The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-05-24
AFFINITIES.

TScene-A wood; springtime. Leonard
Beauchamp and Marie Fairlight are walk
ing through the wood.
Leonard-All good things must come
to an end and the best of friends must
part, | suppose. But the last week
has been the shortest and happiest
can recall in my life.
Marie-Yes. 1t has been delightful.
1t is so refreshing to meet some one
that one can talk to on some other
subject than the weather.
Leonard (refectively)-We have had
some very nice talks. How I shall
miss them!
Marie-The squire always manages
to bring charming set of people to-
gether. call him an ideal host,
and like his wife, too, though she's
little too matter of fact perhaps.
Leonard-Yes. She will persist in
calling me Adelaid's young man.
Marie-Wel, are youP
Leonard Yes; oh, yes. That's
right enough, but the accident of my
being engaged to her niece scarcely
warrants such grotesque familiarity,
on our first visit, too.
Marie-Accident, do you call it?
What a queer expression for an en-
gagged man to use.
Leonard not most engage
ments accidentsP Sometimes fatal
ones.
Marie-When are they fatal?
Leonard-When they end in matri-
mony.
Marie-I was always under the i'm
preston that the sole object of an en-
gaoement was marriage.
Leonard-Yes, and that is why there
are SO many unhappy ones.
Marie-But, dear me; what other
end would you have, to an engage
ment.
Leonard would have natural
end. According to my idea a man
and woman should be engaged to
each other on-well, to put it bluntly,
on trial. Yes, you laugh, but it is
common sense. Let them see how the
closer intimacy works before they're
| tied together for life. In nine cases
out of ten it doesn't work, but neither
| has the pluck to face the situation, and
they go to the altar doomed to a life
of mutual boredom, or something
| worse.
Marie-That is all very fine, my
friend, but supposi~g only one of them
gets tired of the other. A woman,
admit, never has reason (that is, not
logical one) for anything she does,
but her instinct is seldom at fault
| where her heart is concerned, and she
rarely takes back the love she once
| sincerely gives. Now, tell me, what
| is to become of the woman who still
loves the man who has grown tired OF
| herp
Leonard (admiringly) = How you
spot the weak place in my theory!
admit the difficulty, of course. But
don't you understand that man needs
something more than mere loving adj
miration. He wants companionship
He wants to spend his life with wo
man who is his minds mate, not hi
echo. Mere simpering agreemen
does not satisfy him. He wants to fee
the presence of an intellect that cal
look life in the face on equal term
with his own. But need not say al
this to you, for you perfectly under
stand what l mean.
Marie-Yes, I understand.
Leonard-And-and you sympathiz
with mep
Marie-About whatP
Leonard-Come. We are friends
you know, and friends should b.
frank.
Marie-And prudent.
Leonard-But surely there is no i'm
prudence in speaking to you of wha
you must know already.
Marie-My friend, why speak to m
of what must know alreadyP
Leonard-Oh, it isn't as if Adelaid
had any real love for me. Then you
reproof might be deserved. Besides
you must have seen how she has cal
ried on with young Sebright since W
have been here.
Marie-Oh, harmless fun, nothin
more. She is of lively Temperament
You shouldn't be too hard on hel
She is so young.
Leonard--We are utterly unsuite
to each other, and you know it. I Sc
it so strongly ever since I met you.
Marie-Hush! We cannot be friend
if you talk to me like that.
Leonard-What CHASTITY farce lii
is! We have lived all these years VI
conscious of each others existenct
and we meet now, now when it is tc
late. That's so like the "cussedness
of things generally.
~ Marie-You forget we have onl
known each other week. A wee
hence we might bore each other il
sufferably.
Leonard = Never. Some nature
! seem to have known each other alway
the very first time they meet.
Marie-You believe in afinitiei
then.
Leonard-Most certainly. If thel
are chemical affinities, why not hums
affinities?
Marie-The theory of afinities do
not seem to adapt itself quite SO we
to human nature as to chemistry.
Leonard-No, there again is the ge
eral cussedness was speaking OF.
Marie-But surely true triendsh
atones to some extent for what "
call the cussedness of things gene
ally.
Leonard (gloomily)-I thought SO
day or two ago, but now on the eve
parting with you I feel differently.
Marie-How differently We C;
be friends just the same when abse
or present.
Leonard-But don't friends feel
feel sad at parting from each other.
Marie-Of course they do-in wa
Leonard-In what WaYP