NO HONEYMOONS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 129, 3 June 1933, Page 18

NO HONEYMOONS

NOVELIST'S PROPOSALS

Make marriage more difficult, divorct simpler and easier, scrap the divorce laws, and abolish honeymoons. These are some of tho axioms fof achieving happiness laid down by Maryj Borden, the novelist, whose new book, "The Technique of Marriage," is soori to be published. Miss Borden is Mrs. E. L. Spears, the wife of Brigadier' General Spears. , "Most young people today, of either sex, adopt too frivolous an attitude towards marriage," Miss,Borden said to a "Daily Express" representative. "Girls think all they have to do is to fall in love, or reach a stage of emotion which they suppose is love, and then dash into a whirl of excitement about the trousseau and honeymoon. Me ?> when they are not facetiously cynical, believe that all they" have to w.orry about is finding a house or a flat, filling it-with furniture, and then obtaining the licence. Marriage thus becomes an incident instead of a state," said Miss Borden, "and it is all wrong. This being so, the State should intervene much more than it does. . "Marriage should be made a privilege, like promotion in the Army. Then* should be a moral, mental, physical, and economic standard, to which all candidates for marriage should measure up before a licence is granted. I would go so far as to say this should be turned over to a Government Department—a Cabinet Minister could look after it. "Honeymoons," continued Miss Borden, "are a stupid convention. They, should be scrapped.' , Only too fr»quently they are a complete failure. My, experience is that ' most couples bocome miserable before the honeymooa is halt-way through. ••.■■■, "How much better to go straight t« their hew home, go about among theirfriends, and then, in six months' time, if they wish and can afford it, go away, for a holiday! My own honeymoon was not altogether a success. I was frankly disappointed. I know dozens of people who have been absolutely miserable."