AUTHORS' NOTE 



In sending out this little book, written more expressly for 

 parents and teachers, the authors have had a threefold object 

 in mind. First, the need of a statement of the fundamental 

 facts concerning the reproduction of living forms; second, the 

 interpretation of these facts in terms of human interest and 

 well being; third, to call to mind the truth that neither nature 

 nor all that she can come to mean to us is the whole story 

 of the heart and mind of man. 



The truth about nature, with all that science has brought 

 us, is not easy to put in intelligible form, even for the earnest 

 reader; moreover it would seem that extreme simplicity of 

 statement, in such an involved subject as that of sex, must be 

 sacrificed, in a measure, to accuracy of statement. This is 

 not to say, however, that children do not grasp big truths 

 when they are adequately expressed in simple language. 

 But those who would undertake to teach must possess a 

 larger fund of information than may be for the moment 

 required to answer the child's question, in order that his 

 interest may be awakened and sustained. It has been our 

 hope to so state the facts that the reader also will desire to 

 go farther into a field the full exploration of which requires 

 the best abilities of mankind. 



One frequently hears the remark that knowledge of itself 

 is worthless to make good conduct, or, indeed, to make life 

 worth while. The truth behind this opinion must be that 

 knowledge is impotent until it has served, or proposes 

 to serve, some human good. That nature-knowledge can 

 make major contributions to life we have tried to show in the 

 chapter on 'The Deeper Meaning of Nature Study', and that 

 on 'Nature Study and the Personal Problems of Life'. This 

 effort to bring nature into line with life means, of course, 

 that inferences of various kinds suitable to our needs are 

 being drawn from the facts as they are presented us by 

 observation and by science. The liability of error here is 



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