AMONG THE BOOKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 12

AMONG THE BOOKS

A man without a dream is a poor thing, and no better than a monkey.—"A blaster of Life." By Philip Gibbs. :

Woman can blight a man's life with a smile.—"The Book of Anna," by Annie E. Holdsworth.

A woman who cannot make her mistakes charming is only a femalo, '-■„ ■■ No man is a hero to his valet. Heroes never have valete.. . \; ■•.'.'. ', - Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped. Instinct has a lucidity that surpasses wisdom. . > *

There are three kinds of friends: those who love you; those who are indifferent to you; and the next friends—these being the people who want something that ; is yours. ■'■• •'.•','':• —"A Thausand and One Epigrams," by Elbert Hubbard.

Never marry for love, whore there is also money; you will be bored to death. But nover marry for love where there is no money. Ana never marry for money where there is no love. . Also, . never marry without love or nioney. : "rve never met my ideal, ■ said Nan; " I want—want the face of one , and the brains of another; the way one man opens the door, and the crease in another's trousers; and cluwming manners; and small ears and a voice with a lilt in.it— all pub together! . : . ■'.' Then I'll stand 'my perfect Man on the hearthrug, wind him . up— find ho won't go," sho finished with, a laugh. c . /- , :.•'■'.•• 'She is a strange being, the Girl of To day; she may have read, theorised, and disctifts<*d all the ficcrots of Heaven, and Hell, yet at the first- touch'. of 'real lips, the first approach of real love, she is once more the shy, virginal, wondering piece of irmocenco that' has. been satirised under tho , name :• ."Early ' Victorian." Modorn Man finds this hard to under. stand; ho thinks, because- the outer walls are down, he can walk etraight into tho inmost chamber of all. 'c ■-...'. " Pantomime," by G. B. Stern.

"I believe I want something that's very nearly impossible. I've always had a sort of ideal, or dream, of 'making an ordinary average married life into a romance. " Well, and can't it bo ?" : " I don't foully soo why it shouldn't. But there's no doubt there are immense difficulties in the way. It seems to bo necessary, first of all, for, there to be not only one exceptional temperament, bat. two, and that's a good deal to expect. :Of course, the :■' obvious dangor is the probability of people getting tired of anything they've got.' I'm afraid that's human nature. The toys the children see in the shop-window always seem much less wonderful when they're. home in the nursery. As; a brother of mine used to say, a little vulgarly, 'You don't run after an omnibus when once you've caught it.' As soon as you belong to a /person,' obviously they don't value you quite in the same kind of way.: The glamour seems to go." ■•' "But you ;• don't want necessarily always to bo run after, surely 1 You want to be treasured and valued—all -that*sort of thing." "Yes, I know U But my ideal would be that there should be just as .much excitement and romance and. fun ; Rafter marriage as before—if it were possible." "Oh, good heavens, Bertha! "Then, if one were to go by that horrible theory of your brother's, one ought" never 'to. marry the person one loves, :if one" wants" to keep them."■ "No, ; in; theory, one ought not. But ' then,' where are you :'■". if he goes and mames" :■; someone, else' ;v After all, you'h rather ;he got; tired; of you than.of the,other .person 1.; Wouldn't you prefer' he should make your life miserable than •■ any other woman's ? Besides, v ono must: take a risk. It's worth it."-" Bird Mvmfr(',>iM<i'J*m% :• <;: • . » ■''■'■■'■'.•'"'■,''!■■•. : ''-'.'■•.' *■ ; '■'■"' ;