“Minnie.”
My dear Minnie, you are certainly in a very bad way. Have you never heard the adage that “familiarity breeds contempt?” There are men in the world who really enjoy osculatory demonstrations such as you delight in, but there are others who prefer an occasional kiss, and, as your mother says, are disgusted at such frequent outbursts of affection. We would advise you to break yourself of the osculatory habit. An occasional kiss contains far more of the nectar of bliss than the “continuous performance” which you seem to indulge in.
A woman cannot be too chary of her kisses before marriage. After your sweetheart is your husband, we shall feel very differently. If he has stood the fire of your affection and crowned it with matrimony it is safe to suppose that your temperament pleases him.
“Will you kindly tell me how I can prove that my fiance loves me? He often says so, but I have no way of proving that he speaks truly. Ought he not to do some noble deed for me, or are the daily little attentions sufficient proof of his devotion?
“Jane L.”
We think that the “little things” of life weigh far more heavily in the balance than one heroic action. Both men and women do a heroic deed, when occasion requires or permits, merely through the stimulus of danger or the love of excitement, but it is the truly good man who is faithful in the “little things,” and smooths the daily life with his thoughtful attentions. We do not think you have anything to fear, as your fiance probably loves you, and he will do the heroic deed if it is ever necessary.
“I am in great distress of mind, and having read your good advice to others, I make bold to come to you in my perplexity. I am not a very good cook, and my husband knew it before he married me. He used to say when he was courting me that anything that was made by my hands would be heavenly. Now he says a woman is a fool who does not know how to cook, and he is positively profane over some of my dishes. I have tried and tried, and I cannot learn to cook. I do dressmaking beautifully, and make quite a little money. Don’t you think he ought to be willing to hire some one to do the cooking?
“Agnes D. B.”