ADVICE TO FIANCEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19221, 9 January 1926, Page 6 (Supplement)

ADVICE TO FIANCEES.

Of course, it was frightfully clever of you to discover George and all his wonderfulness—amazingly clever! says a wellknown writer. That bright alertness of his is a real jov. His care and tenderness are things to dream of.

No wonder you are proud of him ! But before you get short of breath congratulating yourself on your cleverness in discovering the wonderfulness of George, I'd like to point out just one little thing, and that is—if it hadn't boen for George's mother there wouldn't have been any wonderfulness for you to discover! You hadn't the least share in the making of all this wonderfulness. You found him readymade !

You have her to thank for your present happiness. Your George didn't just "grow like that," you know! Not a bit of it! He was in all probability a hateful little imp with decided leanings toward the old gentleman not mentioned in polite society! His wonderfulness is the product of her care, her training, her prayers. Just remember that when you are inclined to dismiss her as a "tiresome old frump" with ideas emanating from the ark.

She may be hopelessly old-fashioned, but at least she knew what went to the making of a man, and she did her work so well " you can't be happy without it." Well, that's something you should never forget. Make a friend of George's mother. From a purely selfish point of view it s idiotic not to cultivate her. Just look at

the help she can give you. Why, she's a walking encyclopedia where George is concerned.

She knows his likes and dislikes from A to Z; what to encourage, what to guard against. She can, if only you will let her, save you from a hundred mistakes. Why not let her? She's willing and anxious enough, goodness knows! You'll go up in leaps and bounds in " his" estimation, too, if you "get on" with his mother. He'll account it cleverness in himself for having chosen a girl who is able to appreciate his mother—and whom his mother approves of. Men are comical creatures. They can't, help taking all the credit for the nice things that happen—like a girl being sensible enough and big enough to hide the fact that her mother-in-law isn't the exact pattern she'd have chosen for a mother-in-law if her opinion had 'been asked! Never mind that, though ! You put in a bit of good work finding out about George and his pet ways. It will help you no end when you come to the great days called the Future! And don't, for any sake, leave out George's sisters! That's disastrous! Go all out for friendship with them. Ask their advice about your clothes—they probably haven't any ideas between them, but that doesn't matter. You needn't act on their advice. You can leave it lying around; it won't take up much room. Don't " show off" George before thorn —getting him to fetch and carry for you to illustrate your hold over him. It's a mean thing for any girl to do, and gets her nothing but hatred, which she heartily deserves. You can take it from me—l've got dozens, so I know—that in-laws can be the dearest, kindest, jolliest friends a girl can have. The girl %vho hasn't the tact and brains to make friends with them must be an object of pity.