H. ELLIS, in Appendix D. of his book on “Sexual Inversion,” speaks at some length on the School-friendships of girls: what they call “Flames” and “Raves”; of love at first sight; romance; courtship; meetings despite all obstacles; long letters; jealousy; the writing the beloved’s name everywhere, etc. These alliances are sometimes sexual, but oftener not so--though full of “psychic erethism.” In the same Appendix he quotes a woman of thirty-three, who writes, “At fourteen I had my first case of love, but it was with a girl. It was insane, intense love, but had the same quality and sensations as my first love with a man at eighteen. In neither case was the object idealized: I was perfectly aware of their faults; nevertheless, my whole being was lost, immersed, in their existence. The first lasted two years, the second seven years. No love has since been so intense, but now these two persons, though living, are no more to me than the veriest stranger.” Another woman of thirty-five writes, “Girls between the ages of fourteen and eighteen at college or girls’ schools often fall in love with the same sex. This is not friendship. The loved one is older, more advanced, more charming or beautiful. When I was a freshman in college I knew at least thirty girls who were in love with a senior. Some sought her because it was the fashion, but I knew that my own homage and that of many others was sincere and passionate. I loved her because she was brilliant and utterly indifferent to the love shown her. She was not pretty, though at the time we thought her beautiful. One of her adorers, on being slighted, was ill for two weeks. On her return she was speaking to me when the object of our admiration came into the room. The shock was too great, and she fainted. When I reached the senior year I was the recipient of languishing glances, original verses, roses, and passionate letters written at midnight and three in the morning.” “Passionate friendships among girls, from the most innocent to the most elaborate excursions in the direction of Lesbos, are extremely common in theatres, both among actresses, and even more among chorus and ballet-girls.”--HAVELOCK ELLIS, “Sexual Inversion,” p. 130. “The love of homosexual women is often very passionate, as is that of Urnings. Just like these, the former often feel themselves blessed when they love happily. Nevertheless, to many of them, as to the Urning, is the circumstance very painful that in consequence of their antipathy to the touch of the male they are not in the position to found a family. Sometimes, when the love of a homosexual woman is not responded to, serious disturbances of the nerve-system may ensue, leading even to paroxysms of fury.”--A. MOLL, _op. cit._, p. 338.