“At this point, dear reader, let me concede one shocking truth. Some young women actually anticipate the wedding night ordeal with curiosity and pleasure! Beware such an attitude! One cardinal rule of marriage should never be forgotten: give little, give seldom, and above all give grudgingly.” –RUTH SMYTHERS, Instruction and Advice for the Young Bride (1894)
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What sad advice and what possible sad consequences for both husband and wife should such advice be followed. I guess this Ruth Smythers had never heard of trust, let alone D/s or SSC. Oh, well, it was written 114 years ago. I found it tragic and almost funny that the sentence following the bit you quoted was, “Otherwise what could have been a proper marriage could become an orgy of sexual lust.” To that I reply back through the ages, “And what the heck would be wrong with THAT ?” Corsets can be cool, but Mrs. Smythers’ seemed to be a trifle too tight.
Arafin
I am sorry to be obnoxious Lady Julia but I disagree! It is not about giving and taking.
I believe in sharing.
Nigel, I don’t agree with the quote. In fact, I so strongly disagree with it that I thought it funny in a “that’s SO absurd” sort of way.
I hope we’ve come a long way since those days, but I’m not so sure we have. There are still women out there who think sex is just the price of marriage, that it’s a duty to periodically and as infrequently as necessary lay on her back, spread her legs, and wait for it to be over.
I don’t know who that says more about — him or her.
Luckily, I believe that this is an area in which our overly-sex-focused entertainment industry is helping us out, teaching us there should be higher expectations from both parties.
Whenever I read that quote, I only had one thought – I’d have been jailed or burned at the stake in 1894 :)