John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station.
He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind.
He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind.
In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one-month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A Romance was budding.
Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York.
"You'll recognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel."
So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he'd never seen.
I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:
A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive.
I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips.
"Going my way, sailor?" she murmured.
Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away.
I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment.
"I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile.
"I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
Too often people associate good looks with beauty and it's this beauty which causes love at first sight for many. In today’s society, looks do matter and according to some studies, it is also a key factor in people’s success. People with good looks are preferred more, they get more attention, get promotions at work place and they do easily find their way out or get their work done faster than those with not so great looks. It all seems to be good and favorable for a short while, but then, will it still reap benefits in the long run. Beauty, truly is just skin deep and it will fade away as time goes by. True beauty is how we are on the inside. The same people who appreciate the beautiful face today will turn away when they behold a more gorgeous face pass by them.
What then can be called as real beauty? The answer is pretty simple; it is the level of maturity and the virtues that a person holds. The best example is that of a short and frail old woman by the name Mother Theresa. She isn’t known for her looks but for her wisdom and deeds. She for all the lepers and outcasts on the streets of Kolkata was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen and her hands were the most desired hands to hold. As seen in the story, I find the test quite interesting as that test brought out the true side of John Blanchard, who, if had gone by the looks would have missed out on the real Miss Maynell, who as I see, was not just beautiful but also had discretion , the other word for which is maturity. It’s maturity that truly makes a man or woman more interesting cos that brings in meaningful conversations and wise choices which sure is a great recipe for a long term relationship.A scripture in the bible says,
“A beautiful woman who lacks discretion (maturity) is like a gold ring in a pig's snout”.
God Bless You
During the next year and one-month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A Romance was budding.
Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York.
"You'll recognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel."
So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he'd never seen.
I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:
A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive.
I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips.
"Going my way, sailor?" she murmured.
Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away.
I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment.
"I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile.
"I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
Too often people associate good looks with beauty and it's this beauty which causes love at first sight for many. In today’s society, looks do matter and according to some studies, it is also a key factor in people’s success. People with good looks are preferred more, they get more attention, get promotions at work place and they do easily find their way out or get their work done faster than those with not so great looks. It all seems to be good and favorable for a short while, but then, will it still reap benefits in the long run. Beauty, truly is just skin deep and it will fade away as time goes by. True beauty is how we are on the inside. The same people who appreciate the beautiful face today will turn away when they behold a more gorgeous face pass by them.
What then can be called as real beauty? The answer is pretty simple; it is the level of maturity and the virtues that a person holds. The best example is that of a short and frail old woman by the name Mother Theresa. She isn’t known for her looks but for her wisdom and deeds. She for all the lepers and outcasts on the streets of Kolkata was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen and her hands were the most desired hands to hold. As seen in the story, I find the test quite interesting as that test brought out the true side of John Blanchard, who, if had gone by the looks would have missed out on the real Miss Maynell, who as I see, was not just beautiful but also had discretion , the other word for which is maturity. It’s maturity that truly makes a man or woman more interesting cos that brings in meaningful conversations and wise choices which sure is a great recipe for a long term relationship.A scripture in the bible says,
“A beautiful woman who lacks discretion (maturity) is like a gold ring in a pig's snout”.
God Bless You
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