Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-07-31
PLATONlC FRIENDSHIPS.

Under the above heading we read the
words of Miss Hulda Friederichs from
the paper, The Young Man, 'as follows:
sit is worse than wicked, it's vulgar,
to pretend that friendship between a
man and woman must of necessity
develop into an intrigue, or love affair.
Men and women whose interests in life
centre around ever so many things of
which what is generally called love may
or may no longer be one. are just made
to be good friends, the manly views on
the one hand, and the womanly views
on the other, making up the elements
which go toward all that is best in
friendship, and adding a sort of con-
slant piquancy to intercourse, which
must naturally be lacking in intimate
friendship between two people of the
same sex, be they men or women.
Let US hope there are many who will
meet the sentiment of Miss Frederichs
with like sentiment of their own. But
there is faint hope in regard to the
many. Even one of slight observation
could not help but note the constant
prying criticism and comment that's
worse than wicked. it's vulgar" that
older people infict upon their young
people of opposite sex. They may have an
idea that bringing young people into
such prominence by binding their names
in terms of very close intimacy is pleas
ing to them and perhaps it is to some
coarses natures, but it is distaste-
full to the refined and sensitive. Fol-
lowing such policy is simply helping
young people to disregard high senti-
ment, and to cultivate in its stead what
has all the difference in the world
silly sentimentality. And more than
that, it breaks up the social machinery
Of community, and destroys what
gives true zest and value to social life.
What alternative have the young
people? Either they must stay apart,
having little to do with each other, not
even time for a real mountaineering,
they must marry-quick!-or, they
must stand the few little things "Dame
Rumor" has to say about them; and
she is not very popular lady; judging
by the way one angry young man
changed the spelling of the name.
True, there are young people who need
counsel, and it is the duty of their
elders to give it, but they needn't
talk about it.
Do not wonder if all your glances
directed towards the rosy checked
athletic girl and her athletic "chum''-
glances that say palmer than words,
'All the world loves lover" are only
met by frowns.
For. the good of the world, thank
heaven, we are getting over the sickly
days of "Lilyly" young girls and
"Willowly" young men. Let's hope that
some day we will wake up and find our
selves sensible.
There is little dialogue often brought
to mind-a child. boy of nine years,
hurried to his mother with apparently
a very important bit of news, "Oh!
mother" he said, "Miss Laura and Mr..
Grey are going to be married" Miss
Laura was stranger in town, and Mr..
Grey was the young minister.
The mother asked, "Why, child, how do
you knOw?" ooh they are. they were
sitting together on the steps talking,
when passed."
! don't know where my sense of
humor was at the time for / could not
laugh. 1t may have been because there
is so much of that kind of talk equally
as ridiculous because equally as un-
founGed that it had become IAN old
chestnut."
/ Now IT has become so that even the
| young people themselves are breaking
i up pleasant relations among each othe,
with what is popu.arly called teasing. .
v This need never have been so, we be.
lieve never would, if the older people
would take the proper stand in societ,
among the young people.
Why, there afe churches where tn.
ladies' sit on Ssne side and the men OIL
the other, where the young men are tot
shy or too wise to step over this primi
A tive dividing line to shake hands will
the girls. for they know if they do
4 like Laura and Mr.. Grey on the steps
they would soon be married. And som,
ministers wonder why their churches d,
not flourish.
\ Society only spells sin when it is sep
Grated from religion. when its highes
interests have been neglected unit
energies have run into wrong channels
The church that has no social side i
but half alive. So this is one of tn
ways that keeping apart or ''pairinl
off" does deadly work.
1t was not entended that every ma
and woman who meet should marry
neither was it intended because the
do not they should not be friendly an