Bridgeton pioneer., 1910-11-17
My Sympathetic
Friend
By SUSAN Young PALMER
Copyright. Is-s. by American Press
Association

rEmeIDF2Lce o. f1el- 2l1 was sent
to an orphan asylum When / was
eighteen the natron one morning call
ed me into her room and said to ne
You have been very useful to us
here since ron passed out Of child
hood but an expected By the
managers 10 get On without help
You are now old enough TO lie self
supporting AID must either work fer
yourself alone Or II bone o.
essioBaily receive d letter from s91e
man desiring one q OF. grown gfrlS
for z wife. had oue of these let
te-s this morning from & young man
in the west. who saTs that he h.
a good farm o. whscb he lives alone.
and he wishes ne 70 Sead hin sons
one for hel1ueet whom raa re-
omme1d- s1d be has forwarded let
tiers recommending him let ue know
If yo1 wish the position
The matron was used 10 condensins
everything she said Just IS she had
spoken these words She was q good
woman. but was 50 intimately connect
ed with the worlds troubles that she
could not give much attention 10 those
Of any one person She turned TO 9th
er duties. and left her 70 20 10 ny
room 10 think
The result Of ny fearful delibera-
tons was that was few days later
handed $ tjcket and What money
would need On the journey and took
train for tie west Ny leaving was
te'egrzphed 10 NJ future husband
who was 20 meet me 81 the station.
mzry ne and drive ne twenty miles
70 his farm ! had 10 money with
which 70 return O 70 anywhere else
in case he should Tr5Te disagreea5 BE.
Indeed. J fel- - though ! had been
pitched oTe- Tr-1iUIce.
Tie train had EFF Chicago and We
were bowling along toward the Mlssis-
siQpL J noticed young nan sitting
Near ne Who WIS looking Al ne.
thought syETathetica j.. / Iaust have
show ny desT915e1cy n ny face.
for rs Own rejected i or. rather. BE-
spoke cc11E1iSerz1zea- Prese1rIv h
cane over 81 Ese and sald. with an e.
cOuragBg suile-
-YOa look troubled Is there any-
thing I car Do o. say % make yo1 feel
happier
There was that II his honest face
and eyes that invited conf5e1ce-
tod him ny story. He listened 70 i
sttentiTely and respectfully and when
/ had finished said
~Has il occurred 10 you that the
man who Is 10 marry you Is in the
came position with regard 10 you that
you are with regard 70 hlnT
Il never thought Of that
~And do you know that many 50
called lore matches turn ont very IN
happily
Il supposed" l replied. that il was
the forced marriages such as the one
am about 70 make that are failures"
There IS no truer saying than that
marriage Is a lo1tery. ! think you
have better chance n you-s than
those people rs5o. blinded by lore. see
no fault until a number II them are
plainly visible after marriage. In
bizsse3 T,srsOlS sare recommended
this nan 70 you and you 70 him You
both rEst 70 them instead of your
own judgment blzssed b. love. The
eh2pces are largely IN your favor"
What y0u say ] replied sounds
e1cou-zgnE but Il seems 70 ne
that ] B0ul1 rather begin with love
eFen Z ! must end with disappoint-
uHt
-S1pEsa NE 2 woman he rejoined.
And ! w0uld rather begin without
lore and ed with l0ve~
Whist q tTeaE1re are these people
who hzve ne faculty Of lifting the
ez01d that hangs over rs and showing
Is TIE xun shining behind This young
man seeue6 70 have only an ordinary
edGcaT5cn b1f any deficiency was
nz6e ~ By conuon sense Then. TOO.
II zzs easy 10 see that be had q kind
heart. He was constantly looking al
NE out q t6ose sympathetic eyes Of
his. which said Poor child. how
pity you He was with me most Of
the morning and al tha afternoon.
He SON ceas SD 70 talk about my rrOu-
bic. leading ne into other paths.
th0Cgh be told ne many instances Of
pe-sOns who had made marriage a
matter Of business and found it a
matter q affection
Ny Jorer-I was certainly thinking
the word moci-ery that II was-had
written that my TTain would land me
In the night ~ the last principal town
On ny route. and ] was 10 remain
therp. taking another train the next
morning. When ! parted with my
newly made friend relapsed into the
same miserable condition As before.
But was tired. ard that night. though
went 10 sleep IN tears. ] got fairly
good rest. This ard bright morning
kept ne m fhe next day fill I ap-
preached 1he lost station. where was
to meet my lover when it was ell
/ could do 10 resist q temptation 10
throw myself from the train l per
mitted every one 10 20 out before me
and wished there were more of them.