Reminds me of the one about the happy couple going to hospital to have the baby.
“Wonderful news” says the obstetrician. “They’ve just invented a new machine that can transfer the pain of childbirth from the mother, to the father!”
“Oh great!” they say, so happy and enthused.
“So we’ll be able to transfer some of the pain to you!” he says to the husband.
“Oh we’re so happy to be having this baby, and I just love my wife so much, so that’s just great!” he says. So they strap on the electrodes and turn on the machine.
“But” says the obstretrician, his hand on the dial, “Because the ordinary pain a woman experiences in childbirth is enough to kill the ordinary man, we won’t give you the full charge, okay? We’ll just start you on 25 percent, see how you go.” (Cranks dial). “How’s that?”
“That’s fine” says the husband “Doesn’t hurt. I can take it.”
“Okay” says the ob/gyn - cranks it up to 50. “How about that?” they inquire anxiously.
“Doesn’t hurt.” boasts the guy “I’m tough enough. Gimme the lot.”
So the doc cranks it right up to 100. Wife feels no pain, neither does the husband, baby is born no worries, couple are happy, staff wish them well, off they go back home - and find the milkman dead on the doorstep.

just browsing I saw this interesting mention from the voyage of the RATTLESNAKE in 1849.
POLYGAMY.
Polygamy is practised both on the mainland and throughout the islands of Torres Strait. Five is the greatest number of wives which I was credibly informed had been possessed by one man--but this was an extraordinary instance, one, two, or three, being the usual complement, leaving of course many men who are never provided with wives. The possession of several wives ensures to the husband a certain amount of influence in his tribe as the owner of so much valuable property, also from the nature and extent of his connections by marriage. In most cases females are betrothed in infancy, according to the will of the father, and without regard to disparity of age, thus the future husband may be and often is an old man with several wives. When the man thinks proper he takes his wife to live with him without any further ceremony, but before this she has probably had promiscuous intercourse with the young men, such, if conducted with a moderate degree of secrecy, not being considered as an offence, although if continued after marriage it would be visited by the husband (if powerful enough) upon both the offending parties with the severest punishment.

CJ, lets just say that I've had an interesting love life over the
years. That included some deep and meaningful relationships
with women from various parts of the world.

Living in the backblocks of WA has its price, one being that
90% of women prefer city life, especially women with careers or
with kids living on other continents. I don't believe that
people should live where they arn't naturally happy, just for
the sake of a relationship.

Meantime your average Aussie country girl would be perfect
for the likes of Cherful, she wants her financial security
as much as he wants his regular legover.

Sorry, but that is just not my scene. There is alot more then
that, but one has to have experienced it, to understand it.

You're awesome, Foxy.

I've never liked the saying "soul mate" either. The term is overused and long devalued. I've come across people who find their soul mate every six months or so ;^0

Anyway, a little jocularity:

A Love Poem from my inbox ~

Bobbie Sue done fell in love
She planned to marry Joe
She was so happy bout' it
She wanted her pappy to know

Pappy told her... Bobbie Sue
You'll have to find another...
I'd just as soon your ma not know
But Joe is your half brother

So Bobbie broke it off with Joe
And decided to marry Will
But when she told pappy this
He said... Bobbie... There's trouble still

You cannnot marry Will my gal
And please don't tell your mother...
But Will and Joe and many more
I'm sure... are your half brothers

But mama knew and said... My child...
Just do what makes you happy...
Marry Will or marry Joe...
Cuz' you aint no kin to pappy

Good one, Pynchme,
Reminds me of that 70's song, 'Shame and Scandal in the Family'....and a line that went..."Your daddy aint your daddy, but your daddy don't know".