The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-01-18
My Sympathetic
Friend
By SUSAN YOUNG PALMER
Copyright, 1910 by American Press
Association.

My father and mother both died
when l was 50 young that have no
remembrance of them. and | was sent
10 an orphan asylum. When l was
eighteen the mGtron one morning call
ed me into her room and said TO me:
You have been very useful ~ Us
here since you passed out of child
hood. but l am expected by The
managers to get on without help.
You are now old enough 10 lie self
supporting and must ei'rer work for
yourself alone or III a home o.
casiOnally receive a letter from some
man desiring one of our grown girls
| for u wife. | had one Of the~.. let.
I tiers this morning from Young man
! in the west. who says that be- has
a good farm on which he lives alone.
and he wishes me TO send him SOM
one for Il helpmeet whom can re-
ommend. and he has forwarded let
/ tiers recommending him. Let ne know
! if you wish the position"
! The matron was used 10 cUudrn<in@
! everything she said just aS she Lad
! spoken these words. She was good
! woman. but was so 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 10 go 10 my
| room TO think.
| The result of my fearful delibera-
/ tons was that I was few days later
handed ticket and what money |
would need on the journey and took
( a train for the west. My leaving was
4 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 a precipice
! The train had left Chicago and we
were bowling along toward the Missis-
sippi. / noticed young man sitting
near me who was looking at me. |
! thought, sympathetically. l must have
shown my dependency in my face
for his own reflected il or. rather. be-
spoke cOmmiseration. Presently he
came over to me and said. with an en-
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
l 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."
Il never thought of that
And do you know that many so
called love matches turn out very I'M
happily"
81 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 a lottery. l think you
| have a better chance in yours than
those people who, blinded by love. see
no fault until a number of them are
plainly visible after marriage Tn
biassed persons have recommended
|
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 1t seems to me
that l would rather begin with love
even if | must end with diSappoint-
ment."
Spoken like n woman he rejoined
And | would rather begin without
| love and end with love"
What a 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.
| 1t was easy to see that he had n kind
heart He was constantly looking at
me out of those sympathetic eyes or
| his. which said, Poor child, how I
pity you" He was with me most OF
the morning and all the afternoon.
He soon ceased to talk about my trou-
| BILE, leading me into other paths,
| though he told me many instances OF
persons who had made marriage a
matter of business and found It
matter Of affection.
| My lover-I was certainly thinking
| the word. mockery that il waS-had
written that my train would land me
| in the night at the last principal town
/ On my route and | was 10 remain
| there. taking another train the next
morning. When | parted with ms
| newly made friend I relaVSed into the
, same miserable condition as before.
| But was tired. and that night though
/ went 10 sleep in tears. c0t fairly
| good rest. This and a bright morning
/ kept me up the next day till | ap-
| preached the last station. where ! was
/ to meet my lover" when It was all
! l could do 10 resist a temptation 10
/ throw myself from the train. | per
/ mitted every one TO go out before me
and wished there We're more az them.
. Then when alone ! nerved myself fOr
/ the ordeal and left the car.
1 Ny lover was there waiting for me.
extending his hand 10 assist ME down
+ the steps.
a sudden wonder mixed with Z wild
futrering Of my heart caused me TO
pause. Was I in a dream or was |
waking from S1par,s Tho man waiting