Your letter seems to us to be a candid admission of your feelings. You do not state your age, but we should imagine that you were young and just a little foolish.
We hardly think you have experienced the feeling called love, although your evident pity for the one young man’s feelings is akin to the sentiment. You should endeavor to redeem your reputation at once as the sobriquet of “Flirt” is not very desirable. You will never win the love of a good man so long as you show that your nature is fickle. We should advise you to devote your time to your work or your books and try to develop your character. In this way you may be able to discover your exact feelings towards the young man whom you seem to prefer at present.
“In spite of the fact that I have steadily repulsed him, a young man of my acquaintance has stuck to me for months. I have told him plainly that I do not believe that I will ever really love any one, but he has persisted in showing me attention, and now I almost look to him for all my friendship, for the other men, I am sure, do not really care for me—they are just flirting like I am myself. I know this one would propose if I gave him the chance, but I won’t give him an opportunity unless I am going to accept him. Do you think I would be doing him an injury to marry him? I am not vicious, but I am afraid that I would want to flirt after marriage just the same as I do now.
“Olive W.”
By no means marry this young man until you are sure you love him. There have been too many of these uncertain marriages made already without your swelling the number.
A woman who would “flirt” after marriage must be terribly lacking in dignity, and if she does not respect herself she cannot expect to be respected. We should judge that the young man you speak of is a very nice person, and we sincerely hope for his sake that he will marry an honest, self-respecting woman.
“We live in the suburbs, and I have been coming to New York to matinees ever since I wore long dresses. I met a fellow at a continuous performance one afternoon, and we struck up an acquaintance.
“Since then I have corresponded with him and have met him in the city a number of times, and had luncheon with him. Now he wants me to go to the theatre with him some evening and spend the night at his boarding-place.