168 SEX 



that, as things are at present, many of them 

 will not marry. It may be dangerous, there- 

 fore, to bring to the focus of consciousness 

 instincts which often remain normally at a 

 subconscious level. 



In regard to quite young children (under 

 twelve), we venture to formulate certain 

 requirements or desirabilities. Any instruc- 

 tion in regard to the continuance of life should 

 arise out of nature-study, from the experience 

 of pets rabbits and doves for choice, but 

 also poultry, and also from cat and kittens, 

 bitch and puppies; and why not from the 

 experience of farmyard visits, with their 

 innocent familiarity with the ways of its 

 domesticated creatures ? While there may be 

 legitimate silence or postponement of answer, 

 there must be no shirking or beating about 

 the bush once an answer has been embarked 

 on. Nothing must be said which will have 

 to be unlearned afterwards, for no one can do 

 a child much greater harm than telling it 

 something which it will afterwards discover 

 to be untrue. While some instruction must 

 be given nowadays, if we are not to fail of 

 our duty, it is safer to err in saying too little 

 than in saying too much. As children of the 

 same age vary greatly in development, and 

 as there is great risk of anticipating interest, 

 the instruction as regards mankind should 

 be indirect and unobtrusive, so that while it 

 is of use to those who have reached the stage 

 of natural interest, it will hardly be noticed 

 by those who have not. While there should 

 not be any suggestion of any shadow of shame- 

 fulness over the subject, it must be treated 



