"Petty Troubles of Married Life" by Honoré de Balzac

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• "Then what? . . . . . Why, then come a crowd of petty unforeseen troubles, like the following: . . ."
• "General Rule.--No man has ever yet discovered the way to give friendly advice to any woman, not even to his own wife."
• "But as to knowing women as well as I know them, it will not be knowing them much; they don't know themselves!"
• "Axiom.--A husband should always know what is the matter with his wife, for she always knows what is not."
• "Axiom.--Inasmuch as women are always willing and able to explain their strong points, they leave us to guess at their weak ones."
•  "You imagine you have married a creature endowed with reason: you are woefully mistaken, my friend."