THE WOMAN 



possessed. If not counterbalanced in him by vices or 

 cruelty, a love thus lightly won may often last through 

 a long life ; domestic ties, the force of habit and in- 

 terests in common, filling up the gaps in deficient 

 character that a thorough acquaintance must reveal. 



With women of mature age or better minds the 

 merely physical and outward traits are not all suffi- 

 cient ; they value most, often unconsciously, the menial 

 characteristics that distinguish the man from that of 

 her own sex. Not so much the cultivated intellect, 

 the learned, well-read and original thinker, as he 

 whose manner is indicative of a reserve force, of the 

 power to control others and to command himself. 

 If she is a thorough woman, she gladly recognizes in 

 him qualities that may be deficient in herself. She 

 should honor and esteem before she begins to love. 



In the complex civilization in which we live many 

 other motives influence her choice. Wealth and Posi- 

 tion are forces in themselves that replace the natural 

 ones that a simpler life would offer. The charm of 

 novelty and the interest thereby excited in a new ac- 

 quaintance, together with the inborn desire of pleas- 

 ing and of successful rivalry, are often the determin- 

 ing causes in love affairs that a more intimate knowl- 

 edge would have dissuaded from. In such cases 

 the prospect for mutual happiness at best can be but 

 doubtful. 



343 



