Whattheyweredoingwithuswaslike——like——well，saylikeNapoleonextractingmilitaryinformationfromafewilliteratepeasants。Theyknewjustwhattoask，andjustwhatusetomakeofit;theyhadmechanicalappliancesfordisseminatinginformationalmostequaltooursathome;andbythetimewewereledforthtolecture，ouraudienceshadthoroughlymasteredawell—
arrangeddigestofallwehadpreviouslygiventoourteachers，andwerepreparedwithsuchnotesandquestionsasmighthaveintimidatedauniversityprofessor。
Theywerenotaudiencesofgirls，either。Itwassometimebeforewewereallowedtomeettheyoungwomen。
\"Doyoumindtellingwhatyouintendtodowithus？\"Terryburstforthoneday，facingthecalmandfriendlyMoadinewiththatfunnyhalf—blusteringairofhis。Atfirstheusedtostormandflourishquiteagooddeal，butnothingseemedtoamusethemmore;
theywouldgatheraroundandwatchhimasifitwasanexhibition，politely，butwithevidentinterest。Sohelearnedtocheckhimself，andwasalmostreasonableinhisbearing——butnotquite。
Sheannouncedsmoothlyandevenly：\"Notintheleast。I
thoughtitwasquiteplain。Wearetryingtolearnofyouallwecan，andtoteachyouwhatyouarewillingtolearnofourcountry。\"
\"Isthatall？\"heinsisted。
Shesmiledaquietenigmaticsmile。\"Thatdepends。\"
\"Dependsonwhat？\"
\"Mainlyonyourselves，\"shereplied。
\"Whydoyoukeepusshutupsoclosely？\"
\"Becausewedonotfeelquitesafeinallowingyouatlargewheretherearesomanyyoungwomen。\"
Terrywasreallypleasedatthat。Hehadthoughtasmuch，inwardly;buthepushedthequestion。\"Whyshouldyoubeafraid？
Wearegentlemen。\"
Shesmiledthatlittlesmileagain，andasked：\"Are`gentlemen’
alwayssafe？\"
\"Yousurelydonotthinkthatanyofus，\"hesaiditwithagooddealofemphasisonthe\"us，\"\"wouldhurtyouryounggirls？\"
\"Ohno，\"shesaidquickly，inrealsurprise。\"Thedangerisquitetheotherway。Theymighthurtyou。If，byanyaccident，youdidharmanyoneofus，youwouldhavetofaceamillionmothers。\"
HelookedsoamazedandoutragedthatJeffandIlaughedoutright，butshewentongently。
\"Idonotthinkyouquiteunderstandyet。Youarebutmen，threemen，inacountrywherethewholepopulationaremothers——
oraregoingtobe。MotherhoodmeanstoussomethingwhichIcannotyetdiscoverinanyofthecountriesofwhichyoutellus。Youhavespoken\"——sheturnedtoJeff，\"ofHumanBrotherhoodasagreatideaamongyou，buteventhatIjudgeisfarfromapracticalexpression？\"
Jeffnoddedrathersadly。\"Veryfar——\"hesaid。
\"HerewehaveHumanMotherhood——infullworkinguse，\"
shewenton。\"Nothingelseexcepttheliteralsisterhoodofourorigin，andthefarhigheranddeeperunionofoursocialgrowth。
\"Thechildreninthiscountryaretheonecenterandfocusofallourthoughts。Everystepofouradvanceisalwaysconsideredinitseffectonthem——ontherace。Yousee，weareMOTHERS，\"sherepeated，asifinthatshehadsaiditall。
\"Idon’tseehowthatfact——whichissharedbyallwomen——
constitutesanyrisktous，\"Terrypersisted。\"Youmeantheywoulddefendtheirchildrenfromattack。Ofcourse。Anymotherswould。Butwearenotsavages，mydearlady;wearenotgoingtohurtanymother’schild。\"
Theylookedatoneanotherandshooktheirheadsalittle，butZavaturnedtoJeffandurgedhimtomakeussee——saidheseemedtounderstandmorefullythanwedid。Andhetried。
Icanseeitnow，oratleastmuchmoreofit，butithastakenmealongtime，andagooddealofhonestintellectualeffort。
WhattheycallMotherhoodwaslikethis：
Theybeganwithareallyhighdegreeofsocialdevelopment，somethinglikethatofAncientEgyptorGreece。Thentheysufferedthelossofeverythingmasculine，andsupposedatfirstthatallhumanpowerandsafetyhadgonetoo。Thentheydevelopedthisvirginbirthcapacity。Then，sincetheprosperityoftheirchildrendependedonit，thefullestandsubtlestcoordinationbegantobepracticed。
IrememberhowlongTerrybalkedattheevidentunanimityofthesewomen——themostconspicuousfeatureoftheirwholeculture。\"It’simpossible！\"hewouldinsist。\"Womencannotcooperate——it’sagainstnature。\"
Whenweurgedtheobviousfactshewouldsay：\"Fiddlesticks！\"
or\"Hangyourfacts——Itellyouitcan’tbedone！\"AndweneversucceededinshuttinghimuptillJeffdraggedinthehymenoptera。
\"`Gototheant，thousluggard’——andlearnsomething，\"hesaidtriumphantly。\"Don’ttheycooperateprettywell？Youcan’tbeatit。Thisplaceisjustlikeanenormousanthill——youknowananthillisnothingbutanursery。Andhowaboutbees？Don’ttheymanagetocooperateandloveoneanother？
AsthebirdsdolovetheSpringOrthebeestheircarefulking，asthatpreciousConstablehadit。Justshowmeacombinationofmalecreatures，bird，bug，orbeast，thatworksaswell，willyou？Oroneofourmasculinecountrieswherethepeopleworktogetheraswellastheydohere！Itellyou，womenarethenaturalcooperators，notmen！\"
Terryhadtolearnagoodmanythingshedidnotwantto。
Togobacktomylittleanalysisofwhathappened：
Theydevelopedallthiscloseinter—serviceintheinterestsoftheirchildren。Todothebestworktheyhadtospecialize，ofcourse;thechildrenneededspinnersandweavers，farmersandgardeners，carpentersandmasons，aswellasmothers。
Thencamethefillingupoftheplace。Whenapopulationmultipliesbyfiveeverythirtyyearsitsoonreachesthelimitsofacountry，especiallyasmallonelikethis。Theyverysooneliminatedallthegrazingcattle——sheepwerethelasttogo，Ibelieve。
Also，theyworkedoutasystemofintensiveagriculturesurpassinganythingIeverheardof，withtheveryforestsallresetwithfruit—ornut—bearingtrees。
Dowhattheywould，however，theresooncameatimewhentheywereconfrontedwiththeproblemof\"thepressureofpopulation\"
inanacuteform。Therewasreallycrowding，andwithit，unavoidably，adeclineinstandards。
Andhowdidthosewomenmeetit？
Notbya\"struggleforexistence\"whichwouldresultinaneverlastingwrithingmassofunderbredpeopletryingtogetaheadofoneanother——somefewontop，temporarily，manyconstantlycrushedoutunderneath，ahopelesssubstratumofpaupersanddegenerates，andnoserenityorpeaceforanyone，nopossibilityforreallynoblequalitiesamongthepeopleatlarge。
Neitherdidtheystartoffonpredatoryexcursionstogetmorelandfromsomebodyelse，ortogetmorefoodfromsomebodyelse，tomaintaintheirstrugglingmass。
Notatall。Theysatdownincounciltogetherandthoughtitout。Veryclear，strongthinkerstheywere。Theysaid：\"Withourbestendeavorsthiscountrywillsupportaboutsomanypeople，withthestandardofpeace，comfort，health，beauty，andprogresswedemand。Verywell。Thatisallthepeoplewewillmake。\"
Thereyouhaveit。Yousee，theywereMothers，notinoursenseofhelplessinvoluntaryfecundity，forcedtofillandoverfilltheland，everyland，andthenseetheirchildrensuffer，sin，anddie，fightinghorriblywithoneanother;butinthesenseofConsciousMakersofPeople。Mother—lovewiththemwasnotabrutepassion，amere\"instinct，\"awhollypersonalfeeling;itwas——areligion。
Itincludedthatlimitlessfeelingofsisterhood，thatwideunityinservice，whichwassodifficultforustograsp。AnditwasNational，Racial，Human——oh，Idon’tknowhowtosayit。
Weareusedtoseeingwhatwecall\"amother\"completelywrappedupinherownpinkbundleoffascinatingbabyhood，andtakingbutthefaintesttheoreticinterestinanybodyelse’sbundle，tosaynothingofthecommonneedsofALLthebundles。
Butthesewomenwereworkingalltogetheratthegrandestoftasks——theywereMakingPeople——andtheymadethemwell。
Therefollowedaperiodof\"negativeeugenics\"whichmusthavebeenanappallingsacrifice。Wearecommonlywillingto\"laydownourlives\"forourcountry，buttheyhadtoforegomotherhoodfortheircountry——anditwaspreciselythehardestthingforthemtodo。
WhenIgotthisfarinmyreadingIwenttoSomelformorelight。WewereasfriendlybythattimeasIhadeverbeeninmylifewithanywoman。Amightycomfortablesoulshewas，givingonethenicesmoothmother—feelingamanlikesinawoman，andyetgivingalsotheclearintelligenceanddependablenessIusedtoassumetobemasculinequalities。Wehadtalkedvolumesalready。
\"Seehere，\"saidI。\"Herewasthisdreadfulperiodwhentheygotfartoothick，anddecidedtolimitthepopulation。Wehavealotoftalkaboutthatamongus，butyourpositionissodifferentthatI’dliketoknowalittlemoreaboutit。
\"IunderstandthatyoumakeMotherhoodthehighestsocialservice——
asacrament，really;thatitisonlyundertakenonce，bythemajorityofthepopulation;thatthoseheldunfitarenotallowedeventhat;
andthattobeencouragedtobearmorethanonechildistheveryhighestrewardandhonorinthepowerofthestate。\"
（Sheinterpolatedherethatthenearestapproachtoanaristocracytheyhadwastocomeofalineof\"OverMothers\"——
thosewhohadbeensohonored。）
\"ButwhatIdonotunderstand，naturally，ishowyoupreventit。
Igatheredthateachwomanhadfive。Youhavenotyrannicalhusbandstoholdincheck——andyousurelydonotdestroytheunborn——\"
ThelookofghastlyhorrorshegavemeIshallneverforget。
Shestartedfromherchair，pale，hereyesblazing。
\"Destroytheunborn——！\"shesaidinahardwhisper。
\"Domendothatinyourcountry？\"
\"Men！\"Ibegantoanswer，ratherhotly，andthensawthegulfbeforeme。NoneofuswantedthesewomentothinkthatOURwomen，ofwhomweboastedsoproudly，wereinanywayinferiortothem。
IamashamedtosaythatIequivocated。Itoldherofcertaincriminaltypesofwomen——perverts，orcrazy，whohadbeenknowntocommitinfanticide。Itoldher，trulyenough，thattherewasmuchinourlandwhichwasopentocriticism，butthatIhatedtodwellonourdefectsuntiltheyunderstoodusandourconditionsbetter。
And，makingawidedetour，Iscrambledbacktomyquestionofhowtheylimitedthepopulation。
AsforSomel，sheseemedsorry，alittleashamedeven，ofhertooclearlyexpressedamazement。AsIlookbacknow，knowingthembetter，IammoreandmoreandmoreamazedasIappreciatetheexquisitecourtesywithwhichtheyhadreceivedoverandoveragainstatementsandadmissionsonourpartwhichmusthaverevoltedthemtothesoul。
Sheexplainedtome，withsweetseriousness，thatasIhadsupposed，atfirsteachwomanborefivechildren;andthat，intheireagerdesiretobuildupanation，theyhadgoneoninthatwayforafewcenturies，tilltheywereconfrontedwiththeabsoluteneedofalimit。Thisfactwasequallyplaintoall——allwereequallyinterested。
Theywerenowasanxioustochecktheirwonderfulpowerastheyhadbeentodevelopit;andforsomegenerationsgavethemattertheirmostearnestthoughtandstudy。
\"Wewerelivingonrationsbeforeweworkeditout，\"shesaid。
\"Butwedidworkitout。Yousee，beforeachildcomestooneofusthereisaperiodofutterexaltation——thewholebeingisupliftedandfilledwithaconcentrateddesireforthatchild。Welearnedtolookforwardtothatperiodwiththegreatestcaution。Oftenouryoungwomen，thosetowhommotherhoodhadnotyetcome，wouldvoluntarilydeferit。Whenthatdeepinnerdemandforachildbegantobefeltshewoulddeliberatelyengageinthemostactivework，physicalandmental;andevenmoreimportant，wouldsolaceherlongingbythedirectcareandserviceofthebabieswealreadyhad。\"
Shepaused。Herwisesweetfacegrewdeeply，reverentlytender。
\"Wesoongrewtoseethatmother—lovehasmorethanonechannelofexpression。Ithinkthereasonourchildrenareso——sofullyloved，byallofus，isthatwenever——anyofus——haveenoughofourown。\"
Thisseemedtomeinfinitelypathetic，andIsaidso。\"Wehavemuchthatisbitterandhardinourlifeathome，\"Itoldher，\"butthisseemstomepiteousbeyondwords——awholenationofstarvingmothers！\"
Butshesmiledherdeepcontentedsmile，andsaidIquitemisunderstood。
\"Weeachgowithoutacertainrangeofpersonaljoy，\"shesaid，\"butremember——weeachhaveamillionchildrentoloveandserve——OURchildren。\"
Itwasbeyondme。Tohearalotofwomentalkabout\"ourchildren\"！
ButIsupposethatisthewaytheantsandbeeswouldtalk——dotalk，maybe。
Thatwaswhattheydid，anyhow。
Whenawomanchosetobeamother，sheallowedthechild—
longingtogrowwithinhertillitworkeditsnaturalmiracle。
Whenshedidnotsochoosesheputthewholethingoutofhermind，andfedherheartwiththeotherbabies。
Letmesee——withus，children——minors，thatis——constituteaboutthree—fifthsofthepopulation;withthemonlyaboutone—
third，orless。Andprecious——！Nosoleheirtoanempire’sthrone，nosolitarymillionairebaby，noonlychildofmiddle—agedparents，couldcompareasanidolwiththeseHerlandchildren。
ButbeforeIstartonthatsubjectImustfinishupthatlittleanalysisIwastryingtomake。
Theydideffectuallyandpermanentlylimitthepopulationinnumbers，sothatthecountryfurnishedplentyforthefullest，richestlifeforallofthem：plentyofeverything，includingroom，air，solitudeeven。
Andthentheysettoworktoimprovethatpopulationinquality——
sincetheywererestrictedinquantity。Thistheyhadbeenatworkon，uninterruptedly，forsomefifteenhundredyears。Doyouwondertheywerenicepeople？
Physiology，hygiene，sanitation，physicalculture——allthatlineofworkhadbeenperfectedlongsince。Sicknesswasalmostwhollyunknownamongthem，somuchsothatapreviouslyhighdevelopmentinwhatwecallthe\"scienceofmedicine\"hadbecomepracticallyalostart。Theywereaclean—bred，vigorouslot，havingthebestofcare，themostperfectlivingconditionsalways。
Whenitcametopsychology——therewasnoonethingwhichleftussodumbfounded，soreallyawed，astheeverydayworkingknowledge——andpractice——theyhadinthisline。Aswelearnedmoreandmoreofit，welearnedtoappreciatetheexquisitemasterywithwhichweourselves，strangersofalienrace，ofunknownoppositesex，hadbeenunderstoodandprovidedforfromthefirst。
Withthiswide，deep，thoroughknowledge，theyhadmetandsolvedtheproblemsofeducationinwayssomeofwhichIhopetomakeclearlater。Thosenation—lovedchildrenoftheirscomparedwiththeaverageinourcountryasthemostperfectlycultivated，richlydevelopedrosescomparewith——tumbleweeds。
YettheydidnotSEEM\"cultivated\"atall——ithadallbecomeanaturalcondition。
Andthispeople，steadilydevelopinginmentalcapacity，inwillpower，insocialdevotion，hadbeenplayingwiththeartsandsciences——asfarastheyknewthem——foragoodmanycenturiesnowwithinevitablesuccess。
Intothisquietlovelyland，amongthesewise，sweet，strongwomen，we，inoureasyassumptionofsuperiority，hadsuddenlyarrived;andnow，tamedandtrainedtoadegreetheyconsideredsafe，wewereatlastbroughtouttoseethecountry，toknowthepeople。
CHAPTER7
OurGrowingModestyBeingatlastconsideredsufficientlytamedandtrainedtobetrustedwithscissors，webarberedourselvesasbestwecould。A
close—trimmedbeardiscertainlymorecomfortablethanafullone。Razors，naturally，theycouldnotsupply。
\"Withsomanyoldwomenyou’dthinkthere’dbesomerazors，\"
sneeredTerry。WhereatJeffpointedoutthatheneverbeforehadseensuchcompleteabsenceoffacialhaironwomen。
\"Lookstomeasiftheabsenceofmenmadethemmorefeminineinthatregard，anyhow，\"hesuggested。
\"Well，it’stheonlyonethen，\"Terryreluctantlyagreed。
\"AlessfemininelotIneversaw。Achildapiecedoesn’tseemtobeenoughtodevelopwhatIcallmotherliness。\"
Terry’sideaofmotherlinesswastheusualone，involvingababyinarms，or\"alittleflockaboutherknees，\"andthecompleteabsorptionofthemotherinsaidbabyorflock。Amotherlinesswhichdominatedsociety，whichinfluencedeveryartandindustry，whichabsolutelyprotectedallchildhood，andgavetoitthemostperfectcareandtraining，didnotseemmotherly——toTerry。
Wehadbecomewellusedtotheclothes。Theywerequiteascomfortableasourown——insomewaysmoreso——andundeniablybetterlooking。Astopockets，theyleftnothingtobedesired。
Thatsecondgarmentwasfairlyquiltedwithpockets。Theyweremostingeniouslyarranged，soastobeconvenienttothehandandnotinconvenienttothebody，andweresoplacedasatoncetostrengthenthegarmentandadddecorativelinesofstitching。
Inthis，asinsomanyotherpointswehadnowtoobserve，therewasshowntheactionofapracticalintelligence，coupledwithfineartisticfeeling，and，apparently，untrammeledbyanyinjuriousinfluences。
Ourfirststepofcomparativefreedomwasapersonallyconductedtourofthecountry。Nopentagonalbodyguardnow！
Onlyourspecialtutors，andwegotonfamouslywiththem。
JeffsaidhelovedZavalikeanaunt——\"onlyjollierthananyauntIeversaw\";SomelandIwereaschummyascouldbe——thebestoffriends;butitwasfunnytowatchTerryandMoadine。Shewaspatientwithhim，andcourteous，butitwaslikethepatienceandcourtesyofsomegreatman，sayaskilled，experienceddiplomat，withaschoolgirl。Hergraveacquiescencewithhismostpreposterousexpressionoffeeling;hergeniallaughter，notonlywith，but，I
oftenfelt，athim——thoughimpeccablypolite;herinnocentquestions，whichalmostinvariablyledhimtosaymorethanheintended——JeffandIfounditallamusingtowatch。
Heneverseemedtorecognizethatquietbackgroundofsuperiority。
Whenshedroppedanargumenthealwaysthoughthehadsilencedher;
whenshelaughedhethoughtittributetohiswit。
IhatedtoadmittomyselfhowmuchTerryhadsunkinmyesteem。
Jefffeltittoo，Iamsure;butneitherofusadmittedittotheother。
Athomewehadmeasuredhimwithothermen，and，thoughweknewhisfailings，hewasbynomeansanunusualtype。Weknewhisvirtuestoo，andtheyhadalwaysseemedmoreprominentthanthefaults。Measuredamongwomen——ourwomenathome，Imean——hehadalwaysstoodhigh。Hewasvisiblypopular。
Evenwherehishabitswereknown，therewasnodiscriminationagainsthim;
insomecaseshisreputationforwhatwasfelicitouslytermed\"gaiety\"
seemedaspecialcharm。
Buthere，againstthecalmwisdomandquietrestrainedhumorofthesewomen，withonlythatblessedJeffandmyinconspicuousselftocomparewith，Terrydidstandoutratherstrong。
As\"amanamongmen，\"hedidn’t;asamanamong——Ishallhavetosay，\"females，\"hedidn’t;hisintensemasculinityseemedonlyfitcomplementtotheirintensefemininity。Butherehewasalloutofdrawing。
Moadinewasabigwoman，withabalancedstrengththatseldomshowed。Hereyewasasquietlywatchfulasafencer’s。
Shemaintainedapleasantrelationwithhercharge，butIdoubtifmany，eveninthatcountry，couldhavedoneaswell。
Hecalledher\"Maud，\"amongstourselves，andsaidshewas\"agoodoldsoul，butalittleslow\";whereinhewasquitewrong。
Needlesstosay，hecalledJeff’steacher\"Java，\"andsometimes\"Mocha，\"orplain\"Coffee\";whenspeciallymischievous，\"Chicory，\"
andeven\"Postum。\"ButSomelratherescapedthisformofhumor，saveforaratherforced\"Some’ell。\"
\"Don’tyoupeoplehavebutonename？\"heaskedoneday，afterwehadbeenintroducedtoawholegroupofthem，allwithpleasant，few—syllabledstrangenames，liketheonesweknew。
\"Ohyes，\"Moadinetoldhim。\"Agoodmanyofushaveanother，aswegetoninlife——adescriptiveone。Thatisthenameweearn。Sometimeseventhatischanged，oraddedto，inanunusuallyrichlife。SuchasourpresentLandMother——whatyoucallpresidentorking，Ibelieve。ShewascalledMera，evenasachild;thatmeans`thinker。’LatertherewasaddedDu——Du—Mera——thewisethinker，andnowweallknowherasO—du—mera——
greatandwisethinker。Youshallmeether。\"
\"Nosurnamesatallthen？\"pursuedTerry，withhissomewhatpatronizingair。\"Nofamilyname？\"
\"Whyno，\"shesaid。\"Whyshouldwe？Wearealldescendedfromacommonsource——allone`family’inreality。Yousee，ourcomparativelybriefandlimitedhistorygivesusthatadvantageatleast。\"
\"Butdoesnoteachmotherwantherownchildtobearhername？\"
Iasked。
\"No——whyshouldshe？Thechildhasitsown。\"
\"Whyfor——foridentification——sopeoplewillknowwhosechildsheis。\"
\"Wekeepthemostcarefulrecords，\"saidSomel。\"EachoneofushasourexactlineofdescentallthewaybacktoourdearFirstMother。Therearemanyreasonsfordoingthat。Butastoeveryoneknowingwhichchildbelongstowhichmother——whyshouldshe？\"
Here，asinsomanyotherinstances，wewereledtofeelthedifferencebetweenthepurelymaternalandthepaternalattitudeofmind。Theelementofpersonalprideseemedstrangelylacking。
\"Howaboutyourotherworks？\"askedJeff。\"Don’tyousignyournamestothem——booksandstatuesandsoon？\"
\"Yes，surely，weareallgladandproudto。Notonlybooksandstatues，butallkindsofwork。Youwillfindlittlenamesonthehouses，onthefurniture，onthedishessometimes。Becauseotherwiseoneislikelytoforget，andwewanttoknowtowhomtobegrateful。\"
\"Youspeakasifitweredonefortheconvenienceoftheconsumer——nottheprideoftheproducer，\"Isuggested。
\"It’sboth，\"saidSomel。\"Wehaveprideenoughinourwork。\"
\"Thenwhynotinyourchildren？\"urgedJeff。
\"Butwehave！We’remagnificentlyproudofthem，\"sheinsisted。
\"Thenwhynotsign’em？\"saidTerrytriumphantly。
Moadineturnedtohimwithherslightlyquizzicalsmile。
\"Becausethefinishedproductisnotaprivateone。Whentheyarebabies，wedospeakofthem，attimes，as`Essa’sLato，’or`Novine’sAmel’;butthatismerelydescriptiveandconversational。Intherecords，ofcourse，thechildstandsinherownlineofmothers;butindealingwithitpersonallyitisLato，orAmel，withoutdragginginitsancestors。\"
\"Buthaveyounamesenoughtogiveanewonetoeachchild？\"
\"Assuredlywehave，foreachlivinggeneration。\"
Thentheyaskedaboutourmethods，andfoundfirstthat\"we\"didsoandso，andthenthatothernationsdiddifferently。
Uponwhichtheywantedtoknowwhichmethodhasbeenprovedbest——andwehadtoadmitthatsofarasweknewtherehadbeennoattemptatcomparison，eachpeoplepursuingitsowncustominthefondconvictionofsuperiority，andeitherdespisingorquiteignoringtheothers。
Withthesewomenthemostsalientqualityinalltheirinstitutionswasreasonableness。WhenIdugintotherecordstofollowoutanylineofdevelopment，thatwasthemostastonishingthing——theconsciousefforttomakeitbetter。
Theyhadearlyobservedthevalueofcertainimprovements，hadeasilyinferredthattherewasroomformore，andtookthegreatestpainstodeveloptwokindsofminds——thecriticandinventor。Thosewhoshowedanearlytendencytoobserve，todiscriminate，tosuggest，weregivenspecialtrainingforthatfunction;andsomeoftheirhighestofficialsspenttheirtimeinthemostcarefulstudyofoneoranotherbranchofwork，withaviewtoitsfurtherimprovement。
Ineachgenerationtherewassuretoarrivesomenewmindtodetectfaultsandshowneedofalterations;andthewholecorpsofinventorswasathandtoapplytheirspecialfacultyatthepointcriticized，andoffersuggestions。
Wehadlearnedbythistimenottoopenadiscussiononanyoftheircharacteristicswithoutfirstprimingourselvestoanswerquestionsaboutourownmethods;soIkeptratherquietonthismatterofconsciousimprovement。Wewerenotpreparedtoshowourwaywasbetter。
Therewasgrowinginourminds，atleastinJeff’sandmine，akeenappreciationoftheadvantagesofthisstrangecountryanditsmanagement。Terryremainedcritical。Welaidmostofittohisnerves。Hecertainlywasirritable。
Themostconspicuousfeatureofthewholelandwastheperfectionofitsfoodsupply。Wehadbeguntonoticefromthatveryfirstwalkintheforest，thefirstpartialviewfromour’plane。
Nowweweretakentoseethismightygarden，andshownitsmethodsofculture。
ThecountrywasaboutthesizeofHolland，sometenortwelvethousandsquaremiles。OnecouldloseagoodmanyHollandsalongtheforest—smotheredflanksofthosemightymountains。
Theyhadapopulationofaboutthreemillion——notalargeone，butqualityissomething。Threemillionisquiteenoughtoallowforconsiderablevariation，andthesepeoplevariedmorewidelythanwecouldatfirstaccountfor。
Terryhadinsistedthatiftheywereparthenogeneticthey’dbeasalikeassomanyantsoraphids;heurgedtheirvisibledifferencesasproofthattheremustbemen——somewhere。
Butwhenweaskedthem，inourlater，moreintimateconversations，howtheyaccountedforsomuchdivergencewithoutcross—fertilization，theyattributeditpartlytothecarefuleducation，whichfollowedeachslighttendencytodiffer，andpartlytothelawofmutation。Thistheyhadfoundintheirworkwithplants，andfullyprovenintheirowncase。
Physicallytheyweremorealikethanwe，astheylackedallmorbidorexcessivetypes。Theyweretall，strong，healthy，andbeautifulasarace，butdifferedindividuallyinawiderangeoffeature，coloring，andexpression。
\"Butsurelythemostimportantgrowthisinmind——andinthethingswemake，\"urgedSomel。\"Doyoufindyourphysicalvariationaccompaniedbyaproportionatevariationinideas，feelings，andproducts？Or，amongpeoplewholookmorealike，doyoufindtheirinternallifeandtheirworkassimilar？\"
Wewereratherdoubtfulonthispoint，andinclinedtoholdthattherewasmorechanceofimprovementingreaterphysicalvariation。
\"Itcertainlyshouldbe，\"Zavaadmitted。\"Wehavealwaysthoughtitagraveinitialmisfortunetohavelosthalfourlittleworld。Perhapsthatisonereasonwhywehavesostrivenforconsciousimprovement。\"
\"Butacquiredtraitsarenottransmissible，\"Terrydeclared。
\"Weissmanhasprovedthat。\"
Theyneverdisputedourabsolutestatements，onlymadenotesofthem。
\"Ifthatisso，thenourimprovementmustbedueeithertomutation，orsolelytoeducation，\"shegravelypursued。\"Wecertainlyhaveimproved。Itmaybethatallthesehigherqualitieswerelatentintheoriginalmother，thatcarefuleducationisbringingthemout，andthatourpersonaldifferencesdependonslightvariationsinprenatalcondition。\"
\"Ithinkitismoreinyouraccumulatedculture，\"Jeffsuggested。
\"Andintheamazingpsychicgrowthyouhavemade。Weknowverylittleaboutmethodsofrealsoulculture——andyouseemtoknowagreatdeal。\"
Bethatasitmight，theycertainlypresentedahigherlevelofactiveintelligence，andofbehavior，thanwehadsofarreallygrasped。Havingknowninourlivesseveralpeoplewhoshowedthesamedelicatecourtesyandwereequallypleasanttolivewith，atleastwhentheyworetheir\"companymanners，\"wehadassumedthatourcompanionswereacarefullychosenfew。Laterweweremoreandmoreimpressedthatallthisgentlebreedingwasbreeding;
thattheywereborntoit，rearedinit，thatitwasasnaturalanduniversalwiththemasthegentlenessofdovesortheallegedwisdomofserpents。
Asfortheintelligence，Iconfessthatthiswasthemostimpressiveand，tome，mostmortifying，ofanysinglefeatureofHerland。Wesoonceasedtocommentonthisorothermatterswhichtothemweresuchobviouscommonplacesastocallforthembarrassingquestionsaboutourownconditions。
Thiswasnowherebettershownthaninthatmatteroffoodsupply，whichIwillnowattempttodescribe。
Havingimprovedtheiragriculturetothehighestpoint，andcarefullyestimatedthenumberofpersonswhocouldcomfortablyliveontheirsquaremiles;havingthenlimitedtheirpopulationtothatnumber，onewouldthinkthatwasalltherewastobedone。
Buttheyhadnotthoughtso。Tothemthecountrywasaunit——itwastheirs。Theythemselveswereaunit，aconsciousgroup;
theythoughtintermsofthecommunity。Assuch，theirtime—sensewasnotlimitedtothehopesandambitionsofanindividuallife。Therefore，theyhabituallyconsideredandcarriedoutplansforimprovementwhichmightcovercenturies。
Ihadneverseen，hadscarcelyimagined，humanbeingsundertakingsuchaworkasthedeliberatereplantingofanentireforestareawithdifferentkindsoftrees。Yetthisseemedtothemthesimplestcommonsense，likeaman’splowingupaninferiorlawnandreseedingit。Noweverytreeborefruit——ediblefruit，thatis。Inthecaseofonetree，inwhichtheytookespecialpride，ithadoriginallynofruitatall——thatis，nonehumanlyedible——
yetwassobeautifulthattheywishedtokeepit。Forninehundredyearstheyhadexperimented，andnowshowedusthisparticularlylovelygracefultree，withaprofusecropofnutritiousseeds。
Theyhadearlydecidedthattreeswerethebestfoodplants，requiringfarlesslaborintillingthesoil，andbearingalargeramountoffoodforthesamegroundspace;alsodoingmuchtopreserveandenrichthesoil。
Dueregardhadbeenpaidtoseasonablecrops，andtheirfruitandnuts，grainsandberries，keptonalmosttheyearthrough。
Onthehigherpartofthecountry，nearthebackingwallofmountains，theyhadarealwinterwithsnow。Towardthesouth—
easternpoint，wheretherewasalargevalleywithalakewhoseoutletwassubterranean，theclimatewaslikethatofCalifornia，andcitrusfruits，figs，andolivesgrewabundantly。
Whatimpressedmeparticularlywastheirschemeoffertilization。
Herewasthislittleshut—inpieceoflandwhereonewouldhavethoughtanordinarypeoplewouldhavebeenstarvedoutlongagoorreducedtoanannualstruggleforlife。Thesecarefulculturistshadworkedoutaperfectschemeofrefeedingthesoilwithallthatcameoutofit。Allthescrapsandleavingsoftheirfood，plantwastefromlumberworkortextileindustry，allthesolidmatterfromthesewage，properlytreatedandcombined——
everythingwhichcamefromtheearthwentbacktoit。
Thepracticalresultwaslikethatinanyhealthyforest;anincreasinglyvaluablesoilwasbeingbuilt，insteadoftheprogressiveimpoverishmentsooftenseenintherestoftheworld。
Whenthisfirstburstuponuswemadesuchapprovingcommentsthattheyweresurprisedthatsuchobviouscommonsenseshouldbepraised;askedwhatourmethodswere;andwehadsomedifficultyin——well，indivertingthem，byreferringtotheextentofourownland，andthe——admitted——carelessnesswithwhichwehadskimmedthecreamofit。
Atleastwethoughtwehaddivertedthem。LaterIfoundthatbesideskeepingacarefulandaccurateaccountofallwetoldthem，theyhadasortofskeletonchart，onwhichthethingswesaidandthethingswepalpablyavoidedsayingwereallsetdownandstudied。Itreallywaschild’splayforthoseprofoundeducatorstoworkoutapainfullyaccurateestimateofourconditions——insomelines。Whenagivenlineofobservationseemedtoleadtosomeverydreadfulinferencetheyalwaysgaveusthebenefitofthedoubt，leavingitopentofurtherknowledge。Someofthethingswehadgrowntoacceptasperfectlynatural，orasbelongingtoourhumanlimitations，theyliterallycouldnothavebelieved;
and，asIhavesaid，wehadallofusjoinedinatacitendeavortoconcealmuchofthesocialstatusathome。
\"Confoundtheirgrandmotherlyminds！\"Terrysaid。\"Ofcoursetheycan’tunderstandaMan’sWorld！Theyaren’thuman——they’rejustapackofFe—Fe—Females！\"Thiswasafterhehadtoadmittheirparthenogenesis。
\"Iwishourgrandfatherlymindshadmanagedaswell，\"saidJeff。
\"Doyoureallythinkit’stoourcreditthatwehavemuddledalongwithallourpovertyanddiseaseandthelike？Theyhavepeaceandplenty，wealthandbeauty，goodnessandintellect。Prettygoodpeople，Ithink！\"
\"You’llfindtheyhavetheirfaultstoo，\"Terryinsisted;andpartlyinself—defense，weallthreebegantolookforthosefaultsoftheirs。Wehadbeenverystrongonthissubjectbeforewegotthere——inthosebaselessspeculationsofours。
\"Supposethereisacountryofwomenonly，\"Jeffhadputit，overandover。\"What’lltheybelike？\"
Andwehadbeencocksureastotheinevitablelimitations，thefaultsandvices，ofalotofwomen。Wehadexpectedthemtobegivenovertowhatwecalled\"femininevanity\"——\"frillsandfurbelows，\"andwefoundtheyhadevolvedacostumemoreperfectthantheChinesedress，richlybeautifulwhensodesired，alwaysuseful，ofunfailingdignityandgoodtaste。
Wehadexpectedadullsubmissivemonotony，andfoundadaringsocialinventivenessfarbeyondourown，andamechanicalandscientificdevelopmentfullyequaltoours。
Wehadexpectedpettiness，andfoundasocialconsciousnessbesideswhichournationslookedlikequarrelingchildren——
feeblemindedonesatthat。
Wehadexpectedjealousy，andfoundabroadsisterlyaffection，afair—mindedintelligence，towhichwecouldproducenoparallel。
Wehadexpectedhysteria，andfoundastandardofhealthandvigor，acalmnessoftemper，towhichthehabitofprofanity，forinstance，wasimpossibletoexplain——wetriedit。
AllthesethingsevenTerryhadtoadmit，buthestillinsistedthatweshouldfindouttheothersideprettysoon。
\"Itstandstoreason，doesn’tit？\"heargued。\"Thewholething’sdeucedunnatural——I’dsayimpossibleifweweren’tinit。
Andanunnaturalcondition’ssuretohaveunnaturalresults。
You’llfindsomeawfulcharacteristics——seeifyoudon’t！Forinstance——wedon’tknowyetwhattheydowiththeircriminals——
theirdefectives——theiraged。Younoticewehaven’tseenany！
There’sgottobesomething！\"
Iwasinclinedtobelievethattherehadtobesomething，soItookthebullbythehorns——thecow，Ishouldsay！——andaskedSomel。
\"Iwanttofindsomeflawinallthisperfection，\"Itoldherflatly。\"Itsimplyisn’tpossiblethatthreemillionpeoplehavenofaults。Wearetryingourbesttounderstandandlearn——wouldyoumindhelpingusbysayingwhat，toyourminds，aretheworstqualitiesofthisuniquecivilizationofyours？\"
Weweresittingtogetherinashadedarbor，inoneofthoseeating—gardensoftheirs。Thedeliciousfoodhadbeeneaten，aplateoffruitstillbeforeus。Wecouldlookoutononesideoverastretchofopencountry，quietlyrichandlovely;ontheother，thegarden，withtableshereandthere，farapartenoughforprivacy。Letmesayrightherethatwithalltheircareful\"balanceofpopulation\"therewasnocrowdinginthiscountry。Therewasroom，space，asunnybreezyfreedomeverywhere。
Somelsetherchinuponherhand，herelbowonthelowwallbesideher，andlookedoffoverthefairland。
\"Ofcoursewehavefaults——allofus，\"shesaid。\"Inonewayyoumightsaythatwehavemorethanweusedto——thatis，ourstandardofperfectionseemstogetfartherandfartheraway。Butwearenotdiscouraged，becauseourrecordsdoshowgain——
considerablegain。
\"Whenwebegan——evenwiththestartofoneparticularlynoblemother——weinheritedthecharacteristicsofalongrace—
recordbehindher。Andtheycroppedoutfromtimetotime——
alarmingly。Butitis——yes，quitesixhundredyearssincewehavehadwhatyoucalla`criminal。’
\"Wehave，ofcourse，madeitourfirstbusinesstotrainout，tobreedout，whenpossible，thelowesttypes。\"
\"Breedout？\"Iasked。\"Howcouldyou——withparthenogenesis？\"
\"Ifthegirlshowingthebadqualitieshadstillthepowertoappreciatesocialduty，weappealedtoher，bythat，torenouncemotherhood。Someofthefewworsttypeswere，fortunately，unabletoreproduce。Butifthefaultwasinadisproportionateegotism——thenthegirlwassureshehadtherighttohavechildren，eventhatherswouldbebetterthanothers。\"
\"Icanseethat，\"Isaid。\"Andthenshewouldbelikelytoreartheminthesamespirit。\"
\"Thatweneverallowed，\"answeredSomelquietly。
\"Allowed？\"Iqueried。\"Allowedamothertorearherownchildren？\"
\"Certainlynot，\"saidSomel，\"unlessshewasfitforthatsupremetask。\"
Thiswasratherablowtomypreviousconvictions。
\"ButIthoughtmotherhoodwasforeachofyou——\"
\"Motherhood——yes，thatis，maternity，tobearachild。Buteducationisourhighestart，onlyallowedtoourhighestartists。\"
\"Education？\"Iwaspuzzledagain。\"Idon’tmeaneducation。
Imeanbymotherhoodnotonlychild—bearing，butthecareofbabies。\"
\"Thecareofbabiesinvolveseducation，andisentrustedonlytothemostfit，\"sherepeated。
\"Thenyouseparatemotherandchild！\"Icriedincoldhorror，somethingofTerry’sfeelingcreepingoverme，thattheremustbesomethingwrongamongthesemanyvirtues。
\"Notusually，\"shepatientlyexplained。\"Yousee，almosteverywomanvalueshermaternityaboveeverythingelse。Eachgirlholdsitcloseanddear，anexquisitejoy，acrowninghonor，themostintimate，mostpersonal，mostpreciousthing。Thatis，thechild—rearinghascometobewithusaculturesoprofoundlystudied，practicedwithsuchsubtletyandskill，thatthemoreweloveourchildrenthelesswearewillingtotrustthatprocesstounskilledhands——evenourown。\"
\"Butamother’slove——\"Iventured。
Shestudiedmyface，tryingtoworkoutameansofclearexplanation。
\"Youtoldusaboutyourdentists，\"shesaid，atlength，\"thosequaintlyspecializedpersonswhospendtheirlivesfillinglittleholesinotherpersons’teeth——eveninchildren’steethsometimes。\"
\"Yes？\"Isaid，notgettingherdrift。
\"Doesmother—loveurgemothers——withyou——tofilltheirownchildren’steeth？Ortowishto？\"
\"Whyno——ofcoursenot，\"Iprotested。\"Butthatisahighlyspecializedcraft。Surelythecareofbabiesisopentoanywoman——anymother！\"
\"Wedonotthinkso，\"shegentlyreplied。\"Thoseofuswhoarethemosthighlycompetentfulfillthatoffice;andamajorityofourgirlseagerlytryforit——Iassureyouwehavetheverybest。\"
\"Butthepoormother——bereavedofherbaby——\"
\"Ohno！\"sheearnestlyassuredme。\"Notintheleastbereaved。
Itisherbabystill——itiswithher——shehasnotlostit。Butsheisnottheonlyonetocareforit。Thereareotherswhomsheknowstobewiser。Sheknowsitbecauseshehasstudiedastheydid，practicedastheydid，andhonorstheirrealsuperiority。Forthechild’ssake，sheisgladtohaveforitthishighestcare。\"
Iwasunconvinced。Besides，thiswasonlyhearsay;IhadyettoseethemotherhoodofHerland。
CHAPTER8
TheGirlsofHerlandAtlastTerry’sambitionwasrealized。Wewereinvited，alwayscourteouslyandwithfreechoiceonourpart，toaddressgeneralaudiencesandclassesofgirls。
Irememberthefirsttime——andhowcarefulwewereaboutourclothes，andouramateurbarbering。Terry，inparticular，wasfussytoadegreeaboutthecutofhisbeard，andsocriticalofourcombinedefforts，thatwehandedhimtheshearsandtoldhimtopleasehimself。Webegantoratherprizethosebeardsofours;
theywerealmostoursoledistinctionamongthosetallandsturdywomen，withtheircroppedhairandsexlesscostume。Beingofferedawideselectionofgarments，wehadchosenaccordingtoourpersonaltaste，andweresurprisedtofind，onmeetinglargeaudiences，thatwewerethemosthighlydecorated，especiallyTerry。
Hewasaveryimpressivefigure，hisstrongfeaturessoftenedbythesomewhatlongerhair——thoughhemademetrimitascloselyasIknewhow;andheworehisrichlyembroideredtunicwithitsbroad，loosegirdlewithquiteaHenryVair。Jefflookedmorelike——well，likeaHuguenotLover;andIdon’tknowwhatIlookedlike，onlythatIfeltverycomfortable。WhenIgotbacktoourownpaddedarmoranditsstarchedbordersIrealizedwithacuteregrethowcomfortablewerethoseHerlandclothes。
Wescannedthataudience，lookingforthethreebrightfacesweknew;buttheywerenottobeseen。Justamultitudeofgirls：
quiet，eager，watchful，alleyesandearstolistenandlearn。
Wehadbeenurgedtogive，asfullyaswecaredto，asortofsynopsisofworldhistory，inbrief，andtoanswerquestions。
\"Wearesoutterlyignorant，yousee，\"Moadinehadexplainedtous。\"Weknownothingbutsuchscienceaswehaveworkedoutforourselves，justthebrainworkofonesmallhalf—
country;andyou，wegather，havehelpedoneanotherallovertheglobe，sharingyourdiscoveries，poolingyourprogress。
Howwonderful，howsupremelybeautifulyourcivilizationmustbe！\"
Somelgaveafurthersuggestion。
\"Youdonothavetobeginalloveragain，asyoudidwithus。
Wehavemadeasortofdigestofwhatwehavelearnedfromyou，andithasbeeneagerlyabsorbed，alloverthecountry。Perhapsyouwouldliketoseeouroutline？\"
Wewereeagertoseeit，anddeeplyimpressed。Tous，atfirst，thesewomen，unavoidablyignorantofwhattouswasthebasiccommonplaceofknowledge，hadseemedontheplaneofchildren，orofsavages。Whatwehadbeenforcedtoadmit，withgrowingacquaintance，wasthattheywereignorantasPlatoandAristotlewere，butwithahighlydevelopedmentalityquitecomparabletothatofAncientGreece。
Farbeitfrommetolumberthesepageswithanaccountofwhatwesoimperfectlystrovetoteachthem。Thememorablefactiswhattheytaughtus，orsomefaintglimpseofit。Andatpresent，ourmajorinterestwasnotatallinthesubjectmatterofourtalk，butintheaudience。
Girls——hundredsofthem——eager，bright—eyed，attentiveyoungfaces;crowdingquestions，and，Iregrettosay，anincreasinginabilityonourparttoanswerthemeffectively。
Ourspecialguides，whowereontheplatformwithus，andsometimesaidedinclarifyingaquestionor，oftener，ananswer，noticedthiseffect，andclosedtheformallecturepartoftheeveningrathershortly。
\"Ouryoungwomenwillbegladtomeetyou，\"Somelsuggested，\"totalkwithyoumorepersonally，ifyouarewilling？\"
Willing！Wewereimpatientandsaidasmuch，atwhichIsawaflickeringlittlesmilecrossMoadine’sface。Eventhen，withallthoseeageryoungthingswaitingtotalktous，asuddenquestioncrossedmymind：\"Whatwastheirpointofview？Whatdidtheythinkofus？\"Welearnedthatlater。
Terryplungedinamongthoseyoungcreatureswithasortofrapture，somewhatasagladswimmertakestothesea。Jeff，witharaptlookonhishigh—bredface，approachedastoasacrament。
ButIwasalittlechilledbythatlastthoughtofmine，andkeptmyeyesopen。IfoundtimetowatchJeff，evenwhileIwassurroundedbyaneagergroupofquestioners——asweallwere——
andsawhowhisworshippingeyes，hisgravecourtesy，pleasedanddrewsomeofthem;whileothers，ratherstrongerspiritstheylookedtobe，drewawayfromhisgrouptoTerry’sormine。
IwatchedTerrywithspecialinterest，knowinghowhehadlongedforthistime，andhowirresistiblehehadalwaysbeenathome。AndIcouldsee，justinsnatches，ofcourse，howhissuaveandmasterfulapproachseemedtoirritatethem;histoo—intimateglanceswerevaguelyresented，hiscomplimentspuzzledandannoyed。
Sometimesagirlwouldflush，notwithdroopedeyelidsandinvitingtimidity，butwithangerandaquickliftofthehead。Girlaftergirlturnedonherheelandlefthim，tillhehadbutasmallringofquestioners，andthey，visibly，weretheleast\"girlish\"ofthelot。
Isawhimlookingpleasedatfirst，asifhethoughthewasmakingastrongimpression;but，finally，castingalookatJeff，orme，heseemedlesspleased——andless。
Asforme，Iwasmostagreeablysurprised。AthomeIneverwas\"popular。\"Ihadmygirlfriends，goodones，buttheywerefriends——nothingelse。Alsotheywereofsomewhatthesameclan，notpopularinthesenseofswarmingadmirers。Buthere，tomyastonishment，Ifoundmycrowdwasthelargest。