The Physiology of Marriage Author:Honore de Balzac Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE. PAKT FIRST. Preface. In Which Every One Will Find His Own Impressions Of Marriage. A Friend, in speaking to you of a y... more »oung woman, says: "Good family, well bred, pretty, and three hundred thousand in her own right." You have expressed a desire to meet this charming creature. Usually, chance interviews are premeditated. And you speak with this object, who has now become very timid. You.—"A delightful evening!" She.—"Oh! yes, sir." You are allowed to become the suitor of this young person. The Mother-in-law (to the intended groom).—"You can't imagine how susceptible the dear girl is of attachment." Meanwhile there is a delicate pecuniary question to be discussed by the two families. Your Father (to the mother-in-law).—"My property is valued at five hundred thousand francs, my dear madame!" Your Future Mother-in-law.—"And our house, my dear sir, is on a corner lot." A contract follows, drawn up by two hideous notaries, a small one, and a big one. Then the two families judge it necessary to convoy you to the civil magistrate's and to the church, before conducting the bride to her chamber. Then what ? . . . . Why, then come a crowd of petty unforeseen troubles, like the following: The Unkindest Cut Of All. Is it a petty or a profound trouble ? I know not; it is profound for your sons-in-law or daughters-in-law, but exceedingly petty for you. "Petty! you must be joking; why, a child costs terribly dear!" exclaims a ten-times-too-happy husband, at the.baptism of his eleventh, called the little last newcomer,—a phrase with which women beguile their families. "What trouble is this?'' you ask me. Well! this is, like many petty troubles of married life, a blessing for some one. You have, four months sin...« less