If you are acquainted with the young men whom you meet in the world,
you should know how to treat with them; yet experience proves that
for the most part a young lady is little posted in matters of this
nature. If the mind is already poisoned by the distemper of
incredulity, if the heart is already vitiated, if they have justly
won by their evil conduct a sad notoriety in the world, if they are
of that class that seek to take the advantage of woman's simplicity
by rendering vice agreeable to her in their own person; oh, you
cannot treat them with too great severity. Your language, your looks,
your attitude, should repel them from or command a respectful fear in
your presence. Do not fear to wound their feelings, or to be
impolite, or indecorous in their regard. An obstinate reserve, a
severe demeanor, is all that you owe them. Treating them with that
courtesy due to gentlemen would prove noxious to you, as they would
not fail to make of it a plausible reason to justify their insolent
conduct and rash judgments; be not deceived, the slightest mark of
benevolence that they would receive from you would be immediately
interpreted by them in the most perfidious manner.
Pages:
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168