The Elbert County tribune., 1902-12-11
THOUGHTS.
By I. d ID.
fCopx-r;ohtosll

markRble. In every community there
are, of course, women, not related by
blood, who live together in peace and
amity through the revolving years, each
deeply Interested in the others welfare,
each unselhshly contributing to the
happiness Of the other; but they are al
ways thought Of as out of the ordinary.
They prove the rule by their very ex-
ception to it.
Affection among women is more OF ar
mistice than peace; more one OF doubt
than of trust, more of shallowness than
depth; for the reason that Natures way
is for Natures tide to set towards one of
the opposite sex. Affection for another
woman does not represent to the average
wonan's mind final or enduring af.
I fection. 1t is, as it were, narrow stream
for each, and the hope of each is for that
narrow stream to be one day swallowed up
in the vast ocean of final love. Where
then the intimacy and friendship be-
tween two women is SO great that they
live together, the intrusion of man and
his potentialities into the Adamlcss Eden
is for disquiet to enter, disquiet that is
disrupting, that breaks up resolutions as
4 to finality of love one for the other, that
brings doubts, that causes distrust; this
is not perfect love '.For perfect love cast
eth out fear
The affection of supreme friendship of
one man for another is far more likely
to be enduring and free from the fear of
an untimely and self-seeking end; be-
cause it is not so much the all embracing
faculty with man that it is with wo-
man. Man has his broader interests, his
ambitions though often stimulated by
a woman-a and these ambitions, purposes
and hopes in the world of business and
the world of conflict with Natures forces
cause love to be to him part OF his life
alone, while to woman, as rule, it is
her all. His relations with his friend
and fellow have more complete trust in
them and less cause for total wreck.
Three great, true, unquestioning forms
of love hold sway in this world and be
side these there is no other love frequent
enough to be recognized as inevitable
and therefore normal, the love of the
parent for the child, the love OF the child
for the parent Though this is not in
evitable) and the love of woman, for n
love is based solely upon self-revelation-
the sudden, startling realization that self
is not complete by itself, that life will
be worthless iflived by itself, that hope
and joy and everything that is to be de-
sired in this world rests in the hands of
the other as gift TO be bestowed, and as
gift that, il bestowed, will bring hap
piness that lasts as long as life lasts.
| With this great sweeping, irresistible,
ever-potent impulse of humanity, the
cold, twilight affection OF one woman for
another cannot compete.
The best basis for enduring affection
between women is the death of hope and
the smitings of affiiction. Where such
a love does exist it is beauteous flower,
springing from soil cultivated in sor-
row and narrowed in agony. 1t shows
how inconsistent is the heartache for
some one to love and cherish. though
Natures one, great, usual channel for
Love is closed forever. Where women
love in a common sorrow, there will be
found the gentle souls who bless neigh
borhood with their kindness, and by their
genial fiuttering interest in world that
has no sweets for them, show that they
nevertheless do not themselves feel
soured.
RUTH TO NAOMI.
When passions storm passed earthward
from my heart,
And left me all forlorn and desolate,
/ watched the weary dreary days depart,
Too sad TO make my moan at cruel fate.
Until rising tide of reverent love,
That set toward the partner of my grief,
Up-drawn by shining powers to heav'n
| above,
Brought to my parched and wasted soul
relief.
will not leave thee, dear, nor count the
cost:
For thou art more than mother now to
me,
Since, in thine offspring's life, my life
As streams are lost that reach the open
sea.
There is tempered love of friend to
friend,
That sheds a steady light upon life path; (;
So will we live together to the end,
And share our passions milder after
math.
/