Page:Randolph, Paschal Beverly; Eulis! the history of love.djvu/161

156 understood; for such seldom are on this earth, and at thirty odd, it is too late to hope to be while in the flesh.

Helen, a loose one, caused the wars of Troy, and from her down the lane of ages, men, and women too, have practically adored body, and worshipped Lust and Fashion, openly or sub-rosa; and until some decimating scourge, originating in Lust, shall sweep the earth—as it will within a century!—of six-tenths of its human denizens, the same wild worship will continue as before.

CXLIV. How very seldom married people praise each other! yet nothing on earth goes so far toward rejuvenating a waning regard, as the expression of gladness at each other's points, acts, trials, victories, industry, perseverance; yet all this power for good is practically ignored; and while others are praised and cheered to the echo, we never get the slightest token of appreciation, even though we toil like abject slaves to deserve it. If love exists between couples, it ought to show itself in something better than mere empty words. If it does not, whole troops of discontentments come crowding at our fireside; for neglected duties, broken promises, lip affection, magnetic, or passional attraction, will not fill the bill of an anxious heart! They paralyze us, render us cross, selfish, non-ambitious, careless, hopeless, solitary, and despondent. That affection which words itself by daylight, and snores when Night veils the world, is not worth an hour's purchase. Palsied affection seldom gets entirely well again! and non-reciprocal marriage infuriates all males; and too many wives make not the slightest effort toward mutuality; and by so neglecting one of the first of wifely duties, clap the lid on the coffin of their happiness, and hurry their joys to an untimely grave; and after thus committing marital suicide, they weep and wonder that their lords do not fall down at their feet to worship and idolize them as of yore, in the halycon days of courtship and the honeymonth; not realizing that he, poor fellow, has found the lace all paper, the diamonds all paste;—and no man likes either of these! She is not wise, who expects to hold a man securely unless one of her strongest cords is reciprocation, which every husband has a right to expect and realize; and every wife, by