in one respect may yet find that they are still in many ways strangers
to each other. That must always be a most critical situation. I believe
that a successful way out of it might almost always be found, if only
the two concerned would use much patience and would learn mutual
accommodation. But patience is not a universal possession either among
men or women, and often rash and foolish things are said or done at
such times which seem to break hopelessly the house of dreams which up
till then had seemed so beautiful and so permanent.

If only men and women could learn that the love which makes happy
marriages is _not_ mere passion, though it involves passion, a world of
troubles might be avoided.

The plain though unpalatable truth about a great many marriages is
that, though there was love in them at the beginning, there was not
enough of it. Often there was enough to make the man eager and
delighted to enjoy his wife when she was happy, but not enough of it to
make him able and willing to help her when she was depressed. There was
enough to make each able to take delight in the charms of the other,
but not enough to make either willing to forgive the faults in the
other, and help him or her to conquer them. There was enough for sunny
days but not enough for foggy ones--enough to produce laughter but not
enough to beget patience--enough for admiration but not enough for
understanding--enough for joy in the other's successes but not enough
for helpfulness after the other had failed. Perhaps a woman will always
seem in some ways a queer creature to a man. It is certain that no man
has always understood any woman. And I suppose a man always seems at
times a strange, childish, and primitive being to a woman, so that she
also fails to achieve understanding. But when understanding has failed
love is put to one great test. Nothing can get a couple through times