Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-10
DOES HE CARE
MUCH FOR YOU?
The Average Girl May Be Sure
the Average Man Will Be
Won by Real Worth
by Beatrice Fairfax

| BY Beatrice Fairfax
What does he mean by his atten-
tions? Is he in love with me and too
shy to say so? Does he like me and
never think of love? Are we just
good friends? How am I to know
whether he really cares for me?
Piter patter-with the vague soft
ness of Spring rain or the stubborn
pelting of an Autumn storm. these
questions fall upon me and about
me. If only had a touch
stone of truth so that 1 could
make sure just how much of what
he says Larry" means-or just how
| long what he means shall be true!
But I haven't-the only equipment
bring to meet the situation in gem
eral is little sadly uncommon COM
modify: common sense!
Some time ago I met a young man
at party. We were the only young
people there, so he suggested we go
to theatre. We had a very pleasant
! evening, and 1 found him a real
gentleman. On returning home
asked him to phone me sometime q
am switchboard operator); he
promised to call me in a day or two
but failed to keep his word. One day
1 had to call his office on business,
and he answered the telephone. 1
talked to him and made an appoint
ment, which he kept. Again he
promised to call me in few days, and
after weeks I had not heard from
him, so I telephoned him. This has
occurred over and over again. When
he is with me he says he cares for me,
but he never bothers about me unless
1 phone him.
do you suppose he treats me this
way because 1 am a poor girl? Can
it be that he only comes to me when
he has nowhere else to go? Should
wait and see IL he comes of his own
accord or try to forget him? I refuse
other invitations beacuse I am wait
ing for this young man. Shall I ask
him what his intentions are. or go on
waiting or try to forget him?" writes
Puzzled
Like Many others
Though differing in substance, yet
similar in thought. are dozens of the
many letters 1 get each day. And
so 1 am going to try to handle the
situation for all similarly puzzled"
girls. Don't say that your case is a
little bit different and that you must
have a separate answer. We all
fancy that our situations are unique
but they aren't. EVERYBODY goes
through about the same difficulties
you are facing and slight variations
do not alter the basic similarity.
Very often when boy meets a
girl at a party where he is bored,
the slight interest which she arouses
in him stands out prominently enough
by way of contrast to make him very
glad to seek her society as a means
of relief from the stupid annoyance
of the situation.
Very often a bov likes a girl rather
well in a passing sort of way. If she
seeks him out now and then, he is
rather glad to hear her voice and is
stimulated by 1t into imagining that
he wants to see her. He enjoys his
occasional meetings, but he enjoys
them as mere episodes; they never
become part of his life. The girl con-
cerned never seems vital or necessary
to his happiness.
frequently a man who Is indef-
nitely interested in one girl likes
little excursions into the land OF
romance in the society of other girls.
He likes bit of variety. He enjoys
change. And it is not wanton self
ishness but a lack of thinking which
causes him to let himself grow i'm
portant to a girl who Is little enough
or nothing to him.
The average young man meets a
great many girls. all more or less
attractive, bu tnone of them sufic-
iently important to him to seem
J tnGnfrn y,
Idea of giving UP his freedom for
their sakes. Men nowadays don't
like to be bound down. Women have
long been called "the restless SEX"
out as matter of fact we are rest
less because we are continually striv-
ing for the unattainable. We want
what we can't have. The men of to-
day have taken over our restlessness
as If 1t were Something catching"
The trouble is that they don't want
anything they can have.
Men enjoy the chase, This is a
primitive fact of human nature and
there is no way of evading it. Some
clever women know how to mark
down the hunter by whom they de-
sire to be pursued and then to. let
him have all the fun of fancying
that he chose to pursue Most of us
are not clever coquettes-we are
JuoN lONihb SOulS WHO d6SlFe
to give freely of our affections to
the man for whom we care.
Now the girl who is attracted by
the man who treats her even as the
hero of our letter had better give
the thing up as a bad jobl II she
has to do all the telephoning and
has to combat indifference and broken
promises. she has nothing at all on
which to depend. Boys and men
under the lure of propinquity-often
fancy themselves interested and say
so.
But girls must take a more from
Missouri" attitude in matters of the
affections. Saying to a girl whose
sweet nearness moves him that he
cares Tor her is Just what can be
expected of almost any man. And
the proof of he declaration of fol-
lowing it up next day or the day
after with another declaration-l.
e.: that you want to see her again.
| Nine men out of ten go after what
they want. If they don't want, they
don't go. If they don't go, they don't
want Ito write the obvious Converse
Of the proposition").
| |