The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-31
Falling I'm Love.

doom IL Glrl WHO NcNCl ol'cii> iCl ny" {;
the cvnic who hates bread and butter trcm-
blcs before miss in her teens; the prlm
young ncophyte of the parsonage Wolshlps
the h0rSiest OF Dianas. No doubt there Is
method in all this madness, and phlloso-
phcr vet to come will rescue this bit OF out
living existence from the realm of caprice. But
as vet nobody has brought love within the
calculation OF chances. 1t IS Just as impossl-
bic as it was in the days of our forciathcrs to
predict whom we shall fall in love with. Ii
is still as difficult as it ever was to decide
who is likely to fall in love with us. The
only result which comes OF meditation on
tie subject is sort of conviction that under
certain perfectly incxplicable conditions 1t IS
possible for anybody to fall i'll love With any
body else.
10 doubt this is sheer treason against the
conventional theory on the SUBJECTIVE
theory.t that enioins upon us to worship the
golden calves OF Darby and Joan. This faith
retains an almost incalculuhle power over
the deeper heart of humanity. All our pro-
tests against c.!l-wors!lip would never ROB
it Of single votary' among the lowest OF the
pa0plc. The code Of poet and novelist Is
Observed with touching obedience Ill inc
kitchen. When the "young man OF lie
below stairs falls in love with bis "yollng
wom,n,n falling in love means walking TO-
eethcr. and walking together means marry
ing. Consistency, in spite OF CoeridScs &C
tllIn, lives in realms below. The tinicneSS,
the monotonv, the uniformity Of such pas
sion, halmonizcs well enough with the tone
Of the servants hail but We venture TO de-
nlur when a chorus Of poets and sentlilcll-
talists call on us to bow down before inc
mulnbo-jumlo Of the kitchen. Their preach
ing is simply untrue TO our experience. NO
doubt IIeinc's "Palm Tree Is the most
charming of poems. and effective Athnltles"
is not quite the Gu!icst Of novels out, as q
matter Qf fact, the pinins souls whom we
meet are commonly young things over tnirey !;
and fate ana destiny resolve themselves, Id
the bulk Of cases, into rcncoatre iii BALL
room or chat on Il rainy afternoon. Ihcre
is no harm in giving big names to such little
matters, but there is great harm III the
sentimental Pharisaism which the theory
of poets and spipsters involves. If Darby
and Joan are the orthodox ideals of human
affection, then nine.tcnths Of the human
race as they really exist must be doomed
as herctical For one human being who
loves with this concentrated energy
there are dozen who are rovcrs IN
love, rs in croquct. For one VINO loves
"ouce forever" there are hundred who are
forever tumhln@ into love and tumbling out
of it. The infinite variety Of human tenn
pers laughs at these big prctentious gcnelali-
Unions. but they do their work nevertheless.
Just as marriage, under able management,
bcgets social hypocrisy, so love-making, With
the aid of Mc>srs. Upper and IennEson, De-
gets the hypocrisy Of the affections. HOW
I'D IL, lu 1-1II tower
among the chicken bones of the picnic, With
out looking for the statue Of the armed
knight and ones own Gencyicrc! How I'M
possible to listen to tic fal-oG chimes from
the cathedral tower, as we drive home from
the country ball in the summer dawn, with
out uttering the "threc little words" that
made the Gardeners Daughter" SO SUI
prerey comfortable! And yet Genevieve IS
but hoyden, and the picnic picnic; and
the gay little squeeze of three fingers in a
cloak-room is ITO such great matter after ALL
Life is indefinitely too delightful 4 thing to
allow all its freshness and gayety to lie
washed out of it by flood Of romantic and
monotonous twaddle. Let poets sing as they
will, every summer will bring its "iree
love" back again. It is only in the sunshine
that one can really fall in love. Winter and
the freside and the necessity Of conversation
give love-making a serious, practical air.
which robs it of all JOY and geniality. The
sunshine pours around it its own bright, in
distinct, vivityins haze. Sport with AM
aryllis in the shade, and the sport ends with
proposals and calculations Of tic prosaic
order; but pure poetry broods over that
nest in the deep fern where the sun-gean
chances from tress after tress Ga one toys
with the tangles OF NeNra's hair. 1t is diff
cult to be st once serious and hot. With the
Thermometer at seventy it Is physically
impos9ibleto be impassionedo or to lavish vows
of an ardent affection. " Forever and for
ever" loses an absurd defnitencss. What
is really possible is to lie in a sunny blissf,u-
ness and to break ones Nirvana Of enjoy
ment now and then by q whisper of delight
Then ito enjoy is all the art we know" Old
things have passed aWay-the governors
growl over our bills, mammals lecture over
that waltz with young Prodgal-all things
have become new. 1t IS amazing TO think
that VIC were bored by old Twaddlc at break
fast. 1t is hard TO believe that one will he
bored by him again at dinner. Here III the
ferlI-lcaves, with the sun oyerheadand NeGln
half doing over :. Lothair," boredom seems
impossible. 1t is this transformation OF
life, this Punishment of its uSliness
and its bother which gives such a
zest to falling in love. Love Is simply
yulgarized when it stoops to enlangle
itself with puzzles about papa's consent and
problems about butchers bills. LIS true iue
is the life OF pure fancy. One knows that TO
assert Neera's red hair to be golden Is an
absolute defiance Of feet. But, then, half the
charm Of loye-making lies in the defiance OF
fact. One knows amid all ones protestations
Of consistency that Clarissa's golden hair will
be red tomorrow but in tho sunshine there