The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-14
Robert Louis Stevenson in Virginibu Puerisuue.

Puerisque.
 MAILING in love is the one illogical
 N adventure, the one thing which we | are tempted to think as super natural, In our trite and reasonapie u,orld The effect is out of all propor- ton with the cause. Two persons, neither of them. it may be, very amiable or very beautiful, meet, speak little and LOOK q little into each others eyes. That has been done a dozen or so times in the eX- uerience of either with no great result But on this occasion all is different. Ihey fall at once into that state in whlch ah- other person becomes the very gist and center-point of Gods creation, and oe- molishes our laborious theories with smile; in which our ideas are so bound up with the one master-thought that even the trivial cares of our own person oe- come so many acts of devotion, and the love of life itself is translated into wish to remain in the same world with so nr,oious and desirous a fellow-creature. And all the while their acquaintances look on in stupor, and ask each ether' "iih almost passionate emphasis, what so-and- so can see in that woman, or such-an- one in that man? l am sure, gentlemen I cannot tell you. For my part, l can not think what the women mean II might be very well, If the Apollo BelNe- dere should suddenly glow all over into life and step forward from the pedestal with that god-like air of his. But of the misbesotten chanselings who call them
 t..f1 la n- ne. tables, l never saw one who seemed worthy to inspire love-no, nor read or any, except Leonardo da Ninci, and per haps Goethe in his youth. About women entertain a somewhat different opinion; but there I have the misfortune to be a man.
 There are many matters in which you may waylay destiny, and bid him stand and deliver Hard work high thinking, adventurous excitement, and great deal more that forms q part of this or the other persons spiritual bill of fare, are within the reach of anyone who can dare little and be patient. But it is by no means in the way of everybody to fall in love. Many lovahle people miss each other in the world or meet under some unfavorable star. Love should run out the ideal story that of two people who go into love step for step. with fiuttered consciousness, like pair of children ven- turing together into a dark room. There is here no declaration properly so called; the feeling is so plainly shared that as soon as the man knows what is in his own heart he is sure of what it is in the woman's.
 Our race has never been able content edly to suppose that the noise of it's wars, conducted by few young gentlemen in corner of an inconsiderabe star. does not re-echo among the courts of heaven with quite a formidable effect. In much the same taste, when people find great to-do in their own breasts, they imag tha. it must have some influence in the neigh borhood. The presence of the two lovers is so enchanting to each other that 1t seems the best thing possible for everybody else. They are half inclined to think it is because of them and their love that the sky is blue and the. sun shines, And certainly the weather is fine while people are courting.
 If it did nothing else, this sublime and ridiculous superstition that the pleasure tof the pair is somehow blessed to others and everybody is made happier in their ha ppiness, would serve to keep love gen erous and great-hearted. Nor is it SUI perstition after all. Other lovers are hugely interested. They strike the nices' balance between pity and approval when they see people aping the greatness ol their own sentiments. It is an understooa thing in the play, that while the geh'ie- l folk are courting on the terrace, a rousi' irritation is being carried on and ilsn'' trivial sort of love is growing up between the footman and the singing chamber maid. k
 | Someone has written that love makes
 neople believe in immortality, because | there seems not to be room enough III
 life for os great a tenderness and 1t IS inconceivable that the most masterfui ol l our emotions should have no more than
 the spare moments of Few years. in' deed, it seems strange: but i( we call tc mind analogies we can hardly regard it as