Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-08-11

that gives to that which we advocate A
most strongly the epithct of fad
Somehow things did not go right
for the "co-ed" girl after the Platonic
friend went away on his travels. There
came troubles as troubles always come, v
not singly, but in lots. She was brave =
her absent friend had always said she n
was the bravest woman he ever knew 4
but il would have been so comforting e
to tell somebody "who understood" all !
about it. In fact, there were affairs that !
it needed a manly hand to straightcn. !
No matter If she was "co-ed" girl, the
foolish old business world looked upon
all women alike, whether they had been i
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 steTner 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. 1t was
not because there were fewer trials to
face that day. The night had swept
none of them away. 1t was only that
she had at last Preached a 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 a sort of sad
t ness in his voice when he talked of their
$ future plans thatwere always separate?
, The "co-ed" girl for the first time in
months sang a bithe little air as she
sealed up her letter and took it to the
q post office. Before she droppeditin she
n asked for any letter that might have
{ come for her. There was one and it
d said:
"My Dear Little Sister: When come
e home-which will be shortly will
If bring with me ore of the dearest girls
in the world. say one of the dearest,
T. for you know l have always regarded
- you, and always shall. as peer among
ct women. Knowing you, has changed
as for me the world of women. l have told
re my wife that is to be all about YOU and
re she is prepared to think as much ofyou
e. as l DO" etc, etc.
The "co-ed" girl did not mail the let.
Id ter she had written. She did not cry
ed when she got home. She folded the let
OF ter, with the one that she had sealed 81
,e- happily, and slipped it away. Then SHE
lr- sat down and wrote another letter o
er hopes and good wishes for anothe,
.es woman's future happiness. Il willno
ks disappoint him." she said. Il was tn
he one who taught him to think as he did
Ter changed the world of women 70
nv him. That means that he once did no
ne. believe that women could be true, an
led brave and modest Though may neve
m know the best of his love, l will neve
os- lose his respect"
ic" How do l know this story? Tn
csc "co-ed" girl told it to me herself wit
M little catch in her voice, but braV
ON light in her eyes. Why do ] tell it
nil Certainly not to prove that the belit
the of wise old philosopher was all base
on thin air, for friendship such as he al
I'M vocated lived and flourished and wi
he live and flourish always. Butt will nj
md thrive in every soil. To bear the perfe
elk fruit that Plato hoped for it, the sc
hus must be especially prepared, and III
title is of the sort made up entirely OF &c
and tain circumstances. Plant the seed
way Platonic friendship in a heart that
iato not previously occupied and there
cad bound to sproutup nothing in the wor
was but crop Of ordinary, old-fashion
ed" love that's too commonplace to be ass
ntil ciated with philosophy.
DRY. Plato may be blamed for bringi
onic about much unhappiness, but all ha
airs not been unhappy who have adopted
hey philosophy. There have been men
d to women the world over whose frieI
con- ship has been so strong and unselt
the that the gods themselves might hi
said been capable of none more perfect.
TO would be quite as unhappy a state OF
how fairs to have such friendships imp
hen, siblc as it would be to rob the wo
Law of ali such but these. No, do not
II in the "co-ed" girls story to prove I.
t he Plato was wrong. Wiser than h
Pla- pointed out the errors of his philcsoI
w. ! long years before this, and yet sol
very how it has not been killed, or sutfe
lilos- very materially for its faulty and sea
case. side being shown. Itcll the stOry-N
took I tell it because know there are M
n are other women like the "co-ed' girl '
love make the mistake of thinking there
higher things in the world than
.iage. loving and being loved only to W
, stiu and find that after all the cleyerest ]
theirs feel lonely, particularly if the "cle
inted est" happen to be women. Friends
where and love are excellent compani
until Where it is possible to combine the
troth earth's ideality is added to.
ID the The ''co-ed" girl has not been @
The whelmed by her mistake. She sn
a Pla- aud says that now she is equipped
isible, the best Platonic friend in the wo
that she is sure she can never make
years mistake again Of confounding love