The Washington bee., 1911-08-26
My Sympathetic
Friend
By SUSAN YOUNG PALMER

My father and mother both died
when I was so young that 1 have no
remembrance of them, and 1 was sent
to an orphan asylum. When l was
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. I Oc-
casionally receive letter from some
man desiring one Of our grown girls
for a wife. / had one of these let
ters this morning from d young man
In the west, who says that he has
a good farm on which he lives alone,
and he wishes me to send him some
one for a helpmeet whom I 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 I left her to go TO my
room to think.
The result of my fearful delibera-
lions was that 1 was a few days later
handed a ticket and what money I
would need on the journey and took
a train for the west. Ny 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. / had no money with
which 20 return or go anywhere else
In case he should prove disagreeable.
Indeed, l felt as though I had been
pitched over a 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, !
thought, sympathetically. l must have
shown my dependency in my face,
for his own reflected it 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 II
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?"
''I never thought Of that"
"And do you know that many SC
called love matches turn out very un
happily?'
/ 81 supposed" l replied, that it was
| the forced marriages such as the one
/ am about to make that are failures
'"There is no truer saying than thai
marriage is a lottery. l think yoU
/ have better chance in yours thar
those people who, blinded by love, SCI
no fault until a number of them ar,
| plainly visible after marriage Un
| biassed persons have recommended
this man to you and you to him. YoI
both trust to them instead Of you
own judgment biassed by love Tht
chances are largely in your favor"
what you say" 1 replied, sounds
encouraging, but it seems to MT
that 1 would rather begin with low
even If I must end with disappoint
ment"
Spoken like a woman" he rejOined
"And I would rather begin withou
love and end with love"
What a treasure are these peOplt
who have the faculty of lifting tht
cloud that hangs over US and shown;
US the sun shining behind. This yOuni
man seemed to have only an Ordinar.
education. but any deficiency wa
made up by common sense. Then, too
it was easy to see that he had a kinC
heart. He was constantly looking a
me out Of those sympathetic eyes o
his, which said, Poor child. how
pity your He was with me most o
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 o
persons who had made marriage
matter of business and found it
matter of affection.
Ny lOver-I was certainly thinking
the word, mOckery that it was-ha,
written that my train would land m
in the night at the last principal tow
on my route. and I was to remain
there. taking another train the mex
| morning. When I parted with N.
newly made friend I relapsed into tn
same miserable condition as before
But was tired, and that night, thougl
I went to sleep in tears, got fairl.
| good rest. This and a bright morninj
kept me up the next day till 1 ap
preached the last station, where I wa
to meet my lover" when it was al
I could do to resist a temptation t
throw myself from the train. per
mitte6 every one to 60 out before m