Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26

on who believe that marriage must be a
" thing Of romance, of love and Of
glamour, or nothing at all, listen to the
words Of Joseph Hergesheimer, the
famous novelist.
"Too much love and romance ruins mar
rage. In its finest flower it belongs to youth.
The middle-aged and the married should have
nothing to do with 1t. 1t is an enemy of peace
and reasonable, proper relationships.
Marriage Is an economic and social arrange
ment. It Is the business of running house,
having babies, taking charge of the cooking,
paying bills and having the companionship of
one whose interests are yours. Fifty per cent
81 it must naturally be q monotonous affair.
We haven't the ability to accept ordinary
life. We are always after excitement and
emotional stimulus. If marriage goes its hum
drum way, as 1t must. we think that there must
be something wrong with 1t. Immediately we
set up o frantic search for romance and love.
There Is q certain affection that develops
I'm matrimony that is in every way equal to
romantic love. Certainly 1t Is much more COM
Portable. .s
when q man Of 20 takes up with q cutie
1t Is generally nothing more or less than O
smomentary escape from the tedium Of marriage.
while the woman must use some seductive
mess II she b to hold her husband and he In
turn must do something more than provide her
affection. yet the sooner they realize that mar
riage is more an arrangement Of reason and
less OF something In q pink quilt and ribbons
the better or they win be-"
A IL this Mr.. Hergesheimer discussed in his
sitting room at o New York hotel. The
writer is short and stocky. with deep brown
complexion. unruly hair and eyes that twinkle
mirthfuliy through shell-rimmed glasses He
was smartly dressed I'm Q tan tweed suit, orange
colered sweater and tie. and he looked more
like o brisk. matter-of-fact business man than
the author Of romantic novels.
During the interview he paced up and down
the room talking rapidly and oftentimes anus
ingiy, or sat in q comfortable armchair pufnng
furtously on o cigar. He Is o very friendly per-
son, and when he grins. which he does fire.
quently, he resembles . small boy OF on lark.
"Just as we get tired Of doing the same old
things in hfe." he told the interviewer, ESQ do
We become tired OF seeing the same faces.
Naturally. the wife or the husband is no ex-
ception. We can't like person every day In
our lives. nor can We agree with him all the
time. Human nature being what 1t Is, it Is
absurd to think that the marriage relationship
can be other than commonplace.
when o tired and bored husband goes to
. dinner party and finds himself opposite q
charming woman. he'll see in her all sorts of
attractive qualities BY the time he reaches
his dessert he'll be thinking that she is o much
more entertaining companion than his wife. In
reality. though, she Is not o bit more attractive
than his own wife. and were he to see her
morning after morning, burdened with the cares
OF marriage. she wouldn't seem any more al
Turing. either. You know" smiled the novelist,
II believe We can only love people when we
don't see them around all the time.
However. men after their youth do not want
great love. Most Of the time they want COM
fort. woman, too. may think that what she
wants II . romantic lover for O husband. but
the chances are that II she had such o person