96 MARRIAGE. 



prefer an active, well-ordering woman (a high-flying 

 body of innovators may call her coventional if it 

 pleases) who will guide, with distinction, me and my 

 household through the mazes of social life." Another 

 man may say that to ^him life devoid of deep affec- 

 tion given and received is of little value : he pre- 

 sumptuously wishes to worship and be worshipped. 

 One woman may say, " I prefer a husband who will 

 not burden me with inordinate affection ; one of high 

 principle, of public spirit and untiring in good works ; 

 one whose light I do not hesitate to confess it 

 shall be seen of all men." Another woman's ideal 

 world would be one in which if it were possible 

 stainless Launcelots were mated to stainless Guineveres. 

 The Galahads and the Arthurs might, in her opinion, 

 be set to scrub or rule monastic cells according to 

 their several capacities. 



Perhaps the majority, of men and women would 

 prefer to select as far as facility of selection is 

 permitted to them their life-companions from the 

 intermediate, or at any rate, from the less extreme 

 temperamental types. Unfortunately, however pru- 

 dent their wishes may be, the opportunities of grati- 

 fying them are somewhat limited. Putting aside the 

 personal, social, and conventional hindrances to free- 

 dom of choice, it is to be remembered that not more 

 than about a third of our population belong, it has 

 been already remarked, to the intermediate class; a 

 large third belong to the less impassioned, and a small 

 third to the more impassioned classes. 



It is fitting to remark in this note, and to remark 

 with some emphasis, that it must not be assumed that 

 passion necessarily implies, or is necessarily associated 

 with, affection. In every individual there is a sum- 

 total of passion-nerve and therefore of passion or feeling. 



