With women, . . . . . .Humph!--Wherefore,

O strenuous and high-aspiring man, in thy work, seek not from woman’s love what woman’s love cannot give; but set thy face 90 as a flint.  Bethink thee of the fate of Anthony.  For

Man’s chief business in the world is:  Work.

Woman’s chief business in the world is; Love.

Man’s love (perhaps just because it is his play-thing, not his business) is more finely tempered than is woman’s, and takes on a finer edge.  For this very reason it is the more easily turned, and is the less useful.  —­It is the pocket-knife, not the lancet, that is oftener called into requisition.  Also,

Man’s love is usually a highly ephemeral affair.

With a man, love is like hunger or thirst:  he makes a great fuss over it; he forgets when it is appeased.  Yet

When “passion’s trance” is overpast, it is fortunate if affection takes its place.  So too,

In love it is the man who protests; and

That man is fortunate, who, after marriage, has not some dubious reflections as to whether he has protested over-much.  For

In love, it is the man, generally, who makes a fool of himself.

* * *

Love (like murder) will out.  But

Jill keeps her secret better than Jack.  For

A woman generally controls love:  a man is controlled by it.  And
Jill’s very power of making-believe to be “fancy free” exasperates Jack.

* * *

It is a purely feminine ruse to apply a test to love—­both her own and that of her lover—­to prove it true.  A man would as soon as think of applying a match to a powder magazine to prove it combustible.

Love in woman’s eyes is the supreme and ultimate arbitrator.  If she is loved, love in her eyes will condone anything—­anything.  For

To prefer honor to love is a maxim to women unknown.  With them love is honor.  And therefore the maxim is meaningless—­and needless.

* * *

It is a sort of legal—­or rather charitable—­fiction that women should surrender only to love.  In fact,

Do not even the lightest of Laises and Thaises make a show of being swayed by love?  And

No woman by too much love was ever spoiled.  Man, remember that!

* * *

The logic of the emotions differs from the logic of the intellect.  As to the senses—­

Alack-a-day!  The senses never reason.

Love sometimes wrecks its barque upon the rocks to prove that they harbor no mirage.

Love sometimes forgets that it is possible to probe too far.

Love, in pursuit of love, sometimes vivisects as unconsciously as a science in pursuit of life.

* * *

Women detect the dawn of love while it is still midnight with a man.  That is to say,

A woman knows a man is in love with her long before he is aware of it himself.  Except perhaps in this once circumstance:  when she herself is in love with somebody else.  And this is a highly important circumstance.