He should marry a modest, domestic girl, with tastes similar to his own, and with no overweening ambitions.  Elise would simply drive him mad in a year’s time, with her restless discontent, her extravagance, and her desire for the expensive pleasures of earth.  It is useless to reason with her, or to expect her to model her ideas to suit her circumstances.  Inheritance and twenty-one years of wrong education must be taken into consideration.  What would mean happiness for many women would mean misery for her.  I can imagine no more dreadful destiny than to be tied to a senile old man by a legal ceremony, even were I given his millions in payment.  But that will mean happiness to Elise.

I think we should let people seek their own ideals of happiness, when they break no law, and injure no other life by it.

I shall congratulate Elise by this post on having made so fortunate an alliance.  I could not congratulate her were she to marry her young suitor.  I shall congratulate your mother on having nothing to worry about, regarding the future of Elise.

And I advise you to take a philosophical view of the situation, and to remember that, in judging the actions of our fellow beings, we must take their temperaments, characteristics, and environment into consideration, not our own.

You have made the very common error of thinking, because Elise is a handsome young girl, that love, and home, and children would mean happiness to her.

Women vary as greatly as do plants and flowers in their needs.  The horticulturist knows that he cannot treat them all alike, and he studies their different requirements.

To some he gives moisture and sun, to some shade, and to some dry, sandy soil.  The thistle pushes forth a gorgeous bloom from an arid bed.  It would die in the pond where the lily thrives.

Too much sentiment is wasted in this world and too much effort expended in trying to make all people happy in some one way.

When I was a little girl, a Sunday-school superintendent presented every girl in the class with a doll, and each doll was exactly the same.  Most little girls like dolls, but I never played with one, as they were always so hopelessly inanimate.  If the good man had given me a sled, or a book, or a picture, I would have been happy.  As it was, his gift was a failure.  You want to present your sister with a devoted young husband, a cottage, and several children, because you think every woman should possess these things.  Your sister happens to be one who prefers a wealthy old invalid.

Let her have what she wants, my dear Clarence, and let her work out her destiny in her own way.  She will do less harm in the world than if you forced her into your way.  Now you must remember that you asked me to help you in this matter, and I could only write you the absolute facts of the situation, as I knew it to be.  I feel fairly confident that you will accept my point of view, and act as best man at your sister’s wedding.