The Washington herald., 1913-10-30
By FRANCES sHAFFER.


Who ever has been able to reason out
the why for some OF the friendships-yes,
and the loves In life?
We see stranger-folk inexpiicably drawn
| to others whose characteristics seemingly
are at variance with everything lovabie
and true. and we say to ourselves. how
can they? We see them passing by the
sterling. dependable variety for the uncer-
tain, disioyal. sometimes dishonorable,
and we protest our failure to comprehend,
sometimes declaring that there must be
something wrong with them. else that
kind OF folk would prove no magnet TO
them.
And then-weli. then the time comes
that some one we know very well and
are bound to respect IL similarly attract
ed. where judgment. reason. and all else
declare they should fail to understand.
We know there is a subtle something that
draws that way.
But generally. almost invariably. II Is
an unnatural something. false lure that
ends In disaster, because. In the long run,
IL follows. "as the night the day." that
there cannot be continued happiness and
lasting peace when honor and dishonor
try to walk together.
Strange Affection.
In the sorry tales that come from the
Police Court we find evidence OF this
strange attraction day after day. We see
a woman faithful TO the last to a man
who negiects, III treats and deserts her.
We hear her pleading In his behalf. and
we fail to understand why she should
continue to care, except In the name Of
common humanity.
And we ask II real worth Is not guild
ing force at all. because we see her go on
and on. desperately trying to gather to
herself some crumb Of comfort. something
true from the wreck. forever failing. but
always trying. We say there must be a
sad lack Of pride in her makeup. willing
to give so much in return for so little.
and we think she must be made OF very
common clay. else she could not respond
to a nature so coarse and poor In all the
things that count.
But, after all, IL is not alone in the
lower walks OF life that we look, wonder.
and shake our heads in depreciation For
mp on the higher planes. where folk are
different In everything other than the
nature strokes. there are the same
strange attractions. and nobody can tell
Us why. least of all the folk attracted
Life Upsets Beliefs.
Indeed. life and its real experiences
completely upset some Of our most cher
ished beliefs. for once we pinned our
faith to the principle that there must be
genuine ground for respect and real ad-
miration before anything warmer and
closer could spring into being. But what
can we say in face OF proof to the con-
trary. what. but that life works out some
hard tangles at times?
This much we can say
II often happens that folk who Just
look on and see the tangles in the form
ing can pretty truly Judge the end and
predict the sorry way. There's marriage,
for instance. Many a parent has known,
only too well. that son or daughter.
under the spell of one OF those strange
attractions. with honor all on one side.
weakness and dishonor on the other, has
used every power Of persuasion to stay
the union. certain there could be but one
result-failure. And failure it was.
The Question.
The question is often asked-Don't they
know the lack of stability. don't they see
the awful character weaknesses and can't
they guess that there will be trouble?