MARRIAGE 15 



time, season, purpose, and at its best forgetful of, if not 

 directly inimical to, the future of the race. 



On the other side, even at its worst, the inevitable limi- 

 tation of license due to the faithful recognition of times and 

 seasons on the part of the female. 



No matter whether the result of its breaking loose has 

 been to humanity — as in some ways it undoubtedly has been 

 — a larger liberty not only as regards sex. Even so, common 

 fairness should forbid our dragging " the gentle beasts who 

 know not lust or anger " down to the lowest level of our fall. 



Marriage then, in its primary sense, is not amongst them 

 because they need it not. In its secondary sense of com- 

 panionship, however, it exists far more often than our 

 conceit is inclined to admit. 



Many birds mate for life, and year by year the same 

 couple return to the same home to resume in mutual love, 

 protection, and happiness, that task which faithfully per- 

 formed calls out, at one and the same time, the strongest 

 vibration of individual vitality and the most perfect forget- 

 fulness of individual life. 



Even where (as for the most part is the case among 

 mammals) the mating is temporary, love, protection, and 

 happiness are not wanting. Wolves, the most savage and 

 selfish of single creatures, undergo a marvellous mind change 

 when associated as prospective father and mother. One 

 who has watched them in the wild with infinite patience 

 and skill tells us how for months ere the young are born 

 the pair hunt together, the male wolf invariably taking all 

 the most arduous tasks of the chase. 



A veritable husbander of the health and strength neces- 

 sary for the due development of his offspring, he will almost 



