The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-18
The Woman's Page of The Times-Dispatch
Concerning Love-Letters

Ana what may be "love-letter OF q,
har? you ask, oh man and men. more
especially men! To the certain know
ledge OF publishers there Is only one
cholce Dit OF volume that has ever
found It's way from the rosewood desks
ana the blue satin boxes Of all the
beautiful women In the world which
reJoices In this unique title; but il you
could by the wave Of your fairy god
mothers wand gain access to all the
bottom bureau drawers OF mt least a
dozen girls that you know. you'd sim
sply have TO build house to put all tho
nonsense In. In that one tiny little
book OF love-letters arc gathered some
or the most radiant loves and hopes
and longngs that ever strayed across
printed page. He had plenty of timo
that lover of generation ago-to
muse upon tho mystic fires OF a wo-
mans love, and he wrote them down
those dreams of his. and the woman
VINO ala not understand called them
fallacies.
Love-letters Of these gay falsifiers
i've and have their happy domain in
musty old boxes that breathe of for
gotten bonbons and tucked away In the
corners OF the following page. are the
tiny ghosts of the flowers that he for
got to send. This little house Is lighted
with the bright red words Of his
s phrasing and the old red diary that has
II single line on ii single page: He
these. The stories go singing through
the pages: the longings and dreams OF
the writer bloom In the moonlight Of
happiness. There are letters about the
time that he first saw her, and there
are letters about the rainy afternoon
lthat she wasn't at home; and there
atare letters about what he wants TO be
Because the golden halo of her hair has
made an enchantment about his heart
and there are the busy" letters that
hnu ffv
have hurt her-hurt her terribly. And
all these pages and all of these beau
4, THU thoughts are simply the most de-
licious pretends that you ever knew
on. man; oh. men, they are Just pre-
tend.
Listen. Girls write them. too. SO they
say. only they are oftenest and nearly
always from the standpoint of the
pretend. A woman simply cannot re-
sist the artistic temptation to begin
Heart of my Heart" when addressing
the most casual acquaintance. And she
plays tho game and the pretty words
weave garlands around the scented
sheets. and It's very interesting. and
So is the man, for little while.
She ties UP the little notes that she
gets with green ribbon to keep their
memory crdant at least. and tucked
away In a box she has some OF the
most indcscribable looking souvenirs
that she has romantically labeled
sASlttS "Hn i'cdu HOSES OF a "ltnereU
Tast" That is what Is left OF the
souls outhurst at fifteen. and she can't
even remember the mans name.
History has IL that the women have
written the most beautiful love letters
of the ages. and turning those Same
pages OF history, again and again II
Was only a make bci:evc, and the very
rretticst ones in all the world were
just FOR fun and because OF the apiece
in the game. Isn't IL queer play
this Juggling with words and hearts
and anectiors?
~ loyc-letter OF n liar-what is 1t,
where is it?' Nobody seems to know.
Some OF them don't become false love
letters until the people tired OF
the play. and some of them don't seem
stupid when it is really not game.
y very bright woman has said that II
stupidity means genuine affection. for
the love OF sweet heaven commend her
10 the gay dccciver. And you know
81 is strange how many men and wo-
men really feel the same way, even II
Il !ove-letter. no matter who the author.
or how nectng his affections. is the
most interesting phase of literature
that you may md half the world over.
BRENT WITT.