You have more knowledge of life and the world than she has. Dwell
with her according to knowledge, says St Peter; use your experience to
set her right if she be wrong; and use your experience and your strength,
too, to keep down your own temper and your own selfishness toward her, to
bear and forbear, to give and forgive, live and let live. Remember that
you are heirs TOGETHER of the grace of life; and if the grace of life is
not in you, you cannot expect it to be in her. And what is the grace of
life? It must be the grace of Christ. St John says that Christ IS the
Life. And what is the grace of Christ? Christ's grace, Christ's
gracefulness, Christ's beautiful and noble and loving character--the
grace of Christ is Christ's likeness. Do you ask what will Christ give
me? He will give you Himself. He will make you like Himself, partaker
of His grace; and what is that? It is this--to be loving, gentle,
temperate, courteous, condescending, self-sacrificing. Giving honour to
those who are weaker than yourself, just because they are weaker; ready
and willing, ay, and counting it an honour to take trouble for other
people, to be of use to other people, to give way to other people; and,
above all, to the woman who has given herself to you, body and soul.
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