Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-28
The RICHMOND DIsPATCH-sATURDAY SEPTEMBER 49, 1896

definition of the tender passion. and ~.
plies in an evasiye way to- the question
SAYS sfiiiai love, fraternai love. and love
OF country may animate the breast at any
age. This shows that the heart grows
not old with years. Why, then, may not
the love par excellence also exist AT any
question Does sexual love contain an
element which tends TO become extin-
guished, not. to be sure. with the mere
passage Of years, but with physlcai aets-
is not fairly faced by Mime. Adam. who
writes: Those who regard love as
sensuous passion, and consequently re-
quire beauty and youth to inhame II, may
be right In deeming love after thirty
years ridiculous; but those who hold II
superior to fieshiy charm may. experience
1t at any age: just like other loves.
From the priori deductions OF femi-
nine casuist we turn, with seusta ,Sn
to the voice OF practical experience, mat
namely. OF a young lady, who. as she
frankly tells us. has studied mankind 10
several countries" who has personauy
had more adultation and attention than
falls to the lot of most OF her sex. and
consequently has had conAderapie eA
perience in love at all ages. ms eA
pert assures us that AT no age nav =
found the love OF man SO protouha, true.
and lasting as from IS to w. Aho.he.
matron, who Acknowledges that she ~
IAN old woman now" declares that my
experience tells me that love exists a.
any age, and the Darby ana joan al
lection is the sweetest OF all mas .
line correspondent also, who signs n'n ~
SELF IAN Old Lover" records tnat
was not married until much over w ny
wife the same age. She was my n,s
true love. Our love IL now, ai.sr 'e,
years welded life as strong as tnat Oh
any young people" -,.h
The bsst OF the letters dealing with
this interesting subject in the Telegrapn
Is signed "A Peripatetic philosopher. az
points out that whether men IN n,iuu a.,
life or even considerably advanced III
years. are capable OF love is not question
OF ratiocination, but OF fact. VIII ~ pe
soberly maintained. he asks. una, a., s oc.
love affairs which do unquestionaoiy DC
cur under our eyes in the AFTERNOON VI
evening OF life are mere matters OF IVY
ing, insincre make-believes? Inc supPoci,
ton Is refuted by daily experiense anu
by history. Even the measles VIII oc.a
sionally attack people in the sixties. anu
can IL be affirmed that love Is less capri
Cious than that malady? Many MN
and woman. too. who mas seen me-, ,ne r"v ~ .
sturdiness yerve, and elasticity OF ~,
might. II asked whether he or she were
in truth so years OF age . repSy' rs y u,u
to tGs naYNc sne my ns 6sp
| tismal certificate" Leibnitz, who prdc-
ticed what he preached. laid down the
| golden rule that man should take Iorty
| years to decide whether ne ioVea w" o.
worse Nor Is there any doubt that the
| comparative permanence OF the love ex-
perlence by middie-aged men IS que 70
the fact that they choose more Wisely
In their case Cupid Is not wholly blind.
| OF what Is known as calf-love. maTriaee
is apt to be the grave, just as IL Is .he
| end OF butterflies, which die Immediately
after pairing There may nay De h sois T noth,nu
half so sweet In life as loves young
| dream" but 1t is also true that nothing
| IS more fugitive: and this saccharfne dis
temper ought not to DE contoun .S W., was
! the really powerful sentiment that mas
ters the full-growa man.
Not a few legendary and historical ex
amples are marshalled In the Telegraph
to show that love sometimes acts as
spell or filter. whereby the old are mad
! Young again, as was Goethe's Faust.
| IL evident that Hercules was far from be
ing beardless boy. when. having lai
aside his club, he learned to spin at Tn
feet of Omphale Well nigh GO was Hem
Nv. when he fell so desperately In low
| with one of his relatives, young prin
cess. that she had to flee from Franc
| to avoid his attentions. Jean Jacque
Rousseau, who fancled himself connols
! seur In the matters OF the affections. los
his head and heart at the age OF ~ MUG
| older than that was Antony when n
sold the world for Cleopatra's smile. Tn
renowned Ninon de rEnclos achieved he
| greatest triumph In the 18th year OF he
! age. and II was when she had turned
that she confessed to the Able de Gedoy
that she had deferred the completion.
his happiness from a feeling OF yanit,
as she piqued herself upon having
lover OF fourscore. =,
Observant people will not accept the thu
ory that would circumscribe love With
the first three or four or five decades
human life. The seDstiveness OF the oil
ganization Is measured, not by the caller
dar. but by the physical condition. Tim
is an elastic notion. and love an incalci
liable force