The pros and cons of marriage by Charles Darwin, age 29, London 1838
Darwin writes:
This is the Question
Marry
Children (if it Please God)
Constant companion (and friend in old age) who will feel interested in one
Object to be beloved and played with. Better than a dog anyhow
Home, & someone to take care of house
Charms of music and female chit-chat
These things good for one’s health—but terrible loss of time
My
God, it is intolerable to think of spending one’s whole life, like a
neuter bee, working, working, and nothing after all—No, no, won’t do
Imagine living all one’s day solitary in smoky dirty London House
Only picture to yourself a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire and books and music perhaps
Compare this vision with the dingy reality of Great Marlboro Street, LondonNot Marry
Freedom to go where one liked
Choice of Society and little of it
Conversation of clever men at clubs
Not forced to visit relatives and bend in every trifle
Expense and anxiety of children
Perhaps quarrelling
Loss of Time
Cannot read in the evenings
Fatness and idleness
Anxiety and responsibility
Less money for books etc.
If many children forced to gain one’s bread (But then it is very bad for one’s health to work too much)
Perhaps my wife won’t like London; then the sentence is banishment and degradation into indolent, idle foolMarry, Marry, Marry Q.E.D.
I had to look up what Q.E.D. means; From latin, "quod erat demonstrandum," in English, "that which was to be demonstrated."
Via 3QuarksDaily with some interesting thoughts on Darwin's analysis by Alta L. Price.
P.S. Happy Anniversary to my parents who just celebrated their 47th year of marriage.