Dear Ann Landers,
see by our newspaper that you firmly believe prolonged mourning is unhealthy. You say it serves no useful purpose and long-time mourning is "self-pity turned inside out." You usually make pretty good sense. I agree in this case that you are right. Now, I would like your views on prolonged courtship. What do you think about couples who go together for years and never seem to get around to marriage? I know of a couple who have been dating for fifteen years. Is this healthy? My initials are the same as yours.-A.L.

Dear A.L.,
It all depends on the couple. I've said it before and I'll say it again-marriage is not for everyone. Some couples "go together" like salami and rye bread, but they are unable (for a variety of reasons) to function within the frame-work of marriage. For them marriage is a disaster, and they are better off "going together." 81