THE SUPERSTITION OF DIVORCE BY THE SAME AUTHOR IRISH IMPRESSIONS HERETICS ORTHODOXY THE CRIMES OF ENGLAND A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLAND ALL THINGS CONSIDERED GEORGE BERNARD SHAW MAN ALIVE THE FLYING INN THE BALL AND THE CROSS THE INNOCENCE OF FATHER BROWN THE WISDOM OF FATHER BROWN THE NAPOLEON OF NOTTING HILL POEMS THE BALLAD OF THE WHITE HORSE THE SUPERSTITION OF DIVORCE BY G. K. CHESTERTON AUTHOR OF “HERETICS,” “ORTHODOXY,” “IRISH IMPRESSIONS,” ETC. NEW YORK JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMXX Copyright, 1920, BY JOHN LANE COMPANY Press of J. J. Little & Ives Company New York, U. S. A. _Introductory Note_ The earlier part of this book appeared in the form of five articles which came out in the “New Witness” at the crisis of the recent controversy in the Press on the subject of divorce. Crude and sketchy as they confessedly were, they had a certain rude plan of their own, which I find it very difficult to recast even in order to expand. I have therefore decided to reprint the original articles as they stood, save for a few introductory words; and then, at the risk of repetition, to add a few further chapters, explaining more fully any conceptions that may seem to have been too crudely assumed or dismissed. I have set forth the original matter as it appeared, under a general heading, without dividing it into chapters. G. K. C. CONTENTS PAGE THE SUPERSTITION OF DIVORCE 11 THE STORY OF THE FAMILY 61 THE STORY OF THE VOW 83 THE TRAGEDIES OF MARRIAGE 105 THE VISTA OF DIVORCE 127 CONCLUSION 147 THE SUPERSTITION OF DIVORCE _I.--The Superstition of Divorce_