The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-12-23
RANDOM THOUGHTS.

woman Tor woman is SO UNUSUAL
that it is remarkable. 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 unselfishly
contributing to the happiness of
the other; but there are always
thought of as out of the ordinary.
They prove the rule by their very
exception of it.
Affection between women is
more of armistice 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. Aztec
tion for another woman does not
represent to theaverage woman's
mind final or enduring affec-
ton. It 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 a final love. When
then the intimacy and friendship
between two women is so great
that they live together, the in
trusion of man and his poten-
tialities into the Adamless Eden
is for disquiet to enter, a disquiet
that is disrupting, that breaks
up resolutions as to finality of
love one for the other, that
brings doubts, that causes dis
trust; this is not perfect love
For perfect love casteth out
fear"
The affection or supreme
friendship of one man for anoth.
er is far more likely to be endur
ing and free from the fear of ar
untimely and self-seeking end
because it is not so much the all
embracing faculty with a man
that it is with a woman. Man
has his broader interests, his
ambitions-though often stimula-
ted by a woman-and these ambi-
tions, purposes and hopes in the
world of business and the world
of conflict with Natures forces
cause love to be to him a part Of
his life alone, while to a woman,
as rule, it is her all. His re-
lations with his friend and fellow
have more complete trust in them
and less cause for total wreck.
Three great, true, unquestion-
ing forms of love hold sway in
this world and beside 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 inevitably land
the love of woman, for a man
or man for woman. This last
love is based solely upon self.
revelation, the sudden, start
ling realization that self is not
complete by itself, that hope and
JOY and everything that is to be
desired in this world rests in the
hands of the other as a gift to be
bestowed, and as a gift that, il
bestowed, will bring happiness
that lasts as long as life lasts.
With this great sweeping, irres,
istable, ever-potent impulse Of
humanity, the cold, twilight Of
affection of one woman for anoth
er cannot compete.
The best basis for enduring of
lection between women is the
death of hope and the smitings o.
affection. Where such love ex
lists it is a beauteous flower
springing from a soil cultivated
in sorrow and narrowed in
agony. 1t shows how insisten'
is the heartache for some one tC
love and cherish, though Ma
lures one, great, usual channe
for Love is closed forever. Wher,
women love in common sorrow
there will be found the gentl,