Life — December 3, 1904 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Winner. HE ten contributions to Lire’s Contest, ‘*Are Three American Women Out of Five Disappointed in Their Husbands?" were submitted in- dependently to four judges. Three out of the four decided that the prize should go to No. 4. The winner is Lieu- tenant Commander Ward Winchell, U. S. Navy, U. S.S. Culgoa. For the benefit of those of our readers interested in the contest, we reprint herewith the winning contribution : No. 4. ISAPPOINTED? Yes. Because ‘There lives within the very flame of love A kind of wick or snuff that will ubate it. At one pole we have the grass widow, who, asked if love cools after marriage, replied : “Does it? Why, it freezes solid.” At the other pole we have George Eliot, who wrote—* Some woman, obliged to con- sider the price of eggs in arranging her dinner, was listening for the music of a footstep that would remove all risk from her foretaste of joy; some couple, bending cheek by cheek over a bit of work done by the one and ce- A BLOW IN THE POLAR PLEXUS, lighted in by the other, were reckoning the earnings that would make them rich enough fora holiday among the furze and heather.” Between these extremes lie all of married woe or married bliss. It is for each bride to choose whether she will join the three-fifths down in the sloughs of despond, or dwell with the two-fifths far up the sunny heights. Any woman in love with any man finds him, after marriage, not the man who won her, but an entirely different being. Then comes a period of readjustment—of real fall- ing in love for the lucky elect, of real falling out for those preordained to disappointment. Married love is a rare, sensitive plant—a plant needing not only stores of rich earth heaped about its roots, but measured largess of water and careful dole of sun and shade at the top, to the end that blossoms may lift as- piring heads towards the stars. Happy the married lovers who prune and cultivate; gently repressing the rank growth of a weedy branch here, patiently nurturing a tender budding excellence there, until the result scems to belong not to earth, but to paradise. lo every happy marriage there should be similarity of principles or tastes in big things, with difference of tastes in small things. The former insures mutual respect; the latter, mutual interest. And over the union must brood Charity broad enough to forgive the very worst, and Hope that confidently looks for the very best. These be good ingredients, and if you spice them with humor, stir in all the poetry the mixture will take, and break in an enforced separation for a month or two now and then—for ‘sweets grown common lose their dear delight,” and what we have we prize not to its worth until 'tis lost” —then indeed we have all the elements of an earthly paradise, Remember, love is the union of a want and a sentiment — cultivate the sentiment, Here follow some ‘*don'ts” for the bride: Don't be too serious. Don't think you've married an angel, for angels do rot marry. Don't cut out the babies, Most men are vain enough to want little prints of themselves, so don't forget the stork when you send out your “at home” bids. THE PRESIDENT’S PET BIRD, comicbooks.com