The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-26
HUMAN LOVE THE
 ETERNAL THEME
Almost All Classes of Authors Have Been Jousting With It From
 Earliest Times

Ever since men could write more ink has been spilled" on love than on any other subject in the world--by lovers, by authors. by-well. pretty nearly everybody has jousted with it. Yet it has eluded complete definition because it does not mean wholly the same thing to everybody, says the Bos- ton Globe.
 With most people love is the intro duction to the Book of Life; marriage, with its awakenings and responsibil- trles, the serious matter under con- sideration and happiness--or "the pur- suit of happiness"-the dynamic force that runs through the entire plot
 There are at least two persons that have to be taken into consideration in any marriage; all others do not really count. and what all the others say and think does not matter much these days. For it is matter that has come 10 be regarded as one that concerns chiefly the bride and the bridegroom, ia this country at least.
 One notable phase of marriage that persists is the interest which the world takes In the welfare of the bride and bridegroom. So great has this interest slways been that some philosophers have questioned if marriage is not the chief concern of this world. And when you look at life from certain angles there seems to be more truth than fic- ton in this theory
 Much of the joy and sorrow-the trag edy and comedy-of life reyolves around marriage.
 The great point the world is walk ing up to is that the marriage state is the fulfilment of the law of life in nature; that 1t is the first. great seri- GUS purpose of life, and, because 1t is such that it cannot be treated lightly by either man or woman All the di- vorce courts in the world will not in- terfere with this law of nature, and whatever the economic conditions must shape themselves to meet the require ments of this law. Nor will sentiment interfere with it-for it is the law of life.
 Many lives have been wrecked by false sentimentality, by feeling that because of some real or fancied dis appointment in love- they could not or should not thereafter marry. As there are few persons who can: either see of tell the whole truth In the heat, of love analyze themselves at such moments. Brr the worst of all is the person who mistakes. q fluffy sentiment as that kind of love which should be the real Prelude to marriage.
 A headstrong passion is not the only Sdic Pitiuue to tHe. iudIftdSe Stdte Some of the happiest marriages in the wori1 have been born out of kind of respect and consideration, in which the element of d "headstrong passion" was wholly lacking, and it has come after the torments of first love had ceased. E The marriage state Is the fulfilment Of the law of life--of the law of na- ture--and romantic vision, an imma- turc sentiment, or even a family tra- dition should not interfere with it's full filment.
 There Is more to marriage than love. If we excluded love in the life of married couple we would still find that there were many favorable attributes to marriage. A man and woman of congenial tastes and similar standards of right and wrong can find enjoy ment in their companionship which far exceeds the lonely pleasures of the un- married man or woman. In the long road of married life mentality and cha racter, rather than physical attrac- tions, are the more important. Mar riaEe without physical love can be hap py because love Is not the only ele- ment necessary to marriage which lis permanently congenial.