Evening star., 1923-10-18
THE UNSOLVED
CONUNDRUM
BY DIR. FRANK CRANE.

! The greatest conundrum in the
whole world is, why did she marry
him?
There is only one greater, and that
, is, Why did he marry her?
In all my circle of acquaintance, in
Guiding several thousands, / know Of
but four or. five married couples at
the most concerning whom their
friends, and especially their relatives,
agree that each has picked the right
one.
And this is not only true in those
countries where marriages are ar
ranged by the parties concerned
themselves. under the influence of
romantic affection, but is equally true
| of other countries in which parents.
families and marriage brokers attend
| TO the matter
things that while marriage is one of
our most established institutions, and
seems to be in the main reasonably
satisfactory, the concensus of opinion
I or all of that part of mankind, aside
from the man and wife themselves
consider each particular instance to
be a mistake.
The universal comment continues
to be: Why did she marry him, and
why did he marry her.
was done under the impulse of a sort
OF force that does not recognize the
question, why? 1t is the outcome of
a subconscious instinct. People do
not fall in love because they ought
to, nor do they fall in love with a
person whom reason declares to be
the most suitable companion.
They fall In love with that person
of the opposite sex with whom they
strike fire.
&c,
scientific text book, that tells why
the little girl Beatrice should obsess
Dante. why Petrarch should come
under the influence of Laura, or ex-
plains the sudden and overpowering
infatuation that took hold of Romeo
and Juliet.
Of such things we must all say
with the psalmist of the divine mys-
teries, Such things are too wonder
ful for me; they are high, l cannot
attain unto them"
Here is girl, city bred, devoted
to art and music, fond of society and
all that sort of thing, who picks out
sea captain, bluff, hale and hearty,
who dosen't know one tune from
another. or whether BaticeIli is the
name of cheese or a violin. And
mere is man who is very prlm and
orderly, even fastidious, who marries
girl that never keeps her house
clean or her hair combed, and whose
with shoes. stays and other feminine
apparel, as II a cyclone had ragged
there. taciturn man marries a
woman whose tongue is loosely hung
IN the middle and wags unceasincIy
Ihe most reactionary minded woman
! VIII pick out the most adventurous
minded radical for a husband And
so il goes.
The root of the matter is that this
thIns we call romantic affection is
permanent element of human nature.
IL VIII not be gotten rid of. When
you imagine you have abolished it, 1t
VIII crop out in a new place
For instance, in the Orient a mans
family selects his wife for him, and
for the very good reason that they
are wiser and more experienced than
ne: ana the woman's family selects
her future husband for the same rea-
son. The same thing holds true in
modified degree in Europe, especially
among the nobility, and still more
unyaryingly among the royalty.
what is the result? In the east
tne result Is concubinage. or a
plurality of wives. In Europe il is
the morganatic marriage among the
nobility, and everywhere it is the dis
position to look with considerable
liberation upon the mistress
In other words if our old friend
romantic affection, cannot come in
at the front door, he will break In al
me window or slide down by the
Romantic affection is simply
mating business, and if anV " one ,n
thinks that he or any law or social
arrangement can circumvent nature
IN the long run, he would better think
again.