58 AMAND ROUTH, M.D., F.B.C.P., ON MOTHEBHOOD. 



be also remembered that tbe wider education of girls, their entry 

 into the world of labour and their general emancipation, all 

 tend towards a liberation of natural impulses, and a desire for 

 freedom of choice. The ' right to motherhood ' is a doctrine which 

 is rapidly gaining ground." 



" The right to motherhood," if the partners are married, is, 

 of course, a happy ideal, but this is not what these words mean, 

 for the quotation continues its words of warning as follows : — 



''It is quite possible that the future may see, especially in 

 view of our progressive thought on the subject of unmarried 

 motherhood, some forms of extra-marital sex-relationship and 

 of parenthood finding a recognized place in our social code." 



If this warning is justified all sections of the community 

 should move themselves to check these dangers to national 

 purity before they dominate our country. 



Our nation and especially its women have a strong basis of 

 common sense and resistance, when cherished ethical foundations 

 are threatened, and I do not believe that extra-marital mother- 

 hood will ever become a national institution, for our monogamist 

 marriages and traditions of " home " tend to blend the parents 

 into a harmonious family life, and boys and girls are brought 

 up to protect and reverence motherhood. Attempts to level 

 down family life to a mere sexual association will, I feel sure, fail. 



What binding obHgations regarding the education and welfare 

 of children can there be in mere sexual unions ? 



Mothers often try to be true to their duty in these respects to 

 children born out of wedlock, but this is far from substantiating 

 the dictum of Ellen Key, as quoted by Foerster, that " all 

 motherhood is holy if it has called forth deep impulses of duty." 

 An unmarried mother's life may become a holy one, but in 

 irregular motherhood the impulses which led to it were not holy, 

 and self-control would usually have been non-existent. We 

 may encourage maternal love and solicitude for the child of an 

 irregular union, and we may penalize the runaway father by 

 making him financially responsible, but we cannot call such a 

 motherhood holy without condoning such unions. 



As Foerster says : " The unwavering condemnation of irregular 

 motherhood must always remain the foundation of woman's 

 code of honour. If the unmarried mother is put on the same 

 plane as the married mother, the sure effect will be to lower the 

 institution of marriage, to lessen its significance and to make it 

 appear superfluous." 



