The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-11-10
My Sympathetic
Friend
By SUSAN YOUNG PALMER
Copyright. 1910. by American Press

eighteen the matron one morning call
ed me into her room and said to me:
"You have been very useful to us
here since you passed out of child
hood. but am expected by the
managers to get on without help.
You are now old enough to be self
supporting and must either work for
yourself alone or in a home. l &C.
casionally receive letter from some
man desiring one of our grown girls
for a wife. had one of these let
tiers this morning from young man
in the west. who says that he has
good farm on which he lives alone.
and he wishes me to send him some
one for a helpmeet whom | can rec
ommend. and he has forwarded let
ters recommending him. Let me know
if you wish the position"
The matron was used to condensing
everything she said just as she had
spoken these words. She was a good
woman. but was so intimately connect
ed with the worlds troubles that she
could not give much attention to those
of any one person. She turned to 9TH
er duties, and left her to go to my
room to think.
The result of my fearful delibera-
tons was that was few days later
handed ticket and what money l
would need on the journey and took
a train for the west. My leaving was
telegraphed to my future husband.
who was to meet me at the station.
marry me and drive me twenty miles
| to his farm. l had no money with
| which to return or go anywhere else
in case he should prove disagreeable.
Indeed. felt as though I had been
pitched over precipice.
The train had left Chicago and we
were bowling along toward the Missis-
sippi. l noticed a young man sitting
| near me who was looking at me. l
thought. alphabetically. l must have
I shown my dependency in my face.
for his own reflected it or. rather. be-
spoke commiseration. Presently he
",
couraging smile:
"You look troubled. Is there any
thing can do or say to make you feel
happier"
There was that in his honest face
and eyes that invited confidence
told him my story. He listened to it
attentively and respectfully and when
I had finished said:
HAS it occurred to you that the
man who is to marry you is in the
same position with regard to you that
you are with regard to him?"
81 never thought Of that"
"And do you know that many so
called love matches turn out very un-
happily?"
II supposed" replied. that it was
the forced marriages such as the one
l am about to make that are failures"
There is no truer saying than that
marriage is lottery. l think you
have better chance in yours than
those people who. blinded by love. see
plainly visible after marriage. I'm
| BIASED persons have recommended
this man to you and you to him. You
! both trust to them instead of your
own judgment biassed by love. The
chances are largely in your favor"
What you say" | replied. sounds
| encouraging but it seems to me
| that | would rather begin with love
even if | must end with disappoint-
ment"
Spoken like woman" he rejoined.
And would rather begin without
love and end with love-"
| What treasure are these people
who have the faculty of lifting the
| cloud that hangs over us and showing
us the sun shining behind. This young
man seemed to have only an ordinary
education. but any deficiency was
made up by common sense. Then. too.
! it was easy to see that he had kind
heart. He was constantly looking at
me out of those sympathetic eyes of
| his. which said. Poor child. how |
| pity you" He was with me most OF
| the morning and all the afternoon.
| He soon ceased TO talk about my trOu-
! ble leading me into other paths,
| though be told ine many instances OF
! persons who had made marriage a
matter of business and found it n
f., matter of affection.
| My lover-I was certainly thinking
| the word. mockery that it was-had
| written that my train would land me
in the night at the last DrinciDal town
on my route. and was to remain
there. taking another train the next
i morning. When | parted with my
| newly made friend relapsed into the
| same miserable condition as before.
But I was tired. and that night. though
| I went to sleep in tears. got a fairly
good rest. This and a bright morning
kept me up the next day till ap-
preached the last station. where l was
to meet my lover" when it was all
l could do to resist temptation to
throw myself from the train. l per-
mitted every one TO go out before me
and wished there were more of them.
! Then when alone nerved myself for
| the ordeal and left the car.
My lover was there waiting for me.
extending his hand to assist me down
| the steps.
A sudden wonder mixed with. a wild
futtering of my heart caused me to