The mirror., 1923-08-30
LOVE
By the late Dr. ChaS. WeH

This will be neither philosophical
treatise nor a psychological study of love.
Neither will it be discussion of the var
ious manifestations-like parental, conju-
gal etc.
Drummond, an eminent writer, said
that ''love is the greatest thing in the
world" and this statement is often quoted
by those who address us.
Is this statement really true?
Real friendship is benevolent affection
which one can acquire and develop; but
love is implanted into the soul, like the
love of parents for their children; the love
of children for their parents; the love
which leads TO marriage and to happy
married life; the love of humanity, of
country, of God; aye, of animals and of
inanimate things, like books, flowers pic
lures, etc.
Love is intensified friendship. One may
possess friendship and give countless evil
dences of friendly acts, and yet be in
large measure devoid of love; but when
love permeates our being, we are also
tinctured with friendship, though there
are countless instances of such as love
their family and their God and yet lack
in friendly feelings for others.
Like friendship, so is love, also, benev-
olent affection. The love of kindred, par
ents for children, children for parents, is
so familiar and natural that its germinal
principle need not be examined, and yet
it is not wholly due to the ties of blood
as bonds of attachment between parents
and their offspring, for in animals all
recognition and affection, care and solici-
tude, cease with the maturity of the off,
spring, and they become perfect strangers
and wholly Indifferent to the welfare of
one another. But in the human race
recognition and affection, care and solici-
tude, continue throughout life.
Closely allied with this parental and
flial love is conjugal love, where there is
no tie of blood, and yet no tie of blood is
stronger than it, nor more essential to hu-
man happiness and development
And of parental and flial love, the af-
fection is strongest in the mother. Hence
there is world of truth in the saying
that ones best friend, from the cradle to
the grave, in its purity and devotion and
unselfshnesst is ones mother.
Love of country is another deep seated,
firmly rooted propensity of the soul. We
call it patriotism.
Love of mankind is another manifesto
ton of the affections and it is enjoined
we should think of others and act toward
others, and do for others as we desire
other people to think of us and to act to-
wards us and to do for us.
The performances of acts regarded as
acts of love and as deeds of friendship
need not necessarily show the possession of
the emotions of love or the impulses of
friendship as part of the elements of heart
and soul, for they may be due wholly to
the desire to do good, to the recognition
of the duty and obligation towards others.
Thus, the philanthropist though the
word means love for mankind, need not
be governed by love for others but rather
controlled by the emotion of pity for others.
This is manifest when we consider the
fact that one may neither esteem nor re-
spect those in need or Distress and have
no confidence in them, yet help is gladly
given because our pityis aroused. But to
love person we must esteem and respect
him or her, have confidence in him or her.
And mercy and pity should govern us
in our conduct towards our brothers and
sisters and toward everybody. If we have
no feelings of friendship, no feelings of
brotherly and sisterly love for others, let
us at least return the humane and hu-