Page:Advice to young ladies on their duties and conduct in life - Arthur - 1849.djvu/189

Rh equality in intellect, education, taste, and habits of thinking. No woman should ever accept the hand of a man of weaker intellect and grosser tastes than herself; for a union with him would be an unnatural one. Man, as we have shown, is characterized by intellect and woman by affection; and a true marriage never takes place unless where a woman can love the moral wisdom of her husband; and this she cannot do if his intelligence and moral perceptions be inferior to her own. This is self-evident. We often see a woman of fine mind married to a man who is altogether her inferior in education, taste, refinement, good sense, and strength of intellect; and in such cases we always perceive sad evidences enough that by both the union is felt to be an unequal one; and often the yoke that binds her to her companion is plainly enough seen to be deeply galling. Men of inferior minds are usually attracted by a woman of brilliant talents; and, strangely enough, women of this class are too apt to unite their fortunes with them,—in too many instances, it is feared, on account of the mere external advantages that such a union will give them. But dearly enough do they usually pay for their unnatural folly.

All genuine love is founded upon respect. No woman can have the kind of respect for a man who