The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-11-23
LoVe=Akgtt be Hopeless But Why
GstaltsRFeek a Person.


Love-A4gi1t be Hopeless, But Why
Lstat@HFeek a Person.
NOV re all settled. I'm as
cheenuI-aa HIwere going to walk
up the c1u1ehratsle on papa's arm
escorted by a dozen maids" said
SDeb after Ann had gone.
%Cheerfune!" I commented.
%Debbie. dear, this must bo the
thfrheth time,that Ted has propos-
ed to You. How did you happen to
aecept-at 1ast?"
my mother really forced me into
the very thing she was trying to
prevent. She sent Ted away.
wouldn't let me see him, as you
know. And Just because she was
50 prefectly horrid, I kept thinking
about poor Ted and how his feel
ings had been hurt by mothers
rudeness.'
"And when your mind was on
Ted, you couldn't well be thinking
oE-of anybody else. l see," l said.
"Jnne, dear. us l told you long
ago., l have compelled myself to
think OF Jim as one who had died.
It vas best so"
When IL you'd been most any
body but Deborah Burns. you might
easily have Switched him." ! muir
INJURED bitterly, remembering that a
less scrupulOus woman was snitch-
ing my W husband.
Deb expressed her sympathy with
a little hug before she continued:
IT suppose l ought to have mar
tyred myself to an unreQuitcd love
In the old romantic way. but |
guess I've read too much modern
psychology and all that sort OF
thing to be able to make a willing
sacrifice of my whole life. Anyway
what's the use OF all the e the
eFies II nobody is ever going to try
IAsm out? Honestly. I don't know
how It is going to end, but ] decid-
ed that If modern thought about the
awful waste Of human possibilities
ENm misdireCted love are true, it
Was up to me to save my own ex-
fstence from futility. Love might
be hopeless-but why let it
wreck me? Jane, talked it over
with Ted very frankly. | suppose
we had the most remarkable on
v~ersation ever carried on by a man
and a maid. Ted certainly has an
understanding heart for a man. |
didn't deceive him about anything.
He insisted that ore of new in
terests would catch up after we
we're married. Even the trip to
South America would overcome my
melancholy and set my thoughts in
new channels. Ted told me more
! about his several love affairs, and
I finally we decided thatSwe'd choose
! each other, for better or worse,
without being deceived by-by the
THE usual blindness Of lovers"
Deb stammered.
2A'She means passion said my
self to myself.
1--WE agreed to make the business
] of matrimony a success and | don't
] see any reason why we should fail"
\ Deb continued. For one thing, we
will not be Jealous Of each other,
I and 80 we will not find fault with
/ or deceive each other, and waste
4 good energy over a worthless emo
ton"
"Your queer plan certainly has
its advantages" l murmured.
If 1 hold to my determination
to make my marriage a success,
nothing can spoil it."
"You and Ted will have q greater
u average Of happiness than most OF
a those do who marry for romantic
notions, I hope, Debbie, dear"
Tied and / have chosen each 9TH
Il er. All who marry do that. Ted
and I intend to cultivate the will to
Soide happily by our choice"
HThat's where you and Ted will
differ from many others. Choice
and VIII ought to make a workable
formula for successful matrimony,
because we value most what we
strive hardest to get and to Keep"
After Deb had gone home, l con-
4trasted some OF the old and new
Itheor1es about love and marriage.
when the wife fails to cherish
her husbands interests, and when
sthe husband socks consolation in
8trregulaf love affairs, they have
tonly themselves to blame II the ro-
finance they married to preserve
grows brittle and snaps to bits"
According to the demands Of ira
dition and art, Deb ought to martyr
herself to her love for Jim. Accord
fng to the demands Of modern sci
4nce and philosophy. she should do
no such thing.
/ culdn't see why Beb's choice.
ito be sustained and nurtured BY
swfll' should not turn out rs happily
as a marriage based on tho evasiye
human emotion called love.