The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-06
for the Dispatch.1 49,. ,-.
-s."r. Like and Love.

Every now and then We see;an account OF
one or the othGr curiosity, or other fact,
found in the Bablc, but as yet have not
seem it stated that the word like is never
used in the Bible in the same sensein which
We bear it SO frequently uscd-namely, as q
synonym for love. Pnc-'!i, 'Ehronicles,
xviii, 4, the msord like is used ind he imper-
feet tense; and to the superficial reader it
may seem to he used instead Of tovcd, but
MS the Hebrew has it TdEzuA, which, among
other meanings, embodies that of 20 favor,
there can be no doubt that this is the mean
ing OF the word liked in The case referred
to, as will likewise be readily seen from the
context. II we take the Bible us oeU stand
ard It would follow that the Typrd ike does
not express in an jnferior degree that atlec-
ton OF the heart known as aeve, but rather
n satisfaction with a thing. Webster gives
as the first meaning OF like "to be pleased
with in a moderate degree" Young
man, do not haitcr yourself, there
fore, when young lady tells you
that she likes You, for, bear Ia mind, that
according to the above definition she s,enly
pleased with you sin q moderate degree"
That exquisite product OF nature between
rose and IN angel, commonly known SIS
woman, not only seems 10 be web aware O.;
this distinction, bln likewise that it is mot
always made, and hence uses it as q slltter-
fuge when unceremoniously qlizZed-kill-
ing two birds with one stone, keeping her
secret to herself, and not having TO accuse
her conscience of having told IN uEtruth
She uses it Just rs she does the word cousin,
which has set many young man to euSsin'
cousin when he learned too late how dis
family said individual was related to her.
She speaks of us well US to n young msn as
liking him, but, oh! how wretchedly she
would feel II the same construction were
placed on her words in both cases. Love is
good old English word Lindley Murray
and other glRmmarianS even went as far as
to coniugate it throughout all its forms. 1t
is the one great command Of the Bible, and
yet we find that it is daily growing
more and more obsolete in the same
ratio in which the word like is gain
ing preponderancc. At the present rapid
decline in the use OF the word love it will
not be long ere it will be remembered SIM
ply rs thing of the past, "of the good old
times" Even the bashful young worship
pers at the shrine OF Cupid are already hail
ing its substitute like, and this may &C.
count for so many unhappy marriages, rs
people nowadays like too much and love
too little; they are for the time being too en-
silly satisfied with merely being pleasing sin
~ nouciate utSIcc. WHY people SuOulQ De
SO reticent with love and like like so well
is mystery to me. 1t may be well enough
to say that we like thing or u person that
is more or less Indifferent to us as long
as we are satisfied with the same, but to
say that we are mans friend, but merely
like him but do not love him, is per-
fectly preposterous, as true friendship
Is the offspring Of love. II we trace
the pedigree 4 little farther, it is true, we
lind that Love is the daughter of Like, but
1t is equally true that grandpa Like would
never have seen his grandchild Friendship
ushered into mundane existence had it not
been for his sweet daughter Love. The
Bible commands us to love even our ene-
mics, but if the best we can do for our dear
est friends is to like them / am rather in
clined to think that Dir. Enemy will get but
little benefit from the gospel command. !
do not suppose that any etymologist doubts
for moment any OF the above statements;
but then, why not call horse horse 7
Come, let us have nomore beating about the
bush. II you have friend and love him,
and want to tell him so, say love you, and
II necessary state the degree. but do not
make him ponder over the doubtful compli-
menteXpressed in the words 81 like you'-
that is, am pleased with you "in mode
rate degree" GREENS.