The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-07-07

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No matter If she was "co-ed' . girl, the
foolish old business world looked upon
all women alike, whether they had been
shut up for years in 'boarding school
for young ladies' and never saw man
but their brothers and uncles, or sat
every day with the sterner sex and
| worked out mathematical problems and
recited lessons in Latin and Greek. And
so one night the "co-ed" girl crept to
bed and cried, she was so lonely.
| But in the morning she looked in her
glass and smiled. The happy face she
saw there really startled her. It was
not because there were fewer trials to
face that day. The night had swept
none of them away. It was only that
she had at last REACHED conclusion"
and this was it: She would write to the
Platonic friend; she would tell him
how much she needed him. She did not
care if he did ''read between the lines"
she rather hoped he would. Why
shouldn't he guess what was really true
that she loved him? She knew that
he would not be sorry to know that she
! did, for didn't she now realize how re-
luctantly he agreed that Platonic
friendship was altogether delightful,
and that often there was sort of sad
ness in his voice when he talked of their
future plans that were always separate?
The ''co-ed" CIR! for the first time in
months sang blithe little air as she
sealed up her letter and took it to the
post Office. Before she dropped it in she
asked for any letter that might have
come for her. There was one and it
said:
MY Dear Little Sister: When come
home-which will be shortly-I will!
bring with me one of the dearest girls
in the world. I say one of the dearest,
for you know I have always regarded
you, and always shall. as a peer among
women. Knowing you, has charged
for me the world of women. 1 have told
! my wife that is to be all about you, and
she is prepared to think as much of you
as d." etc., etc.
The ''co-ed" girl did not mail the let
ter she had written. She did not cry
when she got home. She folded the let
ter, with the one that she had sealed so
happily, and slipped it away. Then she
sat down and wrote another letter of
hopes and good wishes for another
woman's future happiness. II will not
disappoint him." she said II was the
one who taught him to think as he did,
l changed the world of women for
him. That means that he once did not
believe that women could be true, and
brave and modest. Though I may never
know the best Of his love, I will never
lose his respect
How do I know this story? The
''co-ed" girl told it to me herself, with
a little catch in her voice, but brave
lig:A in her eyes. Why do I tell it?
Certainly not to prove that the belief
of wise old philosopher was all based
on thin air, for friendship such as he adj
vocated lived and fourished and will
live and flourish always. But it will not
thrive in every soil. To bear the perfect
fruit that Plato hoped for it, the soil
must be especially prepared, and that
is of the sort made up entirely of GER
tain circumstances. Plant the seed of
Platonic friendship in a hear: that is
not previously occupied and there is
bound to sprout up nothing in the world
but crop of ordinary, old-fashioned
love that is too commonplace to be asso-
cjated with philosophy.
Plato may be blamed for bringing
about much unhappiness, but all have
not been unhappy who have adopted his
philosophy. There have been men and
women the world over whose friend
ship has been so strong and unselish
that the gods themselves m; ght have
been capable of none more perfect It
would be quite as unhappy state of at
fairs to have such friendships impos-
sible as it would be to rob the world
of ali such but these. No, do not tell
the "co-ed" girls story to prove that
Plato was wrong. Wiser than 1 have
pointed out the errors of his philosophy
long years before this, and yet some
how it has not been killed, or suffered
very materially for it's faulty and seamy
side being shown. I tell the story-well,
l tell it because l know there are many
other women like the "co-ed'' girl who
make the mistake of thinking there are
higher things in the world than just
loving and being loved, only to wake
and find that after all the cleverest may
feel lonely, particularly if the "clever-
est'' happen to be women. Friendship
and love are excellent companions.
Where it is possible to combine the two,
earth's ideality is added to.
The *co-ed' girl has not been over
whelmed by her mistake. She smiles
and says that now she is equipped to be
the best Platonic friend in the world;
that she is sure she can never make the
mistake again of confounding love and
friendship. And the man that she loved,
and who down in the depths of his
heart-though he does not know it
cares more for her than for any other
woman, is happy with his dear, unin-
tellectual little wife, and still talks over
his affairs with the "co-ed" girl, believ-
ing it is as fellow never could with
his wife," Yet you could, my dear Pla-
tonic-friendship man, if your wife was
the right sort, and the "co-ed'' girl
would have been that to you. But Cupid
and philosophy invariably make a
muddle!-Margaret Hannis, in St. Louis
Republic.