ties to it try to bind it, the more chains, fastenings, pledges
and agreements they put upon it, the sooner and quicker will it escape
from all its holdings and fly away and _stay away_!

And so, to come back to where we left off (for we said there should be
no hurrying or haste here) let married people understand that the key
to married happiness is _to keep on "courting" each other_. Indeed,
to make courting continually grow to more and more. During the whole
extent of married life, never neglect, much less forget to be lovers,
and to show, _by all your acts_, that you are lovers, and great shall
be your reward. Don't ask how to do this! You know how, well enough.
Do it!

And be careful _not_ to do anything that a careful lover ought not
to do! This direction should be heeded by both husband and wife. Make
yourself beautiful for your husband, Oh, wife, and keep yourself so.
As between the public, or your friends, or society, give them what of
yourself you can spare, after you have given to your lover all that
you can bestow upon him, or he can wish you to bestow. Don't give
to everybody and everything else, church, society, work, children,
friends, or what-so-ever--don't give _all_ of yourself to these, and
let your husband "take what there is left." Don't do that, as you
value your married success and happiness! Don't say: "Oh, but we are
married now," and let it go at that!

The beautiful and delicate flowers of married love need to be watched
and tended with the most skilful care, _continually_, by both husband
and wife. Treated in this way, they will not only be fragrant and
lovely through all the years of wedded life; but as, one by one, the
blossoms shed their petals and change their forms so that luscious
fruits may come in turn--as these changes take place, new, more
beautiful and more fragrant flowers will continue to the very end of
the longest married life. Don't ever forget this, or doubt it, as you
hope for happiness in the marriage state! Mind what is here said, and
act accordingly _all the time_--days, nights and Sundays.

Now if these truths are thoroughly inculcated, "kicked in" so firmly
and deeply that they will never "jar loose" or get away, we will move
on.

So, then, the _first_ part of _every_ act of coitus should always be a
_courting_ act, in which there should be _no haste_, but in which the
parties should "_make delays_," as John Burroughs says.

And this should be added: that, for ma