Man and Maid

Why all the delay, the fencing, the fighting, to obtain this desired

thing! This woman--my mate!

That she is my mate I know. My mate because my love is not based upon

the senses alone, but is founded upon reverence and respect. I

hope--believe--I am certain that we shall one day realize the truth of

the words: "When some strong-souls shall conquer their division,

And two shall be as one eternally!

Finding at last upon each others breasts

Unutterable calm and infinite rest."

For me, that means love, not the mere gratifying of the hunting

instinct, not the mere primitive passion for the longed for body, but a

union of the souls, which can be satisfied, having soared beyond the

laws of change.

What is it which causes unrest? Obviously because something is wanting

upon one of the planes on which we love, and so that part which is

unsatisfied, unconsciously struggles to have its hunger assuaged

elsewhere.

There is no aspect of mind, body and soul in me, which I feel would find

no counterpart in Alathea. If I reached out to any height spiritually,

she could go as high, or higher. The cleverest working of the brain I

could hope to manifest would find a complete comprehension in her. And

as for the body! Any student of physiognomy can see that those delicate

little nostrils show passion, and that cupid's bow of a mouth will

delight in kisses!

Oh! My loved one, do not make we wait too long!

* * * * *

Ye Gods! What a state of exaltation I was in when I wrote those lines

last night! But they are the truth, even if I now laugh at my expansion!

I wonder how many men are romantic underneath like I am and ashamed to

show it?

When Alathea had finished the verses for the second time, she again

dropped the book in her lap.

"What is your conception of love?" I asked casually.

"As I shall always have to crush it out of my life from now onward I

would rather not contemplate what my conception of it might have been."

"Why must you crush it out?" I asked blandly. "Your fidelity to me was

not part of the bargain, fidelity has to do with the sex relationships,

which do not concern us. One would not ask a secretary to become a nun,

on account of one. One would only ask her to behave decently, so as not

to shock the world's idea of the situation she was supposed to be

filling."

Her face grew subtle, a look came into the eyes which might have come

into George's or mine. I suddenly realized how well she really knows the

world from the hard school the circumstances of her life have caused her

to learn in.