The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-21

"A man and . woman may live to- gether and love together. but If they do not laugh together. may tho Lord have mercy upon their souls'
 She's the kind of woman that . per- son turns to when sorrow comes a knock ing at the door," an infatuated young swain said to an older and wiser Bene- dict.
 ''Umph! Ahl Yes That's all very well, but is she the kind of woman who knows how to laugh with you, my boy?" the other asked.
 The young lover glanced up and said in amazement.
 What's that?"
 "You know, in spite of what the pessi- mists and philosophers say. began the older man, life isn't all funerals and knockout blows. You say the girl whom you are going to marry is the sort who will stick when trouble comes lurking about. Well, I confess that's an excellent recommendation, but for goodness sake, don't overlook a few other good traits while you are choosing wife
 'The kind of marriage that sticlzs,' the man went on, with a gleam in his bright eyes, Ifs not the one built altogether for fair weather, nor yet with an eye solely for the rain. It's like this: they make umbrellas now so that in fair weather you can turn them into as good a cane as any man would want. and the same cane when a raging rainstorm comes down may be converted into a perfectly good, serviceable. waterproof umbrella. So take the liberty of advising you to choose the girl you expect to live the rest of your life with, not because she's such 'cracker-jack mourner, as the darkeys say, but because she is just as much of an April lady--a mixture of sum- shine and rain, and therefore eminently human and Infinitely companionable."
 Pretty good advice, isn't 1t?
 Now a woman may not be so versatile that she comes under the Pauline" dis approval of being "all things to all men," but she certainly needs to pe all things to one man. if she wants to keep him en- thralled to herself alone.
 The old aphorism of George Elliotts about a difference in what constitutes a joke being more serious than differ ence in religion, is very, very true.
 We respect mans religion and give him the benefit of it.
 Men have fought for religious freedom and won it by bloody wars, but neither sex has yet taken a stand on the public battlefield and emanicipated themselves ill the sense of having liberty and freedom in the sense of humor.
 A man who thinks mother-in-law jokes excrutiatingly funny, is to my mind more of menace to thewoman who sees noth- ing at all amusing in these much abused females, than is the man who differs with her on every point of religion and ethics.
 man who laughs at a thing that Is sacred to woman hurts her far worse than if he struck her a good healthy blow right between the eyes, and a wom- an who jeers at something that Is by tradition sacred to her husband is under mining her happiness more directly than if the same husband caught her writing love letters to his most despised rival.
 man may laugh the world may laugh with him. but if she who should be near est to him fails to catch the significance of his merriment, he still laughs alone.
 T am the lonesomest woman in the world.'' I heard a wife saying recently who is supposed to be very happy. I've