Conjugial Love (Rogers) n. 285

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285. (14) They are adopted for the sake of peace in the home. It is primarily men who adopt simulations of conjugial love or outward shows of friendship for the sake of peace and tranquillity at home. This is owing to their natural characteristic of doing what they do by an exercise of the intellect. Because the intellect is a thinking faculty, it occupies itself with various matters which disturb, distract and trouble their spirit. Consequently, if they were to find no peace at home, eventually their vital forces would languish, their inner life would sink almost into a state of death, and thus the health of both mind and body would be ruined. Men's minds would be assailed by the fears of these and many other dangers if they did not find havens of refuge at home with their wives to calm the turmoils of their intellect. [2] Besides, peace and tranquillity soothe their minds and dispose them to receive favorably kindnesses offered by their wives, who spend every effort to dispel from their minds the clouds which they keenly observe in their husbands. And this also makes their wives' presence agreeable. It is apparent from this that a simulation and seeming display of truly conjugial love for the sake of peace and tranquillity at home is both necessary and useful. To this we add the further note that simulations on the part of wives are not the same as simulations on the part of men. Even if they appear similar to them, they are expressions of real love, because women are born forms of love for the understanding of men. They accept their husbands' displays of favor graciously, therefore, if not in words, still in heart.


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