Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-04

my opinion regarding the durability Of
such early love. The following protest
has been awaiting it's turn in my vast
accumulation of letters:
1t seems strange that the only oppor
tunity | have found to disagree with
you is of such nature as to question
the very authorship, it is so strikingly
different from anything l have before
seen published over your name.
Many children of the ages mention.
ed have not only received the greater
part of their schooling, but are very
wise in worldly ways. Their oppor-
tunities for development and their
natural endowments must be taken in
to consideration before any judgment
can be inteligently formed as to
whether they are capable of appreciat-
ing such close relations and all there
is involved 1t may be true that a
young girl rarely understands herself,
but if she has strong characteristics
10 and 16 are likely to be good and
boy at IS, possessed of strong and
manly qualities, who has studied and
thought and mixed with people some
what-or. better still been thrown up
on his own resources at land who
lives a moral life. while beset with
ig N my nnirinn
capable of strong manly affection, and
when under such circumstances it
manifests itself is to be encouraged
rather than made light Of.
| would like to hear from you in re-
gard to this again 1t is worth recon
sidering. You have not given the mat
ter the attention it deserves. Yours
very truly. w. C. GOODHUE.
Perhaps it would be well to add that
| write this at the age of 35. after be-
ing married for 10 years. and having
experienced success and failure in
business life during the 12 years, and
with many added responsibilities and
cares.
confess am not great believer
in the durability of first love. AS
look the world over, find very few
of the happy marriages l know (and I
know many happy marrages) which
are the result of first affections. I do
net understand on what my CORES
pondent bases his remark that my ad
vice to the young couple was SO strik
ingly different from anything | had
previously written. Perhaps he refers
to some verse of mine entitled I'VE
Love But Once" While that state
ment may be true, it does not include
the assertion that first love is the only
love. | think the human heart is cap
able of a great many affections and in
fatuations which are usually classified
under the head of love; but among
them there must be one emotion shine
forth of greater radiance than the 9TH
ment Net one girl at least one Am
erican girl, in a hundred would be
satisfied with the man who infatuated
her at 10.
In order that such an early love as
was referred to in my first article
should be enduring, it would be neces-
sary that both the maid and the lover
should develop harmoniously, and
keep step as they pass along the high
way of life. How rarely this occurs,
we have only to look about us to real
ize. Mr.. Goodhues view of the situa-
tion is evidently biased by his own eX
perience, as are all our views to "A
greater or less extent. | honestly
confess that my own 14-yeaT-old in
fatuation was outgrown, like the gar
ments | wore at that age, before two
years had elapsed; yet at the time
it probably seemed as serious to me as
that of the lad and lass who appealed
to me on January 10Th.
do not believe the average Ameri-
can woman capable of the deepest af
fection, based on enduring qualities,
until she is well in her twenties.
Hundreds Of letters come to me from
women and from men who have mar
ried at very tender age, and who bit
terly repent the folly. ! was obliged
to advise the young couple according
to my own light upon the subject
am sorry that my correspondent is dis
appointed with my views, and glad
that he is an exception to the rule in
having made an early and fortunate
marriage.
LAST LOVE.
The first flower of the Spring is not so
fair
Or bright as one the ripe midsummer
brings.
The first faint note the forest warbler
sings
Is not as rich with feeling or so rare
AS when, full master of his art, the air