The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21
MTCROBE THEORY IN LOVE.
BAcHELOR aIRLs' CONFESSION CLUB
on SCIENCE AND kOMANCE.

n0 VII sE" 10y
Of Romnncs IL Gone. hat the widow
Proofr.sder Girl Argues for senti-
ment- Experienc sa In Love Development.
The members Of the bachelor Girls Confession
Club sighed In unison when the subject for the
evenings talk vas announced Tn President
rosc. looking very impressive 10 . violet elk
kimona. with black butterflies upon It
Thu evening" she said. "wc shall discuss hs
interesting question: In Love . hicrobeT'
The Girl Sen0grspher had drawn tho long
toothpick, which meant that she WAS 70 be The chief
speaker Of the evening. She was . good talkcr
and had boon engaged three times, so II eemcd
a. though she were particularly qualthed TO open
the question. The Proofreader Girl, who was q
widow, looked 40 disappointed at having missed
tho chance for talking that the President added;
Each member will be flowed to give her views
Of this topic"
The cnramels we're passed. and the Typewriter
Girl began to talk easily, Just as though she were
reading from a book.
IT Is a generally accepted fact among scion
tists." SAID she. that tbs mysterious attraction
which Is known as lovo Ia a species OF mental
microbs, tho disting rushing characteristic Of
which Is its contagious quality. In the twentieth
century. which We will soon enter hero she
looked around with some defiance. for every one
knew that the Fashion Illustrator asserted that
the new century had already begun. Which we
shall soon enter" she went on, sentiment will bs
the chief standby of humorists and comedy wri.
tiers. II will then b. thoroughly understood that
the emotion which We al present confuse with
romnncs and affinity and all sorts Of impossible
things Is generated by a germ partly vegetable
and partly mental"
The Proofreader Girl shook her head gently and
pityingly at the speaker. Evidently she had
something up her sleeve In the way Of IN argu.
ment az ainst the love-germ theory.
The idea that two persons fall In love- As IL is
called, simultaneously" went on the Girl Senos-
rapher. is a very much mistaken one. II Is true
II sometimes seems to happen, but, as a rule, the
microbe starts in one brain cell II generates q
current which in the feminine brain lacks con
centration. The current wanders, and It sfor this
reason that many men will fall in love with one
woman, while the masculine brain microbe seeks
and finds ia object more directly"
Sometimes IL wsndsrs also" said the Proof
reader girl: you certainly do not mean 70 say
that men are more constn nj than women"
"Not more constant. but more direct" said
the Typewriter Girl with the air of an authority.
when women propnse"-
There was a protracied gasp from the members
when women propose there will be a great
many more unhappy marriages than at pi scnt.
The love microbe will get mixed up with all s,r's
Of other mental bacteria, Flsr,ery and admire
ton will be mistaken for the real thing and the
actuallove microbe will die. Sentiments doomed
10 he annihila,ed. Iove-making will become
extinct early in the new century"
Tina Tynevyit.y Girl sat ,invp 9TH aoua
haushtiness She was quite conscious that
she was talking over the heads Of the other mem
bers, and that the Medical Student. who il was
whispered colored her hair the beautiful Titan
hue il bDasted, vas the only one who would even
partly agree with her. But the Typewriter Girl
was the most aggressive Of the Bachelor Girls
and was also something Of a sensa tonnlist as well
as an advanced thinker
The Proofreader Girl arose as did the Medical
Student, and 10th began to speak at once. Then
they apologi,ed and the President called the
meeting % order and beg an to talk herself.
1t is evident" she said. that the speaker has
never be~n in love. II is hardly possible that
she is capable Of the sentiment holding the pecu-
liarly-mayI say bsrbaric'-t the member nodded
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS which she has Just ex-
pressed"
The Typewrtsi Girl smiled contemptuousl
and turned a new solitaire diamond On her left
hand carelessly 80 that IL caught the ray Of lamp.
light under the violet shade and sparkled SO that
il made the other girls blink.
Il will call upon Mrs. oversei. who | feel sure
holds opinions that are al least more feminine
she looked scathingly at the Typewriter Girl
than those Of the late speaker"
The proofreadrr rose and began talking in a
Lon xnlTA in WhtEh IhAfa WAQ n tFaaa nf SAAnaeu
She had just LETT OF Tia k and wore a q.
coming violet flannel shirt waist with q white
stock,
ANY one who has ever been really in love, "
she said, with a pathetic hitch 10 her voice before
the last word, knows that the microbe thee ~
as applied 10 one Of the very highest emotions
Of which human nature is capable, is . base scien-
tifc iconoclasm'
She looked proudly at the faces of the other
| girls, especially at that Of the 'rypewri ritter which
| Still wore its icy McCoyish smile
broke oho IN u. Ss f EEr tHsH Gil fI'A Som. Som S girl. N imagine 'asf,
they. are in loye' How Is i to be proved"
lures, how is one 70 know when one is really
" The Medical Student rose la2ly swapping open
| and shut a cigarette case which hung toa heavy
| dog chain about her waist.
Z would like TO relate an experience" she
~sSit down." broke in the President rapping
The Proofcader Gih went on. You may
| often imsgine yourself in love. she said: many
people 90 through life only imagining il but
| when il really happens you know that's all,
That's true" said the Medical Student Il,
ee sW h nrs, met Mr. ovcrset," went on the
Proofreader Girl, 4 WAS engaged 10 another
man, imagined that | loved him. But when
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