The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-29
SHOULD GENIUS MARRY
CLUB WOMAN IN THE EAST SAYS
NO
The Advantages and Disadvantages of
Marrying a Great Man-it Is a Great
Thing for Woman to Sit at the
Feet of a Poet


A club woman somewhere said re-
Gently that geniuses should not marry
and the remark has been the text for
much discussion in the East. Mr..
Ernest on-Thompson or Thompson
Seton-it IS quite impossible :. to say
which he is-very modestIy discussed
the matter from the standpoint of the
genius, as did several other persons
who seem to have no doubt as to their
own classification. The matter appears
to have been discussed mainly from
the point of view of the genius, so that
few remarks from one who can dis
cuss it impersonally may not be amiss.-
In the first place, what is genius? In
the next was there ever real genius
who was conscious of it? Perhaps it
needs genius to answer these queS
tons
A genius is person set apart by ma
ture or by God to make the highest
uses of his talents, and to do great
things. That is-not to say that he all
ways does them. Frequently, alas, he
allows his talents to so to waste, or
puts them TO a poor use, but the great
geniuses of the world have usually re-
ceived recognition. OF course, when a
general proposition is laid down like
the above that geniuses should not
marry, it is necessary first to catch
your genius and they do not go about
with ticket, I am a genius, beWarei"
Sometimes a woman narries a sup
poSedly ordinary man and discovers
too late that he is a geniuSi What is
she to do about ii On the other hand
she sometimes marries man she re-
CARDS as a genius and finds out later
that he is nothing but the most COM
monplace sort of man and comparative:
" easy TO get along with.
This must be great shock 1t takes
a brave woman to domesticate a ge-
MUS, poet, for instance, but think
what JOY it must be to a mere woman.
to sit at his feet and listen to him for
the rest of her life. Few women are
so blessed. Then poet-a really true
poet-would be able to rise above.
grounds in the coffee and if the steak
was burned black he would not notice.
II. Ten to one he would be inditing a
sonnet to your eyebrows. Then would be
the test Of his genius. If you should
see his eye in fine frenzy rolling"
don't think that he has indigestion, but
IL IS the genius that is working within
him. Why. it must be rather entertain
should be handled with gloves When
YOU see that he is about to. have an
attack of his particular genius for
writing, composing, painting or what
ever form his great talent takes, shut
MIN up in his room and leave plenty of
strong food outside of his door three
times day, but don't go near him.
Managed in this way, a genius should
be endurable. Don't say very much
about his talents to him. he will tell
you all about them himself; in fact you
might not know he was a genius at all
unless he told you. A genius is always
putting into practice the old adage,
know myself"
Ihe woman who is married to a ge-
MUS and doesn't know it is probably
the happiest. She is without that ter
rible sense of responsibility that ham
pers the one who has knowingly united
herself with great man. The ques-
tlon Is, can woman marry a genius
ana not know it? Is there the slight
est chance of his keeping it to himself?
Nhen l started out l had no idea that
TINS subject would SO develop and lead
10 so many questions and problems.
BUT II the doubts and difficulties Incl
ueht upon WomanS life are not to
De discussed on woman's page, where
IN the world can they be discussed9
Another problem is if woman marries
a genus with her eyes open and know
ing the risk, will things be better or
worse II after few years, he no long
er seems genius to her? Well. we'll.
here am l propounding a lot of cues
lions that l cannot answer on warm
Gay and all the geniuSes who might
answer are on the second floor.
ledNe them Tor wiser heads.