Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-12-08
Love-and the Man

Love-and the Man
Herbert was silent again. A
the miles rolled under us I begal
, to grow doubtful of my goo
sense in accepting his invitation
: but l was also curious to know tn
kind of .sentimentalist" tina
Hardy described.
And then just as though min
utes had not intervened since hi
last speech, he said: Eyes, Thoma
Hardy was right when he describ
ed this manly idiosyncrasy il
these words:
To his Well-Beloyed he hat
always been faithful; but. she hat
had many embodiments. Each in.
dividuality known as Lucy, Jane
Flora, Evangeline or what not haG
been merely transient condition
of her. He did not recognize this
as an excuse or as a defense, but
as fact simply. Essentially she
was, perhaps, of no tangible sub
stance-a spirit, a dream, a frenzy
a conception, an aroma, light
in the eye, parting of the lips,
epitomized sex.
God only knew what she was,
he did not. She was indescrib-
able.
Herb was silent again and I
thought: $50 this is mani" Then
i remembered that poem that
hung in Ria's room. Some of the
stanzas stood out in my memory.
l read them as though op print
ed page:
II will love me one; will love me
two.
And unto both shall my heart be
true"
But this is the price that he pays
and pays
That he is not stated in all his
days.
This is the law that was made of
old
One may not squander his loves
bright gold;
One may not flout his real true
mate, -
Or life will render him back in
hate.
This is the law, break which, 10
Man,
You walk accurst among your
clan;
Albeit you love in dark and day
Peace shall flee from your sulk-
ing way.
This" said to myself, '.is why
Ria had the poem lramed ana put |
in her room. She has encounter
ed this characteristic so frequent
ly In men. She has recognized it
even ii some man has not told
her, for, although most men rec
ognize this fact which Herb Rich
ardson has been telling me, they
10 not often tell it to women"
As if to clinch my idea Herb
began again. THAT, Virginia, is
.very mans idea of the Well Be-
owed from the cradle to the grave
As soon as he is able to realize
owe, boy loves his mother. One
II the first things remember was
ny chagrin when both my father
md my mother laughed at me be-
ause sturdily insisted that was
'oing to marry my mother when
rev up. Later l changed this to
ny nurse, and my governess fol-
owed as a matter Of course. And
hen found that was sharing
ny lollipops and jam tarts with
be little girl across the way.
But never really grew up un-
IL at college l fell frantically in
ove with woman much older
han myself.
Il wish that women understood / 4
etter that upon the kind of older
Foman with whom nearly every
oy falls in love the first time de-
ends his character.
Many an unthinking older wo- X
ian has destroyed forever boys
nth in the sex as mine was des-
'oyed. Many a boy finds his X
iored one is insincere and sell
sh and he jumps at the eonclu- \
on that all women are insincere X
Id selfish, just as I did.
Il found that the one woman n
oon whom I had poured out all n
y youthful worship loved only h
'rself and 1 have since always Il
oked upon women as self-lovers.
Il caught the fever and caught N
hard. 1 learned from exper-
nee that Emerson was right
hen he said that Love was the
ification of persons and for M
eeks | reveled In that state N
lich Heine described by saying:
call it heavenly joy,
fernal torture, the devils say;