The Washington times., 1936-12-30

In SIT cases, the suicides were
double, the ill-starred lover and his
lass plunging hand in hand into
the bubbling, Seething mass OF
lava.
Sixty-three per cent of the re-
mainder of these love suicides
were men, which would seem to
prove that in Japan men take love
affairs more seriously than women.
Killing oneself for love is most
pitiful and foolish. Emotional
insanity is the verdict offered by
psychiatrists.
And, matter-of-fact as 1t may
sound, if the emotional tornadoes
brought about by unhappy love
can be diverted into other chan
nels, they are often as effective as
the harnessing of tremendous
natural forces.
DIVERTED CURRENTS
Consider Niagara, Norris Dam,
Boulder Dam and some Of the
untamed rivers of the world-and
then let's consider what diverting
the currents Of unhappy love
affairs has brought about in the
way of magnificent results.
If you have been reading some
OF the more recent biographies
of George washington, Father
of His Country, you are aware
that he was turned down by
several young ladies before Martha
Gusts, most eligible widow in
Virginia, accepted him.
AS he rode to his first inaugura-
tion, looking the part perfectly,
with flags waving like grain in
the wind and people shouting
themselves hoarse, a lady, obserV-
ing the Spelndid scene from the
balcony, fell in faint.
The swoon was repeated by
another lady before Washington
took his oath Of office. Both had
turned him down.
SOURCE OF ELOQUENCE
The fires of Savonarola's elo-
quence, which rocked Italy, were
primarily kindled by an unhappy
love affair. A naughty minx-an
illegitimate daughter of the House
of Strozzi-spurned his suit with
a reference to her own noble blood.
Bastard blood" the great
preacher flung at her. Later he
entered the church, and his
vitriolic TRADES against abuses
starred him as the great reformer
of the Middle Ages.
Music lovers the world over may
thank the fates that Beethoven,
instead of committing suicide over
his various untoward love affairs,
drew from them the inspiration
for much of his best music.
Charlotte Bronte wrote into
''Villette" her experiences at the
Pensionnat Heger. The question
of the degree of her love for Con-
stantin Heger is still debated by
her biographers.
In any case, Madame Heger was
jealous, and Charlotte returned
to England and evolved new
school of novel-writing. Her hero
ines were homely and her men
not heroic, but she wrote about
life.
TURNED TO PROFIT
In lesser mortals, unhappy love
affairs have been turned to highly
profitable results. It would not be
kind to give the names Of gentle
men who have created fortunes
from the wrecks Of disastrous
love affairs-the world is full. of
them.
When the National Capital was
still in swaddling clothes, a
wealthy young man decided to
build a house, with splendid gar
dens, worthy of the girl he loved.
But the lady said mo" And
instead of one magnificent house
surrounded by laid-out walks and
shrubbery, he built a whole row
of houses, sold them profitably,
married another lady and raised
a highly successful family.
In all these cases the outcome
was far better than jumping
into a volcano, or making a sui
eide exit, because of temporarily
broken heart. For hearts, like
all flesh, have a way Of healing.