Marion Marlowe's True Heart, or, How a Daughter Forgave — page 32: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

30 ‘Tam at variance with that I am afraid deeply concerns our future hap- piness. My lover isa nitarian, while I and my family have always been Episcopalians. We differ on religious matters now, and I am afraid differences will be more serious after marriage, My family and myself have all been at him to join our church, but he won’t do it, my lover on a stthject “Ought I to insist upon his accepting my faith » with me or should that be left open for discussion after we are married? GRACE P,”? If the question of a belief is more important to youthan the affection of your lover we advise you to relinquish him at once. True love will not let such subjects as religion or politics interfere with itstranquillity; No doubt your lover’s belief is quite as precious tc him as yours is to you, and if you cannot win him over by intelligent, kindly arguments you had better allow him to. follow his own inclinations. Always remember that the right to disagree belongs to every indi, vidual, but there is no reason for such disagree, mentbeing a source of misery. Ina general way, we would advise settling all such matters before marriage. Bickering is bad enough when people are not bound to each other by any tie, but itis ten-fold worse when there isa compact between them. Your lover has as much right to his religious views as you have to yours, and the sooner you recognize that right—the sooner you will have proved your own true womanliness, “Thave always been called a ‘flirt’ by my girl friends just because I liked to have a good time with the boys. There are four or five of them now that want me to marry them, but there is only one that I really care anything about, and I’m not sure that I care anything forhim. I do feel badly when [ see him looking disconsolate when I am fiirting with some one else, and I am always sorry when I have hurt his feelings. “Do you think this is love, and if I married him, do you think I could be a good wife to him? J would not like to give him the worst of. the bargain, Hartin B. 8.” Your letter seems to us to be a candid admis- sion of your feelings. You do not state your age, but we should imagine that you were young and just a little foolish. . We hardly think you have experienced the feeling called love, although your evident pity for the one young man’s feelings is akin to the sentiment. You should endeavor to redeem your reputation at once asthe sobriquet of ‘Flirt’ is not very desirable. You will never win the love of a good man so long as you show that your na- ture is fickle. We should advise you to devote your time to your work or your books and try to develop your character. In this way you may be able to discover your exact feelings towards the young man whom you seem to prefer at present, “Tn spite of the fact that T have steadily re- pulsed him, a young man of my acquaintance has stuck to me for months. [ have told him slninly that Ido not believe that I will ever real- 2 love any one, but he has persisted in showing MY QUEEN. me attention, and now I almost look to him for all my friendship, for the other men, lamsure, do not really care for me—they are just flirting like Iam myself. I know this one would propose if I gave him the chance, but I won’t give him an opportunity unless I am going to accept him, Do you think I would be doing him an injury to marry him? Iam not vicious, but I am afraid that I would want to flirt after marriage just the Same as I do now. . LIVE W..’ By no means marry this young man until you are sure you love him. There havé been too many of these uncertain marriages made already without your swelling the number. A woman who would “flirt” after marriage mgist be terribly lacking in dignity, and if she does not respect herself she cannot expect to be respected. We should judge that the-young man you speak of is a very nice person, and we sine cerely hope for his sake that he will Marry an -honest, self-respecting woman. _ We live in the suburbs, and Ihave been com- ing to New York to matinees ever since I wore long dresses. I meta fellow at a continuous per- formance one afternoon, and we struck up an ac- quaintance. “Since then I have corresponded with him and have met him in the city a number of times, and had luncheon with him. Now he wants me to go to the theatre with him some evening and spend the night at his boarding-place. ‘““T have met his landlady and sheis simply love- ly and I know she will see that I come to no harm. But would I be doing wrong to accept the invitation? “Some of my girl friends say that I eould not- do worse, and some of them say that it is no worse to spend the night in the city than to spend the entire day—as I have done, several times. ‘*Won’t you please advise me, as I am only nineteen years old and realize that I can’t judge for myself, IsaBEet F, A,” We cannot quite understand your letter, Isabel, In all our experience we have never heard of anything so extraordinary! If the young man you speak of was living at home with his mother and sisters, and it was their invitation we could find no fault with your staying under the same roof with your friend, but the idea of your Stay- ing at his boarding-house is beyond the bounds of respectability, and in spite of her smiles, no one would think worse of you than his landlady. The mannerin which you met this young man is thoroughly unconventional. Be careful that vour acquaintance with him does not terminate disas- trously. You speak very truly when you say you “cannot judge for yourself,’ but at nineteen years of age you should show more Wisdom and discretion. We are inclined to be suspicious of this young man’s motives; buta girl who allows herself to be “picked up” ata continuous per- formance, as the saying is, can hardly expect to be treated any differently. You had better dis- continue t his acquaintance if you do not wish trouble, KS Gomicboo com