Out: Divers Discords 68
III. The Age to Marry 85
IV. Wild Oats for Wives 89
V. A Plea for the Wiser Training of Girls 101
VI. 'Keeping Only to Her'--The Crux of Matrimony 109

PART III
SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVES

I. Leasehold Marriage a la Meredith 119
II. Leasehold Marriage in Practice:
A Dialogue in 1999 129
III. The Fiasco of Free Love 141
IV. Polygamy at the Polite Dinner-Table 146
V. Is Legalised Polyandry the Solution? 159
VI. A Word for 'Duogamy' 161
VII. The Advantages of the Preliminary Canter 171

PART IV
CHILDREN--THE _CUL-DE-SAC_ OF ALL REFORMS

I. To Beget or Not to Beget--the Question
of the Day 177
II. The Pros and Cons of the Limited Family 184
III. Parenthood: The Highest Destiny 193

PART V
HOW TO BE HAPPY THOUGH MARRIED

I. A Few Suggestions for Reform 203
II. Some Practical Advice to Husbands and Wives 209

To

C. STANLEY CHURTON

The Best Father in the World

With Deep Gratitude

for a Lifetime of Loving-Kindness

PART I

SIGNS OF UNREST

'The Subject of Marriage is kept too much in the dark. Air it!
Air it!'--GEORGE MEREDITH.

MODERN MARRIAGE

I

THE MUTUAL DISSATISFACTION OF THE SEXES

'The shadow of marriage waits, resolute and awful, at the
cross-roads.' --R. L. STEVENSON.

Ever since the time, nineteen years ago, when Mrs Mona Caird attacked
the institution of matrimony in the _Westminster Review_ and led the way
for the great discussion on 'Is Marriage a Failure?' in the _Daily
Telegraph_--marriage has been the hardy perennial of newspaper
correspondence, and an unfailing resource to worried sub-editors. When
seasons are slack and silly, the humblest member of the staff has but to
turn out a column on this subject, and whether it be a serious
dissertation on 'The Perfections of Polygamy' or a banal discussion on
'Should husbands have tea at home?' it will inevitably achieve the
desired result, and fill the spare columns of the papers with letters
for weeks to co