THE TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE
over the same person very long; they need new flowers to sip the honey from; but that those who are profoundly in love, from a true affection, which is lovingly reciprocated, remain romantic in the sweet and sober way that true lovers have always been romantic.
Love seems to many a kind of enchantment, producing a state of illusion, causing lovers to see life and one another in an unreal way; but actually it is to life what the fragrance and coloring and gracefulness of the rose are to the rose. Without fragrance and coloring and gracefulness the rose is not a rose. Without love life is not really life, but hard and cold and barren as a rock.
Now for people who are truly in love it does not injure their love one little bit to see the other ungroomed. For such people poverty does not separate, but only draws them nearer together and makes them mutually brave. And nothing is so delightful for such people than to see each other continually. I know people who never tire of each other's company.
Of course, if there were many marriages of that kind the world would have a better idea of marriage, and there would be fewer divorces; less unhappiness of every kind.
I am persuaded from my observation that there are many such marriages, and I am convinced that
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