Men are too often harsh with women they love or have loved; women with men.
 Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891). copy citation

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Author Thomas Hardy
Source Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Topic love women
Date 1891
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/110/110-h/110-h.htm

Context

“The mistake of expressing them had arisen from his allowing himself to be influenced by general principles to the disregard of the particular instance. But the reasoning is somewhat musty; lovers and husbands have gone over the ground before to-day. Clare had been harsh towards her; there is no doubt of it. Men are too often harsh with women they love or have loved; women with men. And yet these harshnesses are tenderness itself when compared with the universal harshness out of which they grow; the harshness of the position towards the temperament, of the means towards the aims, of to-day towards yesterday, of hereafter towards to-day.” source