556 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



strand of the stream of life that finds lodgment in them ceases with 

 their death. This is a pity; and it is a pity, too, that back of the 

 dream there should not be also the reality. One can not help feeling 

 that the children of Dante and Beatrice would have added something 

 of great worth to the fact of existence. 



And that this may come in the future we must remodel our 

 medieval institution of marriage. It must cease to be a political con- 

 venience or a religious sacrament and must become a biological truth. 

 We must make it impossible for the state to sanction and for the 

 church to sanctify the marriage of imbeciles and of old men and 

 young girls. Women must be emancipated socially, as they have been 

 emancipated intellectually and economically; and they must be given 

 a larger and more direct share in chosing their life mates. We must 

 put family finances on a basis of equal partnership that will attract 

 self-supporting and self-respecting women. We must provide ample 

 opportunities for young people to meet and know each other and we 

 must recognize the fact that it is always a sin for men and women to 

 live in the close companionship of marriage if they do not love each 

 other. 



