f you despise the opinion
of the world the world turns its back on you. And you must remember
this: however big you are, or you think you are, the earth can go on
running its course round the sun without your help.

French and American women have a keen power of observation and native
adaptability. Better than any other women in the world, they can soon
adapt themselves to new surroundings and new ways, and learn how to
talk, walk, dress, and behave like the leading women of any new social
circles they may have entered. Witness the American women that are to be
seen at the courts of Europe.

However, the experiment of a _mesalliance_ is always a dangerous one to
make. Nine times out of ten the rabbit will always taste of the cabbage
it was brought up on.

CHAPTER XIV

PREPARE FOR MATRIMONY, BUT DO NOT OVERTRAIN YOURSELVES

I'll tell you what the trouble is with most women in connection with
matrimony--they expect too much out of it. Not only do they expect too
much, but, in their goodness, they prepare themselves to do too much, to
give too much; in fact, they overtrain themselves.

The moment a woman is in love and becomes a fiancee she cultivates the
growing of her wings, and orders a halo for her head--in fact, she sets
herself to rehearse the part of an angel.

But see the 'cussedness' of things! Man is a strange animal, who prefers
women to angels, and the result is that things go wrong. The dear soul
is persuaded that she is going to marry a hero, a demi-god, and very
soon she discovers that, after all, she has married only a man. How few
of us can stand comfortably and long on the pedestals that our admiring
friends have erected for us!

When that woman engaged herself she did not go straightway to her
parents, as she should have done, and ask them for information on man
and matrimony. Her father might have gently disabused her on the
subject of many illusions. Certainly her mother would. No, she did not
do that. She kept to herself, read poetry, invented poetry, filled
herself with poetry.

Boys dream of military life. To them it means gorgeous uniforms, a
sword, a life of adventure, battle and glory. Girls dream of married
life. To them it means beautiful dresses and jewels and a life of
love-making. But soldiers do not always fight, and husbands do not
always make love, and that is why military life and married life are
often so sadly disappointing.

The dear little woman has prepared hers