South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-22
Should They Remain
Friiendsl
BY Ada Patterson.

When your sweetheart says: "Pll
be a sister to YOU" Is it fair to be
friends with the man who loves you?
Our own private opinion is that it
is not. Many there are who Will not
agree with us, so let us consider both
sides Of the question.
The man who is the victim of un-
requited love appeals to the woman
TO whom his heart has gone out and
says: Let us be friends. If 1 can
not have the bread for which my
heart hungers, let me have the
crumbs that fall from the table. Why
should l be deprived of your friend
ship. because you cannot give me
your love? Don't you see that it is
life to me to be near you, that If you
Danish me it will be to the regions
OF death? We have been so happy
in each others society, why should
that intercourse not continue? If L
had never told you Of my feelings for
you we should have gone on in the
old happy way-let us do so now.
Forget that l love you. Only let
me be your friend. 1t won't hurt you
to let me see you sometimes (you
seemed to enjoy my company before)
and it will make life worth living for
me. Think of my future if you shut
me out: it is bleak, and barron and
hopeless. With your sympathy and
encouragement l can do good work.
in the world; without it 1 shall be but
a barren-fig AS your friend l
should at least have the JOY of hear
ing you speak, of seeing you move
about, of touching your hand per-
haps-whO knows, of performing
some little service for you? / don't
ask you for anything. l only want TO
spend rayself in your service"
The man has argued well. and his
points sound convincing and worthy
until the woman makes reply which
would be on this order:
You ask an impossibility. How
could ] take all and give nothing.
You would put me under an eternal
obligation; you might even force me
TO marry you out of gratitude. More
ever Love is only satisfied with love-
You may think you would be content
with friendship. but I know better.
In the back Of your mind you
would always have. the hope that 1
should change. Because YOU love me
you will never be able TO understand
why 1 do not return your affection.
Love begets love you would saw TO
yourself, and you would read into
my words and actions meanings I had
never intended TO be there You
would be deceived and would not
De free. Friendship could not exist
when one party had to be continually
on guard. You think now that half
a loaf Is better than none. but you
would suffer If you saw me giving the
remaining half 10 others. And If
bye and bye. l. wanted TO give them
more II would be far worse for you
than II is now.
For your own sake YOU would
have TO cut the tie then. Even if YOU
could bear 10 go on with il. do not
think the friendship YOU propose
could possibly cOntinue-there would
be a third party TO consider
BUT even supposing ] never mar
ry l cannot blind myself to the fact
that You are wasting your love. The
world cannot afford 10 keep any pool
stagnant IL must flow out to remain
healthy and sweet. If you are always
hoVering around me. you will think
or no one else. To a certain extent I
should supply the sympathy and COM
panshlp you need, and some one else
VINO could give in full measure. press
ed down would be the porrer. 1t would
Oe selfish OF me to keep Won at my
side. II l thought that seeing me
would dlsillusion YOU. I would say.
Yes al once but since your love was
porn OF our intercourse. II is better
10 end II now; il would but increase
as time went on. Friendship often
ends in love. but love in friendship
never"
You have now heard the case for
the plaintiff and the defendant The
plaintiff declares that his happiness
depends upon the defendants friend
snip. She urges that it is the happi-
ness or the moment that the future
could only hold misery for him.
lie sees. no reason why they should
not continue as heretofore. She
argues that the confidence Of faead-