Disquisition by Scripps, E.W., Pleasures of friendship, December 21, 1916

              .1'
'sition Dec.?l, 1916.
PL' E 11 SUR E S 0 F F R lEN D S H I ,P •
I remember that when ~ was quite a young man I was troubled with ,
certain embo.rance of spirits and a great suscep.tiblene.ss of heart
n my relation to the young females of my species. In those days,
when my income was limited by my ability to labor in my chosen fiel~,
was all too small to suit my con.anience.
If I was not modest, I was at least extremely diffident in the
presence of the -opposite sex.
Susceptibility and diffidence were, as one may imagine, very un-
" . congenial' e.ompanion '~ elements,
'fuile the one drew me with a Wlre cable toward the fair, the other
,pulled and hauled me with a fibre rope away.
, A certain large sense of unworthiness prompted me -to offset my real
. or imagined shQrtcomings of personal attractive.ess by making offerings
if gifts or atte~tions oJ some cost. '
There was always a new girl's face presenting itself at every turn
I made. There was always on my part an akward pursuit. I must make
the owner of this new face my acquaintance. I had to dangle, at least,
~
for a time. There was always a matter of flowBrs, boxes of candy, the
escorting the lady to the theatre or some other place of amusement.
1~y scant earnings were always over-taxed in order that I shouI'd
give in tangible form expression of my enslavement and my. devotion.
My constant embarrassments on account of having to meet board bills,
". room rent and t he demands of the tailor and the laundryman caused me oft­en
and often to dwell in my mind on this subject of the expensiveness
of my propensities.
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Ohio University Libraries, E.W. Scripps Papers, MSS 117, Series 4, http://bit.ly/scripps_mss117