The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-05
QUESTIONS FRIENDSHIP
WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT MEN
FRIENDS
The Thing Called PIatonic Does Exist
and Makes Life Sweeter-TelI Your
Secrets to Man Friend if You Want
Them Kept

To the Editor of The Globe
We would like to ask a favor of
Marie We had an argument this even
ing. as to whether platonic friendship
could exist between a young man and
young lady, and we all agreed to write and
ask her to give US her opinion on the
subject In the columns OF your paper.
Please do not use my name at ALL Re
spectfully yours, b
Clara City, Mimi, Dec. 81, 1904.
The above question has been asked
time over again and answered in vari-
Gus ways. OF course circumstances
make all the difference in the world in
possible to lay down a general law to
fit all people, but l for one would think
but poorly of men and women if they
could not be friends once in awhile
with no thought of love. The best of
friendship can surely exist between
men and women and frequently does.
Sometimes friendship verges upon love
and vice versa. The best friendship is
love glorified.
Platonic friendship is term that
has come down through the ages and
been loosely used; it may have meant
something very different once from
+ >@1SeS W AiANAi ~ l1dS COlltS LIZ lIlGdHt d
friendship between a man and woman
into which love, in the real sense, does
not enter. This followed closely
might involve an abstruse argument
which would be quite out of place
here; but I may express my doubts
about the touch and go sort of friend
ship entered into by young girls and
young men, being either platonic or
otherwise. A real friend is a very Sc
rious and valuable thing, and real
friendship, like real love, lasts always
You take your friend, like your hus-
band, for better or worse. His sorrows
and his joys are yours.
But in reference to the letter above
written by a young girl, should say
not to give your friendship-or your
love[lightly to anybody. Women seem
to be more capable of friendship for.
men than men for women, and many a
man has misunderstood the frank good
fellowship which a girl feels for him.
So would say be sure that your friend.
II he be a man, is a wise one, and an
understanding one before you give him
your friendship. OF course if he falls
IN love with you afterwards that does
not very much matter. The only thing
to be feared is that, if he is unwise, he
may mistake your friendship for a
tribute to his Vaccinations and may
misunderstood you. The fear of this
has destroyed many friendships and
while there may be now and again a
girl who imagines every man who
looks at her is in love with her, there
are not very many of these silly girls.
Life would be sorry thing if there
were no real friendship possible be-
tween men and women Sometimes a
man makes better friend for wom-
an than one of her own sex. Too often
woman cannot keep a secret. al
tnough there are those of US who can,
but a manlunless he is very much of
FOOLS safe repository, and lie YOU
must talk tell things to man friend.
Ii ne Is the right kind he can be alb
solutely relied upon. So can the rare
woman How far all this applies to
the case presented in the letter / have
no means of telling, but as a general
proposition about the existence of
friendship between men and women I
should say It does exist and in many
cases makes life more bearable.