Hints for Lovers | Page 9

Though Browning tried. See "Dramatic Idyls", "Pan and Luna"
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Solomon has objurgated the invincibly garrulous woman. The invincibly taciturn woman is so rare as to have escaped objurgation. Yet she too is a terror to men.
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Every woman is suspicious and jealous of any woman that opens a man's eyes; even though she knows that
Never was there a woman who could and would deliberately wholly enlighten a man.
And, yet, marvelous and curious amongst things curious and marvelous, will but a woman fling artifice to the winds, and look and act and say as great Nature prompts,--wildly, willfully, wantonly,--that woman will captivate as no feminine wiles will ever captivate.
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If the man were worth it, many a woman would dispense with the marriage ceremony. For
Ah! Love--love--love,--given love, what else is needed? (Unfortunately
Love can never be sure of itself--much less of anything else. Accordingly
The marriage contract is a device on the part of the community to provide for the preservation of the home: it makes the parties promise fidelity.) But
Precious few are the men who are worth the risking. Unfortunately,
More women succumb to strength of will than to strength of character.
Neither, in general, are women overcurious to enquire whether the strength of character.
Neither, in general, are women over curious to enquire whether the strength of the masculine will makes for good or for evil.
So long as the masculine will overmaster the feminine, the feminine mind is satisfied. Of course there are exceptions, but as a rule,
Women--whether young or old, married or single, strong-minded or weak-- are never happier than when they can depend on a man. Accordingly,
The lover or the husband who is weaker than, and depends upon, the woman, will some day rue his weakness and dependence. And yet,
To see a strong male at her feet--that is exquisite to the woman. So exquisite that
It is with difficulty that a woman refrains from exhibiting a man's servitude to others. On the other hand,
There is an element of intimidation in a resplendent woman. And of this she is aware.--Hence perhaps her power.
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A woman will attain her ends by adroit finesse, where a man would blunder into open hostility. And
It is well that man should blind his eyes to feminine wiles, since,
Always a woman kindly pretends oblivion of masculine blunders.
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The woman whose tastes and refinements are above her station, is in pitiable plight: she is too fastidious to espouse the men who would marry her; the men she would marry she rarely meets. For, The only thing that, to love, is insupportable is vulgarity. Since
Love, romantic love, the efflorescence and bloom of life, is besmirched unless tenderly touched.
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To generalize passes the wit of woman; but in penetration she is preternatural.
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What fascinates a woman is the man who unwittingly attracts her against her will. But such a man rouses a combination of emotions comprehensible only by women.
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A woman's answer to an insuperable argument is: a look. And a most cogent answer it is. Indeed,
Speech is a woman's least effective weapon; rarely if ever does she resort to it:
In the affairs of life, as in the affairs of love, where men be concerned, it is upon her personality that she relies, not upon her speech whether written or uttered.
Her personal appearance is to a woman, what his personal honor is to a man: it must be immaculate; constant with the fashion of the hour; and strictly in accordance with her or his status in society. Accordingly,
Dress and demeanor--these form the code of feminine ethics. Even
Deception on the part of a woman is merely diplomacy;
Women deceive only be cause man is too blind to see. That is to say,
Since man in past ages has never allowed woman either freedom of action or frankness of speech, it is not to be expected of her that she should be all at once an adept in their use.--To her credit be it said that,
Generally a woman deceives only n order to arouse or to retain the admiration of man. For example,
Many a woman has surreptitiously made love to the man--and few are the men who have detected it.
* * *
Why this woman fascinates all who come within the sphere of their influence, and that women, does not, no earthly sage will ever know. As well ask what makes one man a Napoleon, another a poltroon. So, too,
It is impossible for a woman to say 'I will be loved,' as it is for a man to say 'I will be obeyed.'--Perhaps
Love and Power are divine miracles.
* * *
(At the risk of treading on delicate ground, ground off which I shall be hooted by the modern woman, I venture to say that)
The idea that a woman is the property of the man of her choice, rail as it as