THE POSITION OF WOMEN 75 



present ideals with regard to the position and duties of 

 women in particular and of the married state in general 

 are not wholly in accord with a sound and even 

 biological development of the race. 



The mere fact of the existence of some biological 

 adjusting factor is of very great interest, since at once 

 we are compelled to consider how far modern social 

 conditions are opposing or are availing themselves of 

 what is probably some fundamental factor in the well- 

 being of a race. Thus, if it be proved that families 

 limited to two or three children are inevitably slightly 

 below the average quality to be expected from the 

 parents, and lead to a superfluity of females, and that 

 a superfluity of females produces an unstable and un- 

 satisfactory element in the national life, it is mere folly 

 to bewail the effect in the aggregate and to contribute 

 to the cause in particular. If an excess of women 

 means a greater opportunity of selecting those of the 

 ablest and most desirable type to be mothers of the 

 future generation, while those who inherit the racial 

 weaknesses find openings in other less exacting occupa- 

 tions, the numerical excess would give a great advantage 

 in offering opportunities for natural selection to work 

 upon, as far as the female element was concerned. 

 But, if the superfluity of women leads society to rely 

 increasingly on the services of the most competent to 

 perform duties and undertake responsibilities usually 

 allotted to men, and even to displace men in work they 

 are better fitted to undertake, and furthermore en- 

 courages the majority of women to be trained in a 

 method adverse to the prosecution of their natural 

 occupation, so that the less able alone are found will- 



