Year: 1878

IL is often quite impossible for the
most intimate friends and closest OBJ.
servers 10 specify All the influences which
have eombIped TO bring about this state
OF miud 10 any given Instance. Yet this
does not hinder US from supposing that
the process Is always 81 bottom perfect.
/ ly natural one, Que circumstance OF the
case which seems to be commonly over
looked is the special predisposilion TO the
smstory sentiment which shows itself 10
certain stages Of development aud in Ger
tain transient moods. II ia not too much
10 say, perhaps, thai most people fall in
love at given time because OF special
conditions ofthe moment. II A lad not
presented himself or herself as an object
for the impulse d or G would probably
have sufliced. This way OF looking at the
matter will no doubt appear shocking TO
the romantic mind, yet the idea seems to
have a firm substratum OF fact,


II would be interesting TO know what
part the process Of falling In love is des'
tined play in the future history of man
kind. A review OF the past development
of the custom, from primitive times "a
our enlightened age, suggests the reflec.
tion that II has tended TO become slower
and more conscious operation. II is not
many people who now tumble suddenly
and Iecklessly into this condition of mind
Culture seems to have the effect of trans.
forming the process of falling into one Of
sliding. TO refer again TO somewhat
analogous mental experience, culture
seems to make less frequent both sudden
forms of falling in love and sudden con.
version. This change is plainly due in q
large measure to q growth OF volitional
force. All falling in love is, OF course,
the direct effect Of involuntary and emo
tional impulse; yet negative act of win
may perhaps be said to be involved in the
non-repression of this impulse. AS peo-
pie advance in intellect and character,
the ascendency of the will increases, and
the amstory sentiment is only allowed to
attach itself to an obje;t very slowly and
after the fullest critical investigation. II
is not necessary 10 adopt the ultra-prosaic
supposition that sexual selection will ever
become a purely voluntary action. 1t is
commonly said that more and more per-
sous now marry for definite objects,
such as wealth, social position or domes.
tic adornments; yet the normal mode OF
selection is still held to include the play
of an Instructive emotion as we'll What
the higher culture seems to do, over and
above strengthening the controlling pow
er of will, is TO make this emotion more
reflective and self-conscious. People
learn TO understand more clearly their
own feelings and tastes, and TO know bet
ter beforehand what kind Of object is
likely to satisfy them. TIE emotIonalim-
pulse now shows itself as a conscious
wish TO possess an object of certain def.
inite character. Still the actual conoep-
tion of strong affection is process that
goes outside the will, though the will
may be said to. approve Of it in new
sense when its result is recognized as
agreeing with a pre-existing wish and de-
sire. We hardly think, then, that there
is ground for the cynical prediction that
falling in love is rapidly becoming an OBJ
solete custom. The experience will
probably grow much less violent aud ca.
tastrophic in It's character by becoming
brought into closer relation to the intel
lectual aud voitional parts of the mind.
Aud the same Influences which bring
about this effect will no doubt tend 10
tone down peoples rapturous faith in the
occult and trsnscendent nature of the
process.