IN LOVE WITH ‘CHIT-CHAT’

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 93, 26 April 1913, Page 3

IN LOVE WITH ‘CHIT-CHAT’

PLATONIC AFFECTION TO FILL “MENTAL VACUUM.”

Quite a new element in divorce was introduced at Boston, U.S.A-., whefe Mrs E. L. Bantoul, the daughter of the late James Russell Lowell, the famous essayist and American Ministei to England, told an interesting story of her unsatisfied intellectual longing for a man’s friendship. Mrs Rantoul is suing for a divorce on the ground that her husband’s alleged cruelty and abuse drove her into

forming a platonic friendship' with another man. Her husband is a member of one _ of the most prominent social farhilies in Boston, while her platonic friend (Mr Chester C. Rumrill belongs to a multi-millionaire family, and was Mr Rantoul’s most intimate friend at Harvard, Dr Hugh Cabot, of Boston, who has been called as a witness in the case, stated that Mr Rantoul’s treatment of Ins wife” dis-

rupted Ipy self-respect and created in her a mental vacuum.” When asked what heimeant by a “mental vacuum,” he explained that it was due to a total lack of intellectual compatibility between husband and wife, thenrelationship being merely physical. Cabot, “forced Mrs Rantoul into an association with Rumrill to satisfy her moral .arid intellectual impulses, and if she weie now compelled to return to her husband she woujd suffer a dangerous collapse.” The Judge stated that noth unlawful inMrs Rantoul’s association with’ Rumrill was understood or claimed. Mrs Rantoul then stated that she and Rumrill had studied Nietzsche and other philosophers together.” She was deeply; ip love platonically 'with him, she said. She kissed him' a!t least twice, j and ■he gave hdr ; k pair of • diamond earrings and othet presents. She ' cchfrespdnded 'with diiin- daily for ■six • months,- 1 arid , frequently’ ; riiotdred ; with him alone/ : She callod'liifn by the ■p6t hapie ofiPdiit'ChatA’ aildtlffO her wpman! j friends that she Mtas ‘ ‘dead in' love with him.” She^‘described her love for Rumrill, says the ‘Express,’ as “an intellectual affection,” and said: “I(forgot my : 'e‘arlier iritei-' pretation of love I learned with him a newer interpretation, for which the mind of each must’ accord in everything, I'Tliiril accord* 4 fodiid with Chit Qhat, ' ( 4 ,(l 6!lpenen6efl ; hvi*th -him’ ■an . arid attentive kindness that I 'fiievrir felt before:” Mrs Rantoul that when her husband learned of her relations with Rumrill she gave up the latter and tried to„ livodiriifpily with her husband. “But he called me a woman of the gutter, reviled me, and spat in my face,” she said, “and when I found it imposiblo to hear with him any longer I left him, and decided I must have ihy freedom.”