On the part of the woman, the chief item on her side is, for her to attain a correct mental and spiritual attitude toward her own sex-nature and that of her husband, and toward their common expression.  All her training and environment now hinder her from such achievement; but if she be a true woman, her nature will reveal the truth to her, and if she will trust to that—­do what that prompts her to do, she will come out all right.  It will take time to reach such results; but if she will persist, she will succeed.  Let her come to the realization of the fact that sex in men and women is not unclean, vulgar, lowdown, sinful; but that it is clean, pure, lofty, GOD-BORN!  Rightly exercised, it leads to the highest well-being of both the husband and wife; it brings them to their physical, mental and spiritual noblest and best.  Let the wife get this view of the situation, which is the only true view, and then let her act accordingly, and she will have attained.  A husband and wife who have reached this modus vivendi have established a heaven on earth.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dr. Long’s description of “Free Time” should be thoroughly understood by the readers of this book.  Since it is practically impossible to conduct exact scientific tests under strict control (the reason for which can be readily understood) there is much difference of opinion among physicians and sexologists on this subject.

Some say there is no such thing as “Free Time.”  Others agree with Dr. Long that there is a period of “Free Time.”  Still a third group take the conservative viewpoint that further proof is necessary.  The publishers offer this explanation as a necessary comment.

XI

PREGNANCY

And now just a few words about having children, and this treatise will end.

As has already been said, every true husband and wife who are well enough and strong enough, and who are reasonably furnished with this world’s goods, ought to have and rear at least two children.  The world needs at least so many, even if all children lived and grew up, to keep up the constant number of people on the earth.  But, far more than this, the husband and wife need children to make a home complete, and a complete home is the supreme attainment of human life!

This does not mean that people should not marry unless they can have children; there are many women who should never even try to become mothers.  But these should not be deprived of all sexual joys for this reason.  On the contrary, it is for their best good, in most cases, that they should marry and so live normal sex lives, in all respects except parenthood.

But, for the most part, husbands and wives can have children, if they so desire, and they SHOULD so desire.

And, so desiring, the question is, How can they best fulfil such desire?