A Preliminary Study of the Emotion of Love between the SexesBell, Sanford
Science
A Preliminary Study of the Emotion of Love between the Sexes
Bell, Sanford
Child psychology; Love
Case 10. B. 2, g. 2. One afternoon last summer two of my little
cousins, Florence twenty-three months old and Harold two years
old, were spending the day at my home. They had never met until
that day. Florence is an only child and is inclined to have her
own way, and isn't willing to give up to other children. Harold
has rather a sunny disposition. They had not been with each other
more than an hour before they were sitting on the porch and
Florence had her arms around Harold. She was very willing to give
up to him and share all she had. They played together the
remainder of the day, and were very affectionate. Ever since then
they have been very devoted to each other, and it is very
beautiful to watch them in all their little ways of indicating
their love for each other.
Case 11. I attended a wedding last June which was the outcome of
a striking illustration of this love. I will tell the story as
the bride's mother told it to me. “This does not seem like a
marriage to me but just one more step in a friendship which began
when Minnie and Theo were babies. Before either could walk they
would sit on the floor and play with each other--never having any
trouble over playthings, but sharing everything alike. Theo would
break bits of cake and put in Minnie's mouth, and then both would
laugh as though it were a great joke. If they were separated both
would cry. As they grew up the friendship grew stronger, and Theo
always called Minnie his 'little wife.' At school they were
always lovers, and when we moved here it was understood that when
Minnie was twenty-one Theo should come for her. During their
entire lives I do not know of a single quarrel between them.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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