Petty Troubles of Married Life, part 1, page 1 by Honoré de Balzac
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PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE, FIRST PART By Honore de Balzac
Etext prepared by Dagny, dagnypg@yahoo.com and John Bickers, jbickers@ihug.co.nz
PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE
FIRST PART
BY
HONORE DE BALZAC
PREFACE
IN WHICH EVERY ONE WILL FIND HIS OWN IMPRESSIONS OF MARRIAGE.
A friend, in speaking to you of a young 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:
PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE
THE UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL.
Is it a petty or a profound trouble? I knew 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 troubl