neglected to impart to me any sexual knowledge, and such as I possessed was gathered furtively from tainted sources, bad boys’ talk at school and elsewhere.  My elders let me know, in a vague way, that talk of the kind was wicked, and natural timidity and a wish to be ‘good’ kept me from learning much about sexual matters.  As I never went to boarding-school, I was spared, perhaps, many of the degrading initiations administered by knowing boys at such institutions.

“In spite of what has been said above, I do not believe that I was sexually very precocious, and even now I feel that more pleasure would ensue from merely contemplating than from personal contact with the object of my amorous attentions.

“As I grew older there came, of course, an undefined physical longing, but it was the beauty of those I admired which mainly appealed to me.  At the time of puberty I spontaneously acquired the habit of masturbation.  Once while bathing I found that a pleasant feeling came with touching the sexual organs.  It was not long before I was confirmed in the habit.  At first I practised it but seldom, but afterward much more frequently (say, once a week), though at times months have elapsed without any indulgences on my part.  I have only had erotic dreams three or four times in my life.  The masturbation habit I regard as morally reprehensible and have made many resolutions to break it, but without avail.  It affords me only the most momentary satisfaction, and is always followed by remorseful scruples.

“I have never in my life had any sexual feeling for a woman, nor any sexual connection with any woman whatsoever.  The very thought of such a thing is excessively repugnant and disgusting to me.  This is true, apart from any moral considerations, and I do not think I could bring myself to it.  I am not attracted by young women in any way.  Even their physical beauty has little or no charm for me, and I often wonder how men can be so affected by it.  On the other hand, I am not a woman-hater, and have several strong friends of the opposite sex.  They are, however, women older than myself, and our friendship is based solely on certain intellectual or esthetic tastes we have in common.

“I have had practically no physical relations with men; at any rate, none specifically sexual.  Once, when about 19 or 21, I started to embrace a beautifully formed youth with whom I was sleeping, but timidity and scruples got the better of my feelings, and, as my bedfellow was not amorously inclined toward me, nothing came of it.  A few years after this I became strongly attached to a friend whom I had already known for several years.  Circumstances threw us very much together during one summer.  It was now that I felt for the first time the full shock of love.  He returned my affection, but both of us were shy of showing our feelings or speaking of them.  Often when walking