South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-02-19


that plant0niC friendship is possible
between man and woman who have
already given their love elsewhere
provided that there is present an in
tellectual bond uniting them. An
other writer equally prominent
states omphatically that there ~ no
such thing as pIatOnic friendship and
that such so-called relationships
only appear 10 be so when in reality
one or both successfully hide the
poignant truth
Probably one OF the most frequent
problems which confront women to-
day IN their new freedom arises from
friendships with men. and It Is a
delicate subject which the average
woman would rather leave quietly
undisturbed leaving 20 Fate-and
sometimes an unklnd Fate 70 proves
10 be-to solve a matter which she
has unconsciously let be forced upon
her
The young woman in college. 10
business life. en- society. enjoys
friendships with men and no one
would deny that friendship between
unmarried men and women from a
most satisfying factor In their lives
and that most successful marriages
have resulted from 10.
When a girI marries nowadays she
keeps her friendships with men.
even makes new ones. and no one
looks askauce. Naturally she en-
counters them frequently at dinner.
dance or party She may invite them
TO her home TOR an informal evening
and extend 10 them the same hOspi-
tally that he- husband offers TO his
former friends Jack. who was
Jack TO her before she was married.
is still Jack tand who iu the world
would ask her to call him Mister
Somebody ncw2) and Betty. inspite
OF her marriage, is still Betty TO him.
What would YOU call this relation
ahip-love2 Wen. avhy didn't he
uarry her them What else can we
Dau ito Usually nobody asks, and
really nobody knows or cares. And
those of Us who do think once In a
while casually label &c "platonic
friendship" regardless that the
spiritual and intellectual may be en-
tireIy lacking and which is probably
likes. AS time passes this fellowship
develops through an interchange OF
thought ana sympathy and because
OF its very lack of spiritual essence
proves a wide portal that some
times admits love
When man admires n man for
some inner quality he possesses. you
cannot well class that as physical at
traction but nevertheless. IL may be
the very cause of a novitiate &C
simultaneously which may or may
not develop into something quite diff
ferent and vhicE. bearing none Of
the earmarks Of evil is entered upon
with no consciousness Of wrong con-
tinues. drifting into a relationship
that IS not pIatonic on one side alone
or perhaps both.
Not so many years ago a young
American beauty welded a rich,
English nobleman who proved un-
reasonable and exacting Though he
was exceedingly rich. his aim I'm life
was 70 pile mp more wealth. At home,
he was a bundle of nerves. disliked
society and realizing his short COM
inE encouraged his wife TO bear The
burden of taeir social position entire
" alone AS time went on she be-
came quite as prominent figure IN
exclusive social circles as ne was in
the financial world There home
life. what little there was of &C. was
unmarried I'm it's serenity.
Among her many acquaintance,
there was man she thoroughly re-
spected and DE enjoyed many things
beside making money. The danger
began before either of them We're
aware that one existed There was
no warning and the relationship be-
gun with the innocent regard Of a
young woman for a man intellectual
" her superior ended not I'm divorce
but IN murder. Why2 Simply he
cause the man was a man and the
woman had grown responsive 90 his
every mood Tools i'm the hand OF
nature. the kinGled spark leaped in
10 flame. scorchin- both in one un-
guarded moment. n voiceful silence.
and that which within itself is preE-
uant with the possibilities OF all most
desirable or most terrible in life. was
raised into being
Not an friendships with men end
IN tragedy but surely only a small
number end happily for both con-
cerued. Perhaps 10 is the man but
more frequently the woman. realiz-
ing the true situation. seeks 90 dis
solve the bond before personal honor
is involved AT any rate patonic
frIeu Ishfp between one married and
unmarried or between a married
man and "a woman married To an