Somerset Maugham's recent play
"Penelope"--she must be many women to him herself. And this the wise and
happy woman is, though I do not think the phrase "many women" at all
covers the variety of feeling to which the ideal woman can appeal.
The ideal love is that in which the whole nature is joined, in all its
parts, upon one object which appeals alike to every fundamental instinct
in our composition. The ideal woman does not require to be "many women"
to a man of the right kind in the sense suggested in Mr. Maugham's play.
She requires rather to be in herself at one and the same time or at
different times, mother, wife and daughter. This condition satisfied,
behold the ideal marriage.
It is probably fair to say that the three strongest and most important
needs of a man's nature are those which are satisfied by mother, wife,
and daughter. Primarily, perhaps, his wife must be to him his wife, his
contemporary and partner, and there must be a physical bond between
them. (Doubtless there are many happy marriages where this primary
condition is not satisfied, this primitive form of affection being
substantially absent, and its presence being proved non-essential: but
such must be a state of unstable equilibrium at best, though the
concession must be made.) Now the problem for the wife is to unite in
her person and in her personality those other feelings which are part of
normal human nature.
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