Omaha daily bee., 1915-06-30
A FictiOnleSs
Fable
Being About the Ideal
Marriage
by ANN Isle.


There were once two brothers who had
reached manhood's estate and felt II was
time to take unto themselves wives. One
had theories about marriage and the other
was IN love with a woman.
Said the theorist. "Opposites attract.
being n tall, slender blond. shall marry a
short. plump brunette. That will be we'll
from the eugenic point Of view. and be-
sides, we Will afford a pleasing contrast
10 the eve OF the beholder. l am fond Of
art. music and home life. so l shall wed
woman who likes outdoor sports. books
and travel. That will give us q wide
I feld OF interests. l am phlegmatio and
Indifferent. so / shall marry a woman
who is eNcltable and high strung. Then
We will stimulate each other"
said the lover: Il love my sweetheart
partly because she is dear TO me and
partly because the same things are dear
to each OF us. We enjoy each others
pct enioyments. We are outwardly a bit
alike tool nave heard people say we
look almost as II we might be brother
and sister-but we are more than a bit
alike in tho mental traits. We like the
same people like a great many OF the
characteristics in her / have always ad-
shorter than ! to reach my heart, and
she is just enough plumper TO be femi-
| ninety alluring, We don't clash on
opinions and We don't offer enough phys
ical contrast TO attract the attention OF
| others-but We do attract each other"
So the theorist married his opposite and
the lover married his counterpart.
And this is what happened: The OBJ
I af A,,N
for long The little brunette came TO
realize that her tall. thin blonde husband
made her look dark and chunky by con-
| trast. and she hated to be seen out with
him. He. on the other hand. found that
volume OF poetry could not offer him
solace for the concerts TO which his wife
| would not accompany him. And a wife
on the golf links il not worth two on the
| hearth rug. Nor does ability TO row a
boat presuppose a talent for steering the
matrimonial craft. And tall. thin hus-
band does not feel the same urge TO take
cross-country walks with his tub of a
wife that a fiance knows about romantic
strolling with his dear little 'pleasingly
plump" sweetheart
So tho theorist and his wife went their
various ways-he with long. lackadaisieal
strides roamed after a popular singer who
could manage chatting dish very we'll
And she. with perky nervousness. betook
herself TO. divorce court For. In the
end. opposites attract-their lIlxesi
| And the lover and his wife went plod-
ding along. She loved his sleek dark
hair, and he adored the waves in her
/ dusky tresseH. And she thought his
ruddy complexion the perfection OF
brunette splendor-while he loved the
clear olive of her cheeks She could just
reach his heart. so he stopped down often
TO make II easier for her. They were
so alike that they understood each other
admirably.
And yet-being two separate humans
they knew the impenetrable solitude that
every one has TO suffer Only It was
easy TO bridge differences with under
standing. II he grew tired OF Sehopen-
hauer and wanted TO read ouida, she
could understand that, for did not she
often weary Of grand opera scores and
long to hear only fox-trots.
And every one said. Isn't that a nice
couple! How like each other they growi'
And the moral OF that is that II you
are q little swallow breasting the air.
there is no reason why You should
imagine il your destiny to go plunging
into brook TO consort with speckled
trout