Page:The Truth about Marriage.djvu/147

 Possibly it is a failure because of the failure of one or both parties before the marriage to ascertain if there was mutual fitness for each other, mutual congeniality. Possibly from ignorance of what marriage really means. Possibly from selfishness on the part of one or both of the contracting parties.

Marriage has two parts, an external and an internal. Too many people think of marriage as merely an external form, and give no attention to the soul of it. An external marriage is like a house without any furniture, thus empty, or with ill-assorted furniture. Marriage for its happiness depends upon what we ourselves put into it.

Marriage is also to be thought of as a partnership. We all know very well what a partnership in business is if the partners do not agree. It is not possible for any two men whatsoever to become associated in business successfully if, ill-mated, they do not agree with each other in the many details that arise in the conduct of the business. In marriage the partnership is far more intimate.

Our pessimistic friend ought to know that business partnerships are not necessarily failures; they may be, and often are; but that is due to inability of the partners to agree with each other.

He might likewise know that marriages are failures because of many reasons not inherent in the