Page:Advice to young ladies on their duties and conduct in life - Arthur - 1849.djvu/89

Rh cause disparaging remarks. The other young lady, even though she do not ordinarily take pleasure in noticing the faults of her acquaintances, cannot help assenting to what is said, and the temptation to express herself freely on the subject will be very strong. She should guard herself, however, and avoid magnifying what did really occur, and should seek to change the subject as quickly as possible. Something like the following mode of reply, in such cases, should be adopted:—

“Did you ever see such horrid taste as Miss P displayed?” remarks one young friend to another. “She looked like a stage-dancer.”

“She certainly was very much over-dressed.”

“Over-dressed! Goodness! She was dressed to death. Every body remarked it. How silly it is for a girl like her to render herself so conspicuous!”

“You noticed Miss L, did you not?”

“O, yes! Wasn’t she dressed sweetly? I think I never saw her look so beautiful in my life.”

“Miss L is a girl of good taste.”

“And, you may add, good temper and good sense. Did you notice how Sarah J flirted with young S? She is a terrible coquette. I had my eye on her all the evening. Although