When customs have died

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"The French fashion -- of parents arranging their children's future -- was not accepted; it was condemned. The English fashion of the complete independence of girls was also not accepted, and not possible in Russian society. The Russian fashion of matchmaking by the officer of intermediate persons was for some reason considered disgraceful; it was ridiculed by everyone, and by the princess herself. But how girls were to be married, and how parents were to marry them, no one knew." -- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, p. 54

Comments

  1. Nathan Conroy5:50 PM

    "for some reason ... "

    Now we not only don't know how, but we know not what; so that, by our meaningless prejudices, men and women marry not only by accident, but they hardly marry at all.

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