“‘Well,’ said Charlotte, ‘I wish Jane success with all my heart; and if she were married to him to-morrow, I should think she had as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for a twelve-month. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the disposition of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation . . .'”
Charlotte Lucas to Lizzy, on Jane’s liking Mr. Bingley
Pride and Prejudice, volume 1, chapter 6 (emphasis mine)
Oh, dear Charlotte.
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman (May, 2012)
A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith
Happiness in marriage isn’t so much a matter of chance as it is a matter of choice. Like everything, one must choose to be kind, gracious, courteous, and quick to overlook another’s percieved faults.
and when being those things (kind, gracious) etc still don’t get the dishes done…?
It’s always best to lower one’s expectations.
Then it’s best to lower one’s expectations….