman under


my circumstances whatever. The legal
penalty is nothing to the ridicule which
le incurs. Perhaps the unholy delight
which every reader of newspaper exper-
ences on meeting with the publication in
. law court of series of love-letters, is
PARTLY due to his inward consciousness |
hat he, too, has written as absurd rubbish.
'ut was too prudent or lucky to do SO pro
ono publico.


The neral, glaringly pointed out
" all such cases is the Ineligible one
# caution on the part of the suitor. He
'ught to conduct his experimental research
nto the fair ones character without put
ing his hasty estimate upon letter paper.


t does not all follow that Sylvia looks
merely to the acquisition of certain sum
# money when she institutes a suit |
.gainst him on account of his faithless-
less. If such be her character, he de-
erves to be mulcted in heavy damages for
,ot having discovered it in time. 1t is far
more likely that anger and resentment
aused by the gross insult of his desertion,


ra the moving causes. Perhaps he has |