FOURTEEN TIMES MARRIED.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13671, 9 April 1908, Page 7

FOURTEEN TIMES MARRIED.

A WOMAN IN SEARCH OF A PERFECT HUSBAND. There is an American lady, Mrs Townsend by name, who has just married her fourteenth husband. She says she is very happy. The fourteenth husband says he Is also happy. By a curious coincidence it was at the age of 14 that Mrs Townsend made her first child-bride ventvire. She is not a mere theorist about matrimony ; she is a practical woman, and practises rather than preaches marriage, but she has certain, philosophy on the subject. Here are some of her opinions: — , ... "There is no sense in a woman with a naturally affectionate disposition" liyr tag alone. Roaming round: with lumps of ice where their, hearts ought to be. are women enough to supply the coun-; jtry with old' maids and careers. "-'" r , "When a woman is : kindly disposed '•towards men she ought to make them', Jhappy. Of course, she 1 must takejfhem v one at a time, and it is my OpimOtt .that as soon as she finds she can't make a man happy she should leave him, and' 'the sooner the better for all concerned. I "There is no sense in a Woman thinking that just, because she has married a man she must stick to him whether he siri'ftrher or not. There is no law of the Medes aiid Persians these days. X, after giving a man a fair opportunity, you discover he is not equal to tho task of making you- ha£py ; tell him so. Be honest Say; This is where we part. And, if he's like most men, he 11 be -pleased. And -keep on. trying till you r get -owe that suite you. The experience is not doing tho men' any harm — n6t as mtich harm as living with a woman "who, hates him.^ Some evidence that Mrs Townsend's pholosophy rings 'true4Bi found- in thehigh regard in which she is held by husbands whom- she "turned over to the law." Three or ffa»r who were 1 ' interviewed^ on the subject, seemed highly pleased that, at last their ex- j wife 'had drawn a grand pnee in the matrimonial lottery. \ . i Beople .who know. Jier personally declare "tnat Mrs Townsend, as. she* herself admits, is of a cheerful, .affectionate disposition; with , no 1 readiness to express radical opinions about, mar-, riageuexcept when challenged* tc^do^o.. "She simply wants to be happily married," said a neighbour, ''and she insists on it,. That's the difference.^