32 THE LAW OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS 



of a strange being who may be best described as the 

 " demographic woman." She bears to this problem 

 much the same relation that the " economic man " bore 

 to the science of political economy during the first half 

 of last century. That is to say, she resembles nothing 

 actually living on the earth, but is a weird, phantom 

 creature invented in the attempt to justify untenable 

 theories. By some strange process she has lost every 

 trace of her natural instinct. Far from having a natural 

 desire for children, she is prepared to take the most 

 troublesome precautions from the very marriage eve to 

 avoid having a single child, yet, strange to say, is said 

 to lavish more affection on a pet dog or cat than would 

 suffice for a houseful of babies. Many people have heard 

 of her, but very few people have met her. She is vaguely 

 referred to as the " Society woman," though whose society 

 she frequents it is difficult to say. For those who talk 

 so knowingly about her would be indignant if it were 

 suggested that she is to be found among their own wives, 

 their own mothers, their own sisters, or even among their 

 relatives and friends. The " demographic woman " is 

 invariably someone else's wife, sister, or friend. 



Of course, this strange creature is mainly the product 

 of undisciplined imaginations. She is the result of seeing 

 everything in false perspective and raising the exception 

 to the position of the rule. The most unnatural specimens 

 of femininity to be discovered are seized upon and repre- 

 sented as typical of the whole. A taste for short skirts 

 or transparent stockings is regarded as a sure sign of 

 degeneration ; while the natural tendency of childless 

 women to lavish affection upon cats and dogs is repre- 

 sented as clear proof that they are devoid of all natural 

 instincts. The worst possible construction is placed 

 upon everything they say or do. It would be more 



