New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-06
LETTERS OF AN OLD MAID.
TO A MAN.

Dear Vernon: u awoke this morning with de-
vout thanksgiving for my friends the old and the
new" That simple and complete little statement
IS quoted from no less parsonage than Emerson
whose essay 0 Friendship I have Just glanced
over for the hundredth time or Near the be-
ginning OF the essay these words. which make
a good text for q letter: The scholar sits down
70 write and all his years Of meditation do not
furnish him with good thought or happy ex-
preston. but 4 IS necessary TO write letter 70
friend. and forthwith troops OF gentle thoughts
vest themselves. on every hand. with chosen
words"
You VIII say that this Is not always So and It
may be that that mistress OF the passing moment,
Mood may sometimes hinder It But. on the whole
it IS true. Where the gentle thought and the
chosen word VIII not come, for all the conturtng OF
fancy. there the highest friendship has not gone
before. Somehow shall ind expression. either
by tongue or pen, when our chosen
ones
In reading the great essay. which has in it some
thoughts almost too subrnated for rnortals clothed
in flesh (as when he says that friends are better
for little or no personal intercourse-a lofty exag-
geration) I was searching for a motto 10 write on
the fyleaf Of Blacks treatise on Friendship"
am sending the book to you by this mail, and
am mentally anticipating your Judgment Of H.
Il has many beauties, but. except here and there.
il does not 60 deep enough One OF my friends,
however, says that il is TOO subtle; there
TWO opinions for you.
Nothing that has been written on friend
only one. perfect definition OF II. and here It 81
The soul OF Jonathan was knit unto the soul Of
David and jonathan loved him his own soul"
After the occurrence Of this phenomenon within
himself Jonathan proceeded at once TO embody It
in action. Neither his fathers wrath MS
ambition were allowed stand in the way. He
proved once and for all that the love which has
its origin the soul is the supreme motive force
in human life. II is the electric current which
sweeps other forces before il with sublime
Tou r--1r svyHa oil 1sL4- &c
love-the elemental love-and al other loves are
but friendship with something else superadded.
The love that IS superadded, be II passion. fam
lily affection anything else under the sun is
the part Of that die. The eternal part is the
elemental Iove-the friendship This only survives
all things 1t underlies all loves that live. That
you viii observe. is one Of my pet theories. have
quite a number OF pets OF that kind. but I think
my theory Of friendship is the prime 1avorite.
You'll wonder that I treat you 10 a lecture on
the subject. but the reason is that l We been
afronted lately by people who say that friendship
cannot exist between and woman. When a
woman says that, by the way. she always gives
you to understand that she has tried it several
times but the always spoiled it by falling in
love with her This IS OF the little ways women
have Of letting you know mat they have had low
20 have It thought that she has not Shared the
common lot OF womank1nd in being sought in mar
riaEe. IN the way, a Will defend with
his life the secret Of his reflections though in fact
they are disgrace 10 him Perhaps such little
vauities only the reverse side Of self-re
speCL
As 10 friendship however I maintain that il Is
in nature independent Of and condition.
These things influence II. but cannot always pre-
vent it, Time or circumstance hinder love
technically caIled-but leave friendship IN
touched. If the soul be large euoCzh may have
Johalhans experience. though nothing be super
added You ought To agree with and / take IL
Tor granted that you Go
But all this IS in connection with the highest
form Of friendship. which is not for all mankind.
There IS genius FOR il. There are all grades of
friendship. however. from that Of Jonathan down
TO the comfortable Intimate acQuantanCeship which
gives pleasant hours but never touches soul.
Fellowship Is a. various character and broad
liz --s-lt
This letter Is my treatise friendship II IS
about the hfteth I have written. and they all
different could write YOU another without
stopping ! have written them each OF my
friends separately and 10 people large. and 4
never wrote two alike don't know whether Nj
Black would write his differently If he had II 10 do
over again, but i m sure Emerson would He could
traverse any number OF tracks to get TO the same
goal 80 could J. In my small way. for all my
tracks lead TO one Eoal-rny precious theory thdt
friendship IS the elemental love and that II Is Tree
or all conditions save its mysterious choice.
And tell you these things because you are one OF
my chosen i've Friendship never stops at one ana
II never tells which of its inner circle the loTd
snip IS given Possibly each in turn, as the need
Of the time varies
horrible fear possesses may pore YOU
even you When this idea takes possession OF ne
can only sign abruptly and disappear yours Ia41h
fully PRISCILLA