Page:The Truth about Marriage.djvu/39

 Incompatibility in marriage is by no means discovered at the very first. It has its basis in many conditions which often are not apparent for a long time after marriage. The plan of companionate marriage could not possibly be a universal solution for unhappy marriages. It would affect only a certain percentage and bring in a train of evils that would far outweigh the supposed benefits.

Will a marriage deliberately entered into for the purpose of making a trial of it develop the right attitude towards marriage? Will not the first anger or discontent lead to a quick divorce? It is not an easy matter for any two individuals to live together constantly in the close intimacy of marriage. What must be the result if there is an easy chance to escape from its bonds? The coming of children is often the one thing that binds people together closely enough to enable them to understand each other. Marriage practically in every case, after the honeymoon is past, becomes a matter of mutual adjustment.

The remedy for unhappy marriage does not seem to be a trial marriage with easy divorce, but in choosing a mate who is adapted by all the conditions to enter into a marriage with the one who chooses.

Universal education along this line would seem to be the most useful requirement for happy