152 PLAIN FACTS FOE OLD AND YOUNG 



of criticism than of a set of formal rules for governing 

 matrimonial alliances. 



A Dangerous Doctrine.— A writer of some note^ 

 whose work on this and kindred subjects has had quite 

 an extensive circulation, advocates with great emphasis 

 the theory that parties contemplating marriage should 

 in all cases select for partners, individuals as nearly- 

 like themselves as possible. Exact duplicates would, 

 in his opinion, make the most perfect union attainable. 

 To make his theory practicable, he is obliged to fall 

 back upon phrenology ; and directs that a man seeking 

 a wife, or a woman seeking a husband, should obtain 

 a phrenological chart of his head, and then send it 

 around until a counterpart is found. If the circle of 

 one's acquaintance is so fortunate as to contain no one 

 cursed with the same propensities or idiosyncrasies as 

 himself, the newspapers are to be brought into requi- 

 sition as a medium of advertising. 



If so strange a doctrine as this were advocated by 

 an obscure individual in some secluded hamlet, or 

 found only in the musty volumes of some forgotten 

 author, it surely would be unworthy of notice; but 

 coming as it does from a quite popular writer, and 

 being coupled with a great amount of really valuable 

 truth, it is sufficiently important to deserve refutation. 

 A brief glance at the practical working of the theory 

 will be a sufficient exposure of its falsity. 



According to this rule, a man or woman of large 

 combativeness should select a partner equally inclined 

 to antagonism ; then we should have — what ? the ele- 

 ments of a happy, contented, harmonious life?— No; 

 instead, either a speedy lawsuit for divorce, or a con- 

 tinual domestic broil, the nearest approach to a mun- 

 dane purgatory possible. The selfish, close-fisted, 



