CheckMate1

Copyright 1933 by Voice of Experience, Inc., a pair of fascinating questionnaires have come into my hands. Their titles are "Choosing a Husband" and "Choosing a Wife", and they each contain 100 Yes/No queries. The prefaces admonish, "Unless both can pass a grade of well above 65% I should say that there is no possibility whatsoever of successful marriage." The tests are at times quaint in their phrasing, but for the most part are still wise as well as entertaining.

From "Questionnaire No. 1", a sampling of the issues for the young woman to consider:

Emotional Qualifications

• Are you sure that his love for you is genuine?
• Is there any reason to believe that he is interested in your bank account?
• Does he show by his actions that his interest in you is largely actuated by the sweetness of your kisses?
• Do you agree on the question of marital fidelity?
• Does he know the "facts of life" and something of the art of love?
• Do you approve of his former girl friends?
• Is he marrying you on the rebound after being jilted by another girl?
• Is his idea of a "home" just a place to eat and sleep?

Social Adaptability

• Does he show civic pride?
• Is he kind, sympathetic, friendly, humorous, cordial, sincere and truthful to the degree you think desirable?

Family Relations

• Has he ever indicated that he might be ashamed of your parents?
• Is he a typical "mamma's boy"?
• In an emergency, would he desert you and cleave to his family?
• Do you heartily dislike his relatives?

Occupational Interests

• Is he working?
• If he is temporarily unemployed, is he seeking diligently for work?
• Is he training in his work, or if unemployed, for a work that indicates ambition?
• Is he reasonably insured against accident and death?
• Will he allow you to work after marriage if you desire to do so?

Physical

• Does he exercise a great physical attraction for you?
• Is he the victim of halitosis or a body odor which nauseates or disgusts you?
• Can he produce a physician's certificate to show that he is physically fit to accept the role of husband and father?
• Is there any trace of insanity in his family?
• Are there more than two members of his family who are neurotic in the extreme?
• If you do not smoke does he show thoughtfulness by taking precautions to kill the odor of tobacco on his breath before presenting his lips to you?
• Is he considerably shorter in stature than yourself, and if so has it given you any mental concern?
• Is he more than seven years your senior in point of age?
• Is he more than three years younger than you are?
• Is he a physical coward?

Mental Qualifications

• Is he mentally your equal?
• Does he expect you to be a mother, maid, nurse, lover, wife and secretary all rolled into one?
• Is he superstitious, and if so do you consider those superstitions groundless?
• Is he a cry-baby?
• Is he an aggressive braggart?
• Is he still the "apple of his mother's eye"?
• Does he prefer the company of men friends to your company when not actually engaged in making love to you?
• Does he take to drink when things go wrong?
• Does he enjoy flirting even though he knows it is offensive to you?
• Do his eyes turn to follow every pretty ankle that passes on the street?
• Is he inclined to pay too much attention to his diet, health, clothes --- animal comforts?

Leisure Pursuits

• Is there an unbridgeable gulf between you in the enjoyment of art, music, amusements, sports or social pastimes?
• Will he be jealous of any leisure activities which you may wish to carry on by yourself, such as tennis, bridge, aid societies, etc.?
• If business prevented his accompanying you to the opera or theatre, would he allow you to go with one of his or your male friends?

Religious and Racial

• Does he share your religious ideas?
• If you belong to different faiths, can you establish definitely harmonious agreements covering religious matters and church affiliations prior to the ceremony?
• Is there any great racial difference between you?

(See CheckMate2 for some tests which a groom-to-be may wish to apply to his fiancee.)

TopicHumor - TopicSociety - 2001-11-26

(correlates: CheckMate2, MyValentine2004, SonnetForMyDaughterInLaw, ...)