G'day Sam,
thank you.

I know a man, I don't want to identify him too closely, who also would pick up strays so to speak. He actually ended up marrying one and though he was faithful the marriage was ultimately a disaster - they lasted 20 years before he finally divorced her. I wouldn't have lasted a year. They were just plain wrong for each other.

There was no intellectual match, no emotional match, no shared responsibility, no maturity match... and so on...

I mention this to say, if you truly want a life partner, find a match, not a "bird with a broken wing". Find someone who is already what you want in a wife, not someone you think you can mould into that role... The old saying "a leopard can't change his spots" is most apropos

And remember, she won't be perfect (well, lets face it, neither are you ) so don't expect her to be. It is said that love is blind, I agree, but it is selectively blind - by choice, just be aware that you are making that choice so that it doesn't blind you.

--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya laugh --=--
You're only paranoid if you're wrong!