"Mental Efficiency And Other Hints to Men and Women"

Because, after all, the mutual sense of owner- ship felt by the normal husband and the normal wife is something unique, something the like of which cannot be obtained without marriage.

I saw a man and a woman at a sale the other day; I was too far off to hear them, but I could perceive they were having a most lively argument -- perhaps it was only about initials on pillowcases; they were absorbed in themselves; the world did not exist for them.

And I thought: What miraculous exquisite Force is it that brings together that strange, sombre, laconic organism in a silk hat and a loose, black over- coat, and that strange, bright, vivacious, querulous, irrational organism in brilliant fur and feathers ?" And when they moved away the most interesting phenomenon in the universe moved away.

And I thought: "Just as no beer is bad, but some beer is better than other beer, so no marriage is bad."

The chief reward of marriage is something which marriage is bound to give -- companionship whose mysterious interestingness nothing can stale.

A man may hate his wife so that she can't thread a needle without annoying him, but when he dies, or she dies, he will say: " Well, I was interested" And one always is. Said a bachelor of forty-six to me the other night: " Anything is better than the void."

THE TWO WAYS OF IT

Sabine and other summary methods of marrying being now abandoned by all nice people, there remain two broad general ways. The first is the English way. We let nature take her course. We give heed to the heart's cry.

When, amid the hazards and accidents of the world, two souls find each other," we rejoice. Our instinctive wish is that they shall marry, if the matter can anyhow be arranged.

We frankly recognize the claim of romance in life, and we are prepared to make sacrifices to it.

We see a young couple at the altar; they are in love. Good! They are poor. So much the worse! But nevertheless we feel that love will pull them through. The revolting French system of bargain and barter is the one thing that we can neither comprehend nor pardon in the customs of our great neighbors.

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