Omaha daily bee., 1914-09-29
People We Pass
ny BEATRICE FAIRFAX.

II am q years old and am deeply In
terested in a girl see each day as l 60
to work. She smiles at mo every morning
as We ride down In the subway, but
scarcely dare to speak. as have never
been introduced TO her. do not know
any OF her friends and have no way OF
meeting her properly. But I feel that
she cares for me. and I'm willing TO take
a chance Would you advise me to speak
to herr" writes Tom @,
Tom, l advise you most earnestly not to
speak to your little smiling lady OF the
subway. II sho Is willing TO let you meet
her without Introduction you are sure TO
feel that sho is not iust the sort OF girl
you care to meet In any manner. You
will only spoil an innocent idyll and get
a sordld adventure " you talk to the girl
to whom you are bit interested.
When you write that you are willing
TO take a chance you express the typical
masculine attitude towards the girls a
man can meet casually and for the mere
effort OF introducing himself You arc
holdng q mental reservation that ~ she
turns out to be ordinary, or stupid, or
bold or In any way Objectionable to your
taste, you can just manage to ignore her
In future. And after you had casually
dropped her acquaintance you would pro-
ceed to form O cruel judgment OF her.
You would wonder 10 she was a girl Of
such earciess manners and morals that
any man might speak to her as infor'
mally as you had You would begin tc
question n she was nc unprincipled In al
manners as In her method OF making &C
quaintanees. II you saw her with another
boy and you happened to know and lik'
him. you would think 10 yourself
''Harry's n nice chap l guess Ia bette
warn him that the sirl he's with is no
just the sort for his little sister to meet.
When you speak to girl without tia
foTnaiity of an introduction you breal
a rule Of the great game OF society. Ant
IL is not good sporting ethics to break tn
rules 81 any gamo you are playing. Nov
this Is the way society figures: 'If som
one who knows two people introduce
them, that person takes a bit of moral re
sponsibility, The Introduction says
know both Of you. and teal that yo
are nice enough folks to be Worthwhile
acauaintauces for each other. An
each OF the people introduced feels az
some one had stood sponsor for tn
decency and respectability and desii
ability Of tha other.
Don't you sen II, Tom. ana all you boy
and girls and men and women. who pas
some one on the street or In the subwa
and want oh, so much, to know them
Don't you see that II ls a great big worl
and that II has to be run on some prir
oiple OF Sound businessT" You wouldn
go into business or financial deal wit
some one Of whom you know no mol
than that they looked attractive. woul
your And the people you permit to con
into your social life have an influence q
things more vital 20 YOU than your puri
and your suocess IN business. They a
feet your reputation. your standard
deoenoy, your standing in the communit
your ideals and finally your life's happ
ness.
At best, we know too little OF the actu
soul Of any friend. We are compelled
take the actual man and woman 4
granted and believe In what they sho
US, overiaid as II is by layers OF soci
veneer. But when we know somethii
about the family and friends and habi
Q OF men and women we can in some mea
= ure decide II their friendship is one '
a want.
{ But the girls and boys who smile at y,
a In passing7 You can't take a ehanC
d Just think OF them as part OF the Ian
I scape you see as tho train OF life rush
by you. Admlre-respectfuiiy and from
Q distance, And make your friendshi
4 with the atmosphere OF proper iptrodu
a ton to bring you mutual esteem a
q faith for q background 10 the little p
g Of interest you feel for a pair OF brig
eyes.