The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-02-07
4 MYSTERY WHICH NOBODY Can EXPLAIN
The Attraction That Frequently Comes into Existence
Between Man and Woman Without Any
Seeming Reason for Being
~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.
The cynic read aloud from a week.,

~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.
The cynic read aloud from weekly
paper
The Casual Philosopher was talking
about something that he called the
most mysterious and extraordinary
force known to the observation of
men"-that singular emotion which
ensues between two human beings OF
opposite sex, and an obedience to
which may involve the surrender of
reason, wisdom, and honor. He quoted
the query of an earlier philosopher of
himself-"What IL more pitiable than
wise man at the mercy of his emo
tions?" Has the world ever explain
ed" he asked, the nature of the force
which draws together irresistably two
persons having no mental, spiritual,
tempermental, or social affinity what.
soever: whose nature and sympathies,
whose modes Of life, whose predilec-
tions and instincts, may be radically
and unalterably opposed? What is the
nature of the force which is able to
supersede and set at naught these
natural antipathies? And observe" he
continued, the strange manner Of its
workings. These two beings of oppo-
site sex have known each other slight
rly. casually for a space Of time. Then
without any increase of mutual init
macy, a curious and subtle alteration
will take place in the feeling of one
of the two toward the other. 1t need
not be, often 1t is not, in response to
any outward change in their relation
ship. 1t springs stealthily into being
like a small flame; the manner of it's
igniting is hidden and inexplicable.
1t may continue and increase and ut
terly overwhelm; it may purify and ex-
alt: or it may subside and vanish, as
mysterious as 1t appeared. 1t may be
quite free of physical impulse: it may
be wholly imaginative and contem-
plative. But why? why? We know
that the love of kindred is a result of
blood relationships. But what is the
origin and nature of this tyrannical
imperious. fortuitous force which
operates in defiance of logic, fitness,
and all that We know of the laws of
attraction"
This struck me-" said the cynic, "as
a remarkably clear statement"
1T seems to cover the ground" said
the other person.
so far as ! am concerned" puffed
the cynic, Il know little Of this phe-
nomena-save as l have observed it
in others. But it's out-croppings Ger.
tainly appear in the most peculiar hui
man formations"
Eyes," said the other person, there
was the case of Pearl"
Il don't think l remember about
Pearl" said the cynic vaguely.
surely you haven't forgotten Pearl
Tintman. OF all the silly, brainless.
vacuous nonenities she took the prize.
She was one of those jointless little
things. you know-always limp at pic
nics.-boys had to carry her across
rivulets and could span with your
thumb and little finger-would scream
and grab a mans coat if she saw
gnat. timidly clasped a masculine lit
tie finger when walking in the dark.
lisped. and hadn't two ideas above the
state of the weather"
Never finished High School, did
she?"
High school should say not. Al.
though she went to Mrs. Classicum's
school on the Hudson and came out
highly finished. She was always one
of "tlIose present" at the dances, you
know, and poured or stood in a row
at women's things in the afternoons.
"She couldn't tell symphony from a
house afire, thought Shakespeare was
something they ate in the middle ages,
that Isben was some sort Of an animal
kept in a cage, that Dante's Inferno
was a black hole in the local Catholic
cathedral, couldn't tell the difference
between a best seller and the initia-
tive and referendum. thought Bryan
was the governor and that culture
was produced in q college laboratory.
"Still, as l remember IT," said the
cynic, reminiscently. "she had eye
lashes that laid back on her forehead
and skin like the inside Of she'll"
The other person smiled sardonical-
ly.
"Sure-that's just it," she said.
That's all men notice."
Il thought you said the other day
that that didn't count" grinned the