sit next to one another at some meal. They both
already had 'raves,' A. on an actor she had lately seen, B. on a married
woman at her home. The conversation happened to turn on 'raves,' and
mutual attraction was _suddenly_ felt. From that moment a new interest
came into their lives. They lived for one another. At the time A. was 14,
B. a year older. Both were somewhat precocious for their age, were
practical, with plenty of common sense, very keen on games, interested in
their lessons, and very independent, but at the same time with marked
feminine characteristics and popular with the opposite sex. After the
first feeling of interest there was a subtle excitement and desire to
meet again. All their thoughts were occupied with the subject. Each day
they managed as many private meetings as possible. They met in the
passages in order to say good-night with many embraces. As far as possible
they hid their feelings from the rest of their world. They became
inseparable, and a very lasting and real, but somewhat emotional,
affection, in which the sexual element was certainly marked, sprang up
between them. Although at the time they were both quite ignorant of sexual
matters, yet they indulged their sexual instincts to some extent. They
felt surcharged with hitherto unexperienced feelings and emotions,
instinct urged them to let these have play, but instinctively they also
had a feeling that to do so would be wrong. This feeling they endeavored
to argue out and find reasons for. When parted for any length of time they
felt very miserable and wrote pages to one another every day, pouring
forth in writing their feelings for one another. In this time of active
attraction they both became deeply religious for a time. The active part
of the affection continued for three or four years, and now, after an
interval of ten years, they are both exceedingly fond of one another,
although their paths in life are divided and each has since experienced
love for a man. Both look back upon the sexual element in their friendship
with some interest. It may be remarked in passing that A. and B. are both
attractive girls to men and women, and B. especially appears always to
have roused 'rave' feelings in her own sex, without the slightest
encouragement on her part. The duration of this 'rave' was exceptionally
long, the majority only lasting a few months, while some girls have one
'rave' after another or two or three together.

"I may mention one ot