Human Physiology. 



cannot but think it would be better, during the years in which 

 the character is formed, if the two sexes were more in each 

 other's society. 



But how, it will be asked, can they be protected from the 

 dangers of such associations ? How are they protected now? 

 Boys and young men have very little protection of any sort. 

 At school, boys fall into the most deplorable and destructive 

 vices. Young men, deprived of virtuous female society, find 

 such as can only demoralise and deprave them. Severed from 

 the friendship and sentiment, elevation and refinement, of such 

 female society as all young men naturally desire, they too often 

 sink into mere animal sensuality, and waste the force of life in 

 the low vices and profligacy which utterly ruin vast numbers of 

 young men of the highest promise. Are young ladies better 

 protected? Those who know what may sometimes be found in 

 boarding-schools of the highest reputation can answer. I prefer 

 not to enter upon particulars. Suffice it to say that there are 

 real evils in the separation of the sexes, which are possibly 

 greater than would be likely to arise from their education 

 together in well-ordered and properly regulated institutions, 

 while there are considerable advantages to manners, morals, 

 and intellectual development, in the influence which each sex 

 has upon the other. 



The real objection the one that would have most weight in 

 English society is the dread that young men and women of 

 different social rank different caste might form attachments 

 to each other which would end in marriage. To avoid such a 

 social scandal, there would have to be schools and colleges for 

 every grade. The young nobleman, who forms a friendship for 

 a plebeian tuft-hunter, can easily shake him off when he leaves 

 the university in the other case, the mischief might be irrepa- 

 rable. It must, however, be considered that young people aie 

 not free from the prejudices of caste, and that if young men 

 aspire to those above them, young ladies are not very likely ta 



