Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/73

 the man the reasoning principle is uppermost and strongest; in the woman the principle of affection. Wisdom, knowledge, combined with the power of utilizing that knowledge and combined again with love, which embraces all the finer sentiments of human nature, is the power which controls the world. In God we have such a combination of qualifications. Man, made in the image of God, must, therefore, originally have possessed these qualities so combined. The necessities of man’s future existence on this earth demanded a separation, and it was given. Hence we have men and women. The one possessed with wisdom, the other with affection. Marriage, therefore, becomes a positive necessity; for without it, man must ever remain an uncompleted work,”

“Rubbish!” broke out the Doctor. “You have been reading the works of some mediaeval mystic. I think I could name him if I chose.”

“On the contrary, I have never read a line which conveys such notions. It is solely by thought and observation that I have reached these conclusions. A married man who is uncongenially mated, is simply one of the mistakes, and in no way affects my theory; an unmarried man is a half developed creature, and invariably a selfish one, full of evil qualities which, had he entered the true conjugal relation, would, to a great or less extent, have been eradicated. I’m afraid I don’t make myself very plain.”

“Your proposition is plain enough, but I can’t endorse it,” replied the Doctor. “How is it with you, Wylde?”

“Oh, it’s too deep a thought for me.” I answered. “I have never considered marriage in that light; but it is a known fact, that happily married persons grow to resemble one another in the course of years.”

“Of course it is,” replied Maurice. “Not only in outward appearance, but mentally to a far greater degree.”

“Then you think that in the Milenium [sic], men and women will actually become one? Two souls dwelling in one body?”

“Now you are quizzing,” replied Maurice, “and ’tis time to call a halt. I don’t claim that my theory has the virtue of novelty”

“You’d better not. It’s been written upon again and again.”

“Yet, I repeat, I never read a line which helped me to