THE TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE
that of girls and women being forced into marriage against their will. That is, not in modern countries.
Nor is the situation today always thought of in terms of "Whom shall I marry?" Too frequently it gets to be, "Whom can I marry?" That is, "Whom can I get?" "Who will marry me?" When girls get around twenty-six they are often ready to marry almost any man at all. They are very particular earlier in life, but as time goes on they begin to get desperate, frantic, in a state of panic.
Now that attitude is all wrong. It is always a matter of whom they should marry. In their impatience to get married, because of many considerations, they overlook the important thing, happiness. They ought not to worry about getting married to anyone whatsoever who comes along, but always about whom they should marry. They are not to be finicky and capricious as a fairy-story princess might be, but still they are to consider seriously whom to marry.
Marriage is too serious a relationship to be entered into simply for the sake of getting married.
For men the question is quite the same, "What woman is qualified by character and training to make me happy?" Men have better opportunities to get married than women, for there are many over-anx-
[41]
