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 other case, where I believe that if it a sexual basis this was not recognized by the parties concerned or their friends.  Two girls, over 20 years of age, passed in a corridor.  A few words were exchanged:  the beginning of a very warm and fast friendship.  They said it was not a ‘rave.’  They were absolutely devoted to one another, but from what I know of them and what they have since told me, their feelings were quite free from any sexual desires, though their love for one another was great.  When parted they exchanged letters daily, but were always endeavoring to urge one another on in all the virtues, and as far as I can gather they never gave way to any feeling they thought was not for the good of their souls.

“Letters and presents are exchanged, vows of eternal love are made, quarrels are engaged in for the mere pleasure of reconciliation, and jealousy is easily manifested.  Although ‘raves’ are chiefly found among school-girls, they are by no means confined to them, but are common among any community of women of any age, say, under 30, and are not unknown among married women when there is no inversion.  In these oases there is usually, of course, no ignorance of sexual matters.