第5章

Ihavetogeneralize，ofcourse，rathertelescopingmanyimpressions;butthefirsteveningwasagoodsampleoftheimpressionwemade。Jeffhadafollowing，ifImaycallitthat，ofthemoresentimental——thoughthat’snotthewordIwant。

Thelesspractical，perhaps;thegirlswhowereartistsofsomesort，ethicists，teachers——thatkind。

Terrywasreducedtoarathercombativegroup：keen，logical，inquiringminds，notoverlysensitive，theverykindhelikedleast;

while，asforme——Ibecamequitecockyovermygeneralpopularity。

Terrywasfuriousaboutit。Wecouldhardlyblamehim。

"Girls！"heburstforth，whenthateveningwasoverandwewerebyourselvesoncemore。"CallthoseGIRLS！"

"Mostdelightfulgirls，Icallthem，"saidJeff，hisblueeyesdreamilycontented。

"WhatdoYOUcallthem？"Imildlyinquired。

"Boys！Nothingbutboys，mostof’em。Astandoffish，disagreeablelotatthat。Critical，impertinentyoungsters。Nogirlsatall。"

Hewasangryandsevere，notalittlejealous，too，Ithink。

Afterward，whenhefoundoutjustwhatitwastheydidnotlike，hechangedhismannersomewhatandgotonbetter。Hehadto。

For，inspiteofhiscriticism，theyweregirls，and，furthermore，allthegirlstherewere！Alwaysexceptingourthree！——withwhomwepresentlyrenewedouracquaintance。

Whenitcametocourtship，whichitsoondid，Icanofcoursebestdescribemyown——andamleastinclinedto。ButofJeffI

heardsomewhat;hewasinclinedtodwellreverentlyandadmiringly，atsomelength，ontheexaltedsentimentandmeasurelessperfectionofhisCelis;andTerry——Terrymadesomanyfalsestartsandmetsomanyrebuffs，thatbythetimehereallysettleddowntowinAlima，hewasconsiderablywiser。Atthat，itwasnotsmoothsailing。

Theybrokeandquarreled，overandover;hewouldrushofftoconsolehimselfwithsomeotherfairone——theotherfaironewouldhavenoneofhim——andhewoulddriftbacktoAlima，becomingmoreandmoredevotedeachtime。

Shenevergaveaninch。Abig，handsomecreature，ratherexceptionallystrongeveninthatraceofstrongwomen，withaproudheadandsweepinglevelbrowsthatlinedacrossaboveherdarkeagereyeslikethewidewingsofasoaringhawk。

IwasgoodfriendswithallthreeofthembutbestofallwithEllador，longbeforethatfeelingchanged，forbothofus。

Fromher，andfromSomel，whotalkedveryfreelywithme，IlearnedatlastsomethingoftheviewpointofHerlandtowarditsvisitors。

Heretheywere，isolated，happy，contented，whentheboomingbuzzofourbiplanetoretheairabovethem。

Everybodyheardit——sawit——formilesandmiles，wordflashedalloverthecountry，andacouncilwasheldineverytownandvillage。

Andthiswastheirrapiddetermination：

"Fromanothercountry。Probablymen。Evidentlyhighlycivilized。

Doubtlesspossessedofmuchvaluableknowledge。Maybedangerous。

Catchthemifpossible;tameandtrainthemifnecessaryThismaybeachancetore—establishabi—sexualstateforourpeople。"

Theywerenotafraidofus——threemillionhighlyintelligentwomen——ortwomillion，countingonlygrown—ups——werenotlikelytobeafraidofthreeyoungmen。Wethoughtofthemas"Women，"andthereforetimid;butitwastwothousandyearssincetheyhadhadanythingtobeafraidof，andcertainlymorethanonethousandsincetheyhadoutgrownthefeeling。

Wethought——atleastTerrydid——thatwecouldhaveourpickofthem。

Theythought——verycautiouslyandfarsightedly——ofpickingus，ifitseemedwise。

Allthattimewewereintrainingtheystudiedus，analyzedus，preparedreportsaboutus，andthisinformationwaswidelydisseminatedallabouttheland。

Notagirlinthatcountryhadnotbeenlearningformonthsasmuchascouldbegatheredaboutourcountry，ourculture，ourpersonalcharacters。Nowondertheirquestionswerehardtoanswer。ButIamsorrytosay，whenwewereatlastbroughtoutand——exhibited（Ihatetocallitthat，butthat’swhatitwas），therewasnorushoftakers。HerewaspooroldTerryfondlyimaginingthatatlasthewasfreetostrayin"arosebudgardenofgirls"——andbehold！

therosebudswereallwithkeenappraisingeye，studyingus。

Theywereinterested，profoundlyinterested，butitwasnotthekindofinterestwewerelookingfor。

Togetanideaoftheirattitudeyouhavetoholdinmindtheirextremelyhighsenseofsolidarity。Theywerenoteachchoosingalover;theyhadn’tthefaintestideaoflove——sex—love，thatis。

Thesegirls——toeachofwhommotherhoodwasalodestar，andthatmotherhoodexaltedaboveamerepersonalfunction，lookedforwardtoasthehighestsocialservice，asthesacramentofalifetime——werenowconfrontedwithanopportunitytomakethegreatstepofchangingtheirwholestatus，ofrevertingtotheirearlierbi—sexualorderofnature。

Besidethisunderlyingconsiderationtherewasthelimitlessinterestandcuriosityinourcivilization，purelyimpersonal，andheldbyanorderofmindbesidewhichwewerelike——schoolboys。

Itwassmallwonderthatourlectureswerenotasuccess;andnoneatallthatour，oratleastTerry’s，advancesweresoillreceived。Thereasonformyowncomparativesuccesswasatfirstfarfrompleasingtomypride。

"Welikeyouthebest，"Someltoldme，"becauseyouseemmorelikeus。"

"Morelikealotofwomen！"Ithoughttomyselfdisgustedly，andthenrememberedhowlittlelike"women，"inourderogatorysense，theywere。Shewassmilingatme，readingmythought。

"Wecanquiteseethatwedonotseemlike——women——toyou。

Ofcourse，inabi—sexualracethedistinctivefeatureofeachsexmustbeintensified。ButsurelytherearecharacteristicsenoughwhichbelongtoPeople，aren’tthere？That’swhatImeanaboutyoubeingmorelikeus——morelikePeople。Wefeelateasewithyou。"

Jeff’sdifficultywashisexaltedgallantry。Heidealizedwomen，andwasalwayslookingforachanceto"protect"orto"serve"them。Theseneededneitherprotectionnorservice。Theywerelivinginpeaceandpowerandplenty;weweretheirguests，theirprisoners，absolutelydependent。

Ofcoursewecouldpromisewhatsoeverwemightofadvantages，iftheywouldcometoourcountry;butthemoreweknewoftheirs，thelessweboasted。

Terry’sjewelsandtrinketstheyprizedascurios;handedthemabout，askingquestionsastoworkmanship，notintheleastastovalue;

anddiscussednotownership，butwhichmuseumtoputthemin。

Whenamanhasnothingtogiveawoman，isdependentwhollyonhispersonalattraction，hiscourtshipisunderlimitations。

Theywereconsideringthesetwothings：theadvisabilityofmakingtheGreatChange;andthedegreeofpersonaladaptabilitywhichwouldbestservethatend。

Herewehadtheadvantageofoursmallpersonalexperiencewiththosethreefleetforestgirls;andthatservedtodrawustogether。

AsforEllador：Supposeyoucometoastrangelandandfinditpleasantenough——justalittlemorethanordinarilypleasant——

andthenyoufindrichfarmland，andthengardens，gorgeousgardens，andthenpalacesfullofrareandcurioustreasures——

incalculable，inexhaustible，andthen——mountains——liketheHimalayas，andthenthesea。

Ilikedherthatdayshebalancedonthebranchbeforemeandnamedthetrio。Ithoughtofhermost。AfterwardIturnedtoherlikeafriendwhenwemetforthethirdtime，andcontinuedtheacquaintance。WhileJeff’sultra—devotionratherpuzzledCelis，reallyputofftheirdayofhappiness，whileTerryandAlimaquarreledandparted，re—metandre—parted，ElladorandIgrewtobeclosefriends。

Wetalkedandtalked。Wetooklongwalkstogether。Sheshowedmethings，explainedthem，interpretedmuchthatIhadnotunderstood。ThroughhersympatheticintelligenceIbecamemoreandmorecomprehendingofthespiritofthepeopleofHerland，moreandmoreappreciativeofitsmarvelousinnergrowthaswellasouterperfection。

Iceasedtofeelastranger，aprisoner。Therewasasenseofunderstanding，ofidentity，ofpurpose。Wediscussed——everything。

And，asItraveledfartherandfarther，exploringtherich，sweetsoulofher，mysenseofpleasantfriendshipbecamebutabroadfoundationforsuchheight，suchbreadth，suchinterlockedcombinationoffeelingasleftmefairlyblindedwiththewonderofit。

AsI’vesaid，Ihadnevercaredverymuchforwomen，northeyforme——notTerry—fashion。Butthisone——

AtfirstInevereventhoughtofher"inthatway，"asthegirlshaveit。IhadnotcometothecountrywithanyTurkish—haremintentions，andIwasnowoman—worshipperlikeJeff。Ijustlikedthatgirl"asafriend，"aswesay。Thatfriendshipgrewlikeatree。

ShewasSUCHagoodsport！Wedidallkindsofthingstogether。

ShetaughtmegamesandItaughthergames，andweracedandrowedandhadallmanneroffun，aswellashighercomradeship。

Then，asIgotonfarther，thepalaceandtreasuresandsnowymountainrangesopenedup。Ihadneverknowntherecouldbesuchahumanbeing。So——great。Idon’tmeantalented。Shewasaforester——oneofthebest——butitwasnotthatgiftImean。

WhenIsayGREAT，Imeangreat——big，allthrough。IfIhadknownmoreofthosewomen，asintimately，Ishouldnothavefoundhersounique;butevenamongthemshewasnoble。HermotherwasanOverMother——andhergrandmother，too，Iheardlater。

Soshetoldmemoreandmoreofherbeautifulland;andItoldherasmuch，yes，morethanIwantedto，aboutmine;andwebecameinseparable。Thenthisdeeperrecognitioncameandgrew。

Ifeltmyownsoulriseandliftitswings，asitwere。

Lifegotbigger。ItseemedasifIunderstood——asIneverhadbefore——

asifIcouldDothings——asifItoocouldgrow——ifshewouldhelpme。

AndthenItcame——tobothofus，allatonce。

Astillday——ontheedgeoftheworld，theirworld。Thetwoofus，gazingoutoverthefardimforestlandbelow，talkingofheavenandearthandhumanlife，andofmylandandotherlandsandwhattheyneededandwhatIhopedtodoforthem——

"Ifyouwillhelpme，"Isaid。

Sheturnedtome，withthathigh，sweetlookofhers，andthen，ashereyesrestedinmineandherhandstoo——thensuddenlythereblazedoutbetweenusafartherglory，instant，overwhelming——quitebeyondanywordsofminetotell。

Celiswasablue—and—gold—and—roseperson;Alma，black—

and—white—and—red，ablazingbeauty。Elladorwasbrown：hairdarkandsoft，likeasealcoat;clearbrownskinwithahealthyredinit;browneyes——allthewayfromtopaztoblackvelvettheyseemedtorange——splendidgirls，allofthem。

Theyhadseenusfirstofall，fardowninthelakebelow，andflashedthetidingsacrossthelandevenbeforeourfirstexploringflight。

Theyhadwatchedourlanding，flittedthroughtheforestwithus，hiddeninthattreeand——Ishrewdlysuspect——giggledonpurpose。

Theyhadkeptwatchoverourhoodedmachine，takingturnsatit;andwhenourescapewasannounced，hadfollowedalong—

sideforadayortwo，andbeenthereatthelast，asdescribed。

Theyfeltaspecialclaimonus——calledus"theirmen"——andwhenwewereatlibertytostudythelandandpeople，andbestudiedbythem，theirclaimwasrecognizedbythewiseleaders。

ButIfelt，wealldid，thatweshouldhavechosenthemamongmillions，unerringly。

Andyet"thepathoftrueloveneverdidrunsmooth";thisperiodofcourtshipwasfullofthemostunsuspectedpitfalls。

WritingthisaslateasIdo，aftermanifoldexperiencesbothinHerlandand，later，inmyownland，Icannowunderstandandphilosophizeaboutwhatwasthenacontinualastonishmentandoftenatemporarytragedy。

The"longsuit"inmostcourtshipsissexattraction，ofcourse。

Thengraduallydevelopssuchcomradeshipasthetwotemperamentsallow。Then，aftermarriage，thereiseithertheestablishmentofaslow—growing，widelybasedfriendship，thedeepest，tenderest，sweetestofrelations，alllitandwarmedbytherecurrentflameoflove;orelsethatprocessisreversed，lovecoolsandfades，nofriendshipgrows，thewholerelationturnsfrombeautytoashes。

Hereeverythingwasdifferent。Therewasnosex—feelingtoappealto，orpracticallynone。Twothousandyears’disusehadleftverylittleoftheinstinct;alsowemustrememberthatthosewhohadattimesmanifesteditasatavisticexceptionswereoften，bythatveryfact，deniedmotherhood。

Yetwhilethemotherprocessremains，theinherentgroundforsex—distinctionremainsalso;andwhoshallsaywhatlong—

forgottenfeeling，vagueandnameless，wasstirredinsomeofthesemotherheartsbyourarrival？

Whatleftusevenmoreatseainourapproachwasthelackofanysex—tradition。Therewasnoacceptedstandardofwhatwas"manly"andwhatwas"womanly。"

WhenJeffsaid，takingthefruitbasketfromhisadoredone，"Awomanshouldnotcarryanything，"Celissaid，"Why？"withthefrankestamazement。Hecouldnotlookthatfleet—footed，deep—chestedyoungforesterinthefaceandsay，"Becausesheisweaker。"Shewasn’t。Onedoesnotcallaracehorseweakbecauseitisvisiblynotacarthorse。

Hesaid，ratherlamely，thatwomenwerenotbuiltforheavywork。

Shelookedoutacrossthefieldstowheresomewomenwereworking，buildinganewbitofwalloutoflargestones;lookedbackatthenearesttownwithitswoman—builthouses;downatthesmooth，hardroadwewerewalkingon;andthenatthelittlebaskethehadtakenfromher。

"Idon’tunderstand，"shesaidquitesweetly。"Arethewomeninyourcountrysoweakthattheycouldnotcarrysuchathingasthat？"

"Itisaconvention，"hesaid。"Weassumethatmotherhoodisasufficientburden——thatmenshouldcarryalltheothers。"

"Whatabeautifulfeeling！"shesaid，herblueeyesshining。

"Doesitwork？"askedAlima，inherkeen，swiftway。"Doallmeninallcountriescarryeverything？Orisitonlyinyours？"

"Don’tbesoliteral，"Terrybeggedlazily。"Whyaren’tyouwillingtobeworshippedandwaitedon？Weliketodoit。"

"Youdon’tliketohaveusdoittoyou，"sheanswered。

"That’sdifferent，"hesaid，annoyed;andwhenshesaid，"Whyisit？"hequitesulked，referringhertome，saying，"Van’sthephilosopher。"

ElladorandItalkeditallouttogether，sothatwehadaneasierexperienceofitwhentherealmiracletimecame。Also，betweenus，wemadethingsclearertoJeffandCelis。ButTerrywouldnotlistentoreason。

HewasmadlyinlovewithAlima。Hewantedtotakeherbystorm，andnearlylostherforever。

Yousee，ifamanlovesagirlwhoisinthefirstplaceyoungandinexperienced;whointhesecondplaceiseducatedwithabackgroundofcavemantradition，amiddle—groundofpoetryandromance，andaforegroundofunspokenhopeandinterestallcenteringupontheoneEvent;andwhohas，furthermore，absolutelynootherhopeorinterestworthyofthename——

why，itisacomparativelyeasymattertosweepheroffherfeetwithadashingattack。Terrywasapastmasterinthisprocess。

Hetriedithere，andAlimawassoaffronted，sorepelled，thatitwasweeksbeforehegotnearenoughtotryagain。

Themorecoldlyshedeniedhim，thehotterhisdetermination;

hewasnotusedtorealrefusal。Theapproachofflatteryshedismissedwithlaughter，giftsandsuch"attentions"wecouldnotbringtobear，pathosandcomplaintofcrueltystirredonlyareasoninginquiry。IttookTerryalongtime。

IdoubtifsheeveracceptedherstrangeloverasfullyasdidCelisandElladortheirs。Hehadhurtandoffendedhertoooften;

therewerereservations。

ButIthinkAlimaretainedsomefaintvestigeoflong—

descendedfeelingwhichmadeTerrymorepossibletoherthantoothers;andthatshehadmadeuphermindtotheexperimentandhatedtorenounceit。

Howeveritcameabout，weallthreeatlengthachievedfullunderstanding，andsolemnlyfacedwhatwastothemastepofmeasurelessimportance，agravequestionaswellasagreathappiness;

tousastrange，newjoy。

Ofmarriageasaceremonytheyknewnothing。Jeffwasforbringingthemtoourcountryforthereligiousandthecivilceremony，butneitherCelisnortheotherswouldconsent。

"Wecan’texpectthemtowanttogowithus——yet，"saidTerrysagely。

"Waitabit，boys。We’vegottotake’emontheirownterms——ifatall。"

This，inruefulreminiscenceofhisrepeatedfailures。

"Butourtime’scoming，"headdedcheerfully。"Thesewomenhaveneverbeenmastered，yousee——"This，asonewhohadmadeadiscovery。

"You’dbetternottrytodoanymasteringifyouvalueyourchances，"Itoldhimseriously;butheonlylaughed，andsaid，"Everymantohistrade！"

Wecouldn’tdoanythingwithhim。Hehadtotakehisownmedicine。

Ifthelackoftraditionofcourtshipleftusmuchatseainourwooing，wefoundourselvesstillmorebewilderedbylackoftraditionofmatrimony。

Andhereagain，Ihavetodrawonlaterexperience，andasdeepanacquaintancewiththeircultureasIcouldachieve，toexplainthegulfsofdifferencebetweenus。

Twothousandyearsofonecontinuousculturewithnomen。

Backofthat，onlytraditionsoftheharem。TheyhadnoexactanalogueforourwordHOME，anymorethantheyhadforourRoman—basedFAMILY。

Theylovedoneanotherwithapracticallyuniversalaffection，risingtoexquisiteandunbrokenfriendships，andbroadeningtoadevotiontotheircountryandpeopleforwhichourwordPATRIOTISM

isnodefinitionatall。

Patriotism，redhot，iscompatiblewiththeexistenceofaneglectofnationalinterests，adishonesty，acoldindifferencetothesufferingofmillions。Patriotismislargelypride，andverylargelycombativeness。Patriotismgenerallyhasachiponitsshoulder。

Thiscountryhadnoothercountrytomeasureitselfby——savethefewpoorsavagesfarbelow，withwhomtheyhadnocontact。

Theylovedtheircountrybecauseitwastheirnursery，playground，andworkshop——theirsandtheirchildren’s。Theywereproudofitasaworkshop，proudoftheirrecordofever—increasingefficiency;theyhadmadeapleasantgardenofit，averypracticallittleheaven;butmostofalltheyvaluedit——andhereitishardforustounderstandthem——asaculturalenvironmentfortheirchildren。

That，ofcourse，isthekeynoteofthewholedistinction——

theirchildren。

Fromthosefirstbreathlesslyguarded，half—adoredracemothers，alluptheascendingline，theyhadthisdominantthoughtofbuildingupagreatracethroughthechildren。

Allthesurrenderingdevotionourwomenhaveputintotheirprivatefamilies，thesewomenputintotheircountryandrace。

Alltheloyaltyandservicemenexpectofwives，theygave，notsinglytomen，butcollectivelytooneanother。

Andthemotherinstinct，withussopainfullyintense，sothwartedbyconditions，soconcentratedinpersonaldevotiontoafew，sobitterlyhurtbydeath，disease，orbarrenness，andevenbythemeregrowthofthechildren，leavingthemotheraloneinheremptynest——allthisfeelingwiththemflowedoutinastrong，widecurrent，unbrokenthroughthegenerations，deepeningandwideningthroughtheyears，includingeverychildinalltheland。

Withtheirunitedpowerandwisdom，theyhadstudiedandovercomethe"diseasesofchildhood"——theirchildrenhadnone。

Theyhadfacedtheproblemsofeducationandsosolvedthemthattheirchildrengrewupasnaturallyasyoungtrees;learningthrougheverysense;taughtcontinuouslybutunconsciously——

neverknowingtheywerebeingeducated。

Infact，theydidnotusethewordaswedo。Theirideaofeducationwasthespecialtrainingtheytook，whenhalfgrownup，underexperts。Thentheeageryoungmindsfairlyflungthemselvesontheirchosensubjects，andacquiredwithanease，abreadth，agrasp，atwhichIneverceasedtowonder。

Butthebabiesandlittlechildrenneverfeltthepressureofthat"forciblefeeding"ofthemindthatwecall"education。"Ofthis，morelater。

CHAPTER9

OurRelationsandTheirsWhatI’mtryingtoshowhereisthatwiththesewomenthewholerelationshipoflifecountedinaglad，eagergrowing—uptojointheranksofworkersinthelinebestloved;adeep，tenderreverenceforone’sownmother——toodeepforthemtospeakoffreely——andbeyondthat，thewhole，free，widerangeofsisterhood，thesplendidserviceofthecountry，andfriendships。

Tothesewomenwecame，filledwiththeideas，convictions，traditions，ofourculture，andundertooktorouseinthemtheemotionswhich——tous——seemedproper。

Howevermuch，orlittle，oftruesex—feelingtherewasbetweenus，itphraseditselfintheirmindsintermsoffriendship，theonepurelypersonallovetheyknew，andofultimateparentage。Visiblywewerenotmothers，norchildren，norcompatriots;so，iftheylovedus，wemustbefriends。

Thatweshouldpairofftogetherinourcourtingdayswasnaturaltothem;thatwethreeshouldremainmuchtogether，astheydidthemselves，wasalsonatural。Wehadasyetnowork，sowehungaboutthemintheirforesttasks;thatwasnatural，too。

Butwhenwebegantotalkabouteachcouplehaving"homes"ofourown，theycouldnotunderstandit。

"Ourworktakesusallaroundthecountry，"explainedCelis。

"Wecannotliveinoneplaceallthetime。"

"Wearetogethernow，"urgedAlima，lookingproudlyatTerry’sstalwartnearness。（Thiswasoneofthetimeswhentheywere"on，"thoughpresently"off"again。）

"It’snotthesamethingatall，"heinsisted。"Amanwantsahomeofhisown，withhiswifeandfamilyinit。"

"Stayinginit？Allthetime？"askedEllador。"Notimprisoned，surely！"

"Ofcoursenot！Livingthere——naturally，"heanswered。

"Whatdoesshedothere——allthetime？"Alimademanded。

"Whatisherwork？"

ThenTerrypatientlyexplainedagainthatourwomendidnotwork——withreservations。

"Butwhatdotheydo——iftheyhavenowork？"shepersisted。

"Theytakecareofthehome——andthechildren。"

"Atthesametime？"askedEllador。

"Whyyes。Thechildrenplayabout，andthemotherhaschargeofitall。Thereareservants，ofcourse。"

Itseemedsoobvious，sonaturaltoTerry，thathealwaysgrewimpatient;butthegirlswerehonestlyanxioustounderstand。

"Howmanychildrendoyourwomenhave？"Alimahadhernotebookoutnow，andaratherfirmsetoflip。Terrybegantododge。

"Thereisnosetnumber，mydear，"heexplained。"Somehavemore，somehaveless。"

"Somehavenoneatall，"Iputinmischievously。

Theypouncedonthisadmissionandsoonwrungfromusthegeneralfactthatthosewomenwhohadthemostchildrenhadtheleastservants，andthosewhohadthemostservantshadtheleastchildren。

"There！"triumphedAlima。"Oneortwoornochildren，andthreeorfourservants。NowwhatdothosewomenDO？"

Weexplainedasbestwemight。Wetalkedof"socialduties，"

disingenuouslybankingontheirnotinterpretingthewordsaswedid;

wetalkedofhospitality，entertainment，andvarious"interests。"

Allthetimeweknewthattotheselarge—mindedwomenwhosewholementaloutlookwassocollective，thelimitationsofawhollypersonallifewereinconceivable。

"Wecannotreallyunderstandit，"Elladorconcluded。"Weareonlyhalfapeople。Wehaveourwoman—waysandtheyhavetheirman—waysandtheirboth—ways。Wehaveworkedoutasystemoflivingwhichis，ofcourse，limited。Theymusthaveabroader，richer，betterone。Ishouldliketoseeit。"

"Youshall，dearest，"Iwhispered。

"There’snothingtosmoke，"complainedTerry。HewasinthemidstofaprolongedquarrelwithAlima，andneededasedative。

"There’snothingtodrink。Theseblessedwomenhavenopleasantvices。Iwishwecouldgetoutofhere！"

Thiswishwasvain。Wewerealwaysunderacertaindegreeofwatchfulness。WhenTerryburstforthtotrampthestreetsatnighthealwaysfounda"Colonel"hereorthere;andwhen，onanoccasionoffiercethoughtemporarydespair，hehadplungedtothecliffedgewithsomevagueviewtoescape，hefoundseveralofthemcloseby。Wewerefree——buttherewasastringtoit。

"They’venounpleasantones，either，"Jeffremindedhim。

"Wishtheyhad！"Terrypersisted。"They’veneitherthevicesofmen，northevirtuesofwomen——they’reneuters！"

"Youknowbetterthanthat。Don’ttalknonsense，"saidI，severely。

IwasthinkingofEllador’seyeswhentheygavemeacertainlook，alookshedidnotatallrealize。

Jeffwasequallyincensed。"Idon’tknowwhat`virtuesofwomen’youmiss。Seemstometheyhaveallofthem。"

"They’venomodesty，"snappedTerry。"Nopatience，nosubmissiveness，noneofthatnaturalyieldingwhichiswoman’sgreatestcharm。"

Ishookmyheadpityingly。"Goandapologizeandmakefriendsagain，Terry。You’vegotagrouch，that’sall。Thesewomenhavethevirtueofhumanity，withlessofitsfaultsthananyfolksIeversaw。Asforpatience——they’dhavepitchedusoverthecliffsthefirstdaywelitamong’em，iftheyhadn’tthat。"

"Thereareno——distractions，"hegrumbled。"Nowhereamancangoandcutlooseabit。It’saneverlastingparlorandnursery。"

"andworkshop，"Iadded。"Andschool，andoffice，andlaboratory，andstudio，andtheater，and——home。"

"HOME！"hesneered。"Thereisn’tahomeinthewholepitifulplace。"

"Thereisn’tanythingelse，andyouknowit，"Jeffretortedhotly。"Ineversaw，Ineverdreamedof，suchuniversalpeaceandgoodwillandmutualaffection。"

"Oh，well，ofcourse，ifyoulikeaperpetualSundayschool，it’sallverywell。ButIlikeSomethingDoing。Hereit’salldone。"

Therewassomethingtothiscriticism。Theyearsofpioneeringlayfarbehindthem。Theirswasacivilizationinwhichtheinitialdifficultieshadlongsincebeenovercome。Theuntroubledpeace，theunmeasuredplenty，thesteadyhealth，thelargegoodwillandsmoothmanagementwhichorderedeverything，leftnothingtoovercome。Itwaslikeapleasantfamilyinanoldestablished，perfectlyruncountryplace。

Ilikeditbecauseofmyeagerandcontinuedinterestinthesociologicalachievementsinvolved。Jefflikeditashewouldhavelikedsuchafamilyandsuchaplaceanywhere。

Terrydidnotlikeitbecausehefoundnothingtooppose，tostrugglewith，toconquer。

"Lifeisastruggle，hastobe，"heinsisted。"Ifthereisnostruggle，thereisnolife——that’sall。"

"You’retalkingnonsense——masculinenonsense，"thepeacefulJeffreplied。HewascertainlyawarmdefenderofHerland。"Antsdon’traisetheirmyriadsbyastruggle，dothey？Orthebees？"

"Oh，ifyougobacktoinsects——andwanttoliveinananthill——！

Itellyouthehighergradesoflifearereachedonlythroughstruggle——combat。There’snoDramahere。Lookattheirplays！

Theymakemesick。"

Heratherhadusthere。Thedramaofthecountrywas——toourtaste——ratherflat。Yousee，theylackedthesexmotiveand，withit，jealousy。Theyhadnointerplayofwarringnations，noaristocracyanditsambitions，nowealthandpovertyopposition。

IseeIhavesaidlittleabouttheeconomicsoftheplace;itshouldhavecomebefore，butI’llgoonaboutthedramanow。

Theyhadtheirownkind。Therewasamostimpressivearrayofpageantry，ofprocessions，asortofgrandritual，withtheirartsandtheirreligionbroadlyblended。Theverybabiesjoinedinit。

Toseeoneoftheirgreatannualfestivals，withthemassedandmarchingstatelinessofthosegreatmothers，theyoungwomenbraveandnoble，beautifulandstrong;andthenthechildren，takingpartasnaturallyasourswouldfrolicroundaChristmastree——itwasoverpoweringintheimpressionofjoyous，triumphantlife。

Theyhadbegunataperiodwhenthedrama，thedance，music，religion，andeducationwereallveryclosetogether;andinsteadofdevelopingthemindetachedlines，theyhadkepttheconnection。Letmetryagaintogive，ifIcan，afaintsenseofthedifferenceinthelifeview——thebackgroundandbasisonwhichtheirculturerested。

Elladortoldmealotaboutit。Shetookmetoseethechildren，thegrowinggirls，thespecialteachers。Shepickedoutbooksformetoread。ShealwaysseemedtounderstandjustwhatIwantedtoknow，andhowtogiveittome。

WhileTerryandAlimastrucksparksandparted——healwaysmadlydrawntoherandshetohim——shemusthavebeen，orshe’dneverhavestoodthewayhebehaved——ElladorandIhadalreadyadeep，restfulfeeling，asifwe’dalwayshadoneanother。

JeffandCeliswerehappy;therewasnoquestionofthat;

butitdidn’tseemtomeasiftheyhadthegoodtimeswedid。

Well，hereistheHerlandchildfacinglife——asElladortriedtoshowittome。Fromthefirstmemory，theyknewPeace，Beauty，Order，Safety，Love，Wisdom，Justice，Patience，andPlenty。

By"plenty"Imeanthatthebabiesgrewupinanenvironmentwhichmettheirneeds，justasyoungfawnsmightgrowupindewyforestgladesandbrook—fedmeadows。Andtheyenjoyeditasfranklyandutterlyasthefawnswould。

Theyfoundthemselvesinabigbrightlovelyworld，fullofthemostinterestingandenchantingthingstolearnaboutandtodo。

Thepeopleeverywherewerefriendlyandpolite。NoHerlandchildevermettheoverbearingrudenesswesocommonlyshowtochildren。TheywerePeople，too，fromthefirst;themostpreciouspartofthenation。

Ineachstepoftherichexperienceofliving，theyfoundtheinstancetheywerestudyingwidenoutintocontactwithanendlessrangeofcommoninterests。ThethingstheylearnedwereRELATED，fromthefirst;relatedtooneanother，andtothenationalprosperity。

"Itwasabutterflythatmademeaforester，"saidEllador。

"Iwasaboutelevenyearsold，andIfoundabigpurple—and—greenbutterflyonalowflower。Icaughtit，verycarefully，bytheclosedwings，asIhadbeentoldtodo，andcarriedittothenearestinsectteacher"——Imadeanotetheretoaskherwhatonearthaninsectteacherwas——"toaskheritsname。Shetookitfrommewithalittlecryofdelight。`Oh，youblessedchild，’shesaid。`Doyoulikeobernuts？’OfcourseIlikedobernuts，andsaidso。Itisourbestfood—nut，youknow。`Thisisafemaleoftheobernutmoth，’shetoldme。`Theyarealmostgone。Wehavebeentryingtoexterminatethemforcenturies。Ifyouhadnotcaughtthisone，itmighthavelaideggsenoughtoraisewormsenoughtodestroythousandsofournuttrees——thousandsofbushelsofnuts——andmakeyearsandyearsoftroubleforus。’

"Everybodycongratulatedme。Thechildrenalloverthecountryweretoldtowatchforthatmoth，iftherewereanymore。

Iwasshownthehistoryofthecreature，andanaccountofthedamageitusedtodoandofhowlongandhardourforemothershadworkedtosavethattreeforus。Igrewafoot，itseemedtome，anddeterminedthenandtheretobeaforester。"

Thisisbutaninstance;sheshowedmemany。Thebigdifferencewasthatwhereasourchildrengrowupinprivatehomesandfamilies，witheveryeffortmadetoprotectandsecludethemfromadangerousworld，heretheygrewupinawide，friendlyworld，andknewitfortheirs，fromthefirst。

Theirchild—literaturewasawonderfulthing。Icouldhavespentyearsfollowingthedelicatesubtleties，thesmoothsimplicitieswithwhichtheyhadbentthatgreatarttotheserviceofthechildmind。

Wehavetwolifecycles：theman’sandthewoman’s。Tothemanthereisgrowth，struggle，conquest，theestablishmentofhisfamily，andasmuchfurthersuccessingainorambitionashecanachieve。

Tothewoman，growth，thesecuringofahusband，thesubordinateactivitiesoffamilylife，andafterwardsuch"social"orcharitableinterestsasherpositionallows。

Herewasbutonecycle，andthatalargeone。

Thechildentereduponabroadopenfieldoflife，inwhichmotherhoodwastheonegreatpersonalcontributiontothenationallife，andalltheresttheindividualshareintheircommonactivities。

EverygirlItalkedto，atanyageabovebabyhood，hadhercheerfuldeterminationastowhatshewasgoingtobewhenshegrewup。

WhatTerrymeantbysayingtheyhadno"modesty"wasthatthisgreatlife—viewhadnoshadyplaces;theyhadahighsenseofpersonaldecorum，butnoshame——noknowledgeofanythingtobeashamedof。

Eventheirshortcomingsandmisdeedsinchildhoodneverwerepresentedtothemassins;merelyaserrorsandmisplays——

asinagame。Someofthem，whowerepalpablylessagreeablethanothersorwhohadarealweaknessorfault，weretreatedwithcheerfulallowance，asafriendlygroupatwhistwouldtreatapoorplayer。

Theirreligion，yousee，wasmaternal;andtheirethics，basedonthefullperceptionofevolution，showedtheprincipleofgrowthandthebeautyofwiseculture。Theyhadnotheoryoftheessentialoppositionofgoodandevil;lifetothemwasgrowth;theirpleasurewasingrowing，andtheirdutyalso。

Withthisbackground，withtheirsublimatedmother—love，expressedintermsofwidestsocialactivity，everyphaseoftheirworkwasmodifiedbyitseffectonthenationalgrowth。Thelanguageitselftheyhaddeliberatelyclarified，simplified，madeeasyandbeautiful，forthesakeofthechildren。

Thisseemedtousawhollyincrediblething：first，thatanynationshouldhavetheforesight，thestrength，andthepersistencetoplanandfulfillsuchatask;andsecond，thatwomenshouldhavehadsomuchinitiative。Wehaveassumed，asamatterofcourse，thatwomenhadnone;thatonlytheman，withhisnaturalenergyandimpatienceofrestriction，wouldeverinventanything。

Herewefoundthatthepressureoflifeupontheenvironmentdevelopsinthehumanminditsinventivereactions，regardlessofsex;

andfurther，thatafullyawakenedmotherhoodplansandworkswithoutlimit，forthegoodofthechild。

Thatthechildrenmightbemostnoblyborn，andrearedinanenvironmentcalculatedtoallowtherichest，freestgrowth，theyhaddeliberatelyremodeledandimprovedthewholestate。

Idonotmeanintheleastthattheystoppedatthat，anymorethanachildstopsatchildhood。Themostimpressivepartoftheirwholeculturebeyondthisperfectsystemofchild—rearingwastherangeofinterestsandassociationsopentothemall，forlife。

ButinthefieldofliteratureIwasmoststruck，atfirst，bythechild—motive。

Theyhadthesamegradationofsimplerepetitiveverseandstorythatwearefamiliarwith，andthemostexquisite，imaginativetales;

butwhere，withus，thesearethedribbledremnantsofancientfolkmythsandprimitivelullabies，theirsweretheexquisiteworkofgreatartists;notonlysimpleandunfailinginappealtothechild—mind，butTRUE，truetothelivingworldaboutthem。

Tositinoneoftheirnurseriesforadaywastochangeone’sviewsforeverastobabyhood。Theyoungestones，rosyfatlingsintheirmothers’arms，orsleepinglightlyintheflower—sweetair，seemednaturalenough，savethattheynevercried。IneverheardachildcryinHerland，saveonceortwiceatabadfall;andthenpeoplerantohelp，aswewouldatascreamofagonyfromagrownperson。

Eachmotherhadheryearofglory;thetimetoloveandlearn，livingcloselywithherchild，nursingitproudly，oftenfortwoyearsormore。Thisperhapswasonereasonfortheirwonderfulvigor。

Butafterthebaby—yearthemotherwasnotsoconstantlyinattendance，unless，indeed，herworkwasamongthelittleones。

Shewasneverfaroff，however，andherattitudetowardtheco—mothers，whoseproudchild—servicewasdirectandcontinuous，waslovelytosee。

Asforthebabies——agroupofthosenakeddarlingsplayingonshortvelvetgrass，clean—swept;orrugsassoft;orinshallowpoolsofbrightwater;tumblingoverwithbubblingjoyousbabylaughter——

itwasaviewofinfanthappinesssuchasIhadneverdreamed。

Thebabieswererearedinthewarmerpartofthecountry，andgraduallyacclimatedtothecoolerheightsastheygrewolder。

Sturdychildrenoftenandtwelveplayedinthesnowasjoyfullyasoursdo;therewerecontinuousexcursionsofthem，fromonepartofthelandtoanother，sothattoeachchildthewholecountrymightbehome。

Itwasalltheirs，waitingforthemtolearn，tolove，touse，toserve;asourownlittleboysplantobe"abigsoldier，"or"acowboy，"orwhateverpleasestheirfancy;andourlittlegirlsplanforthekindofhometheymeantohave，orhowmanychildren;

theseplanned，freelyandgailywithmuchhappychattering，ofwhattheywoulddoforthecountrywhentheyweregrown。

Itwastheeagerhappinessofthechildrenandyoungpeoplewhichfirstmademeseethefollyofthatcommonnotionofours——thatiflifewassmoothandhappy，peoplewouldnotenjoyit。

AsIstudiedtheseyoungsters，vigorous，joyous，eagerlittlecreatures，andtheirvoraciousappetiteforlife，itshookmypreviousideassothoroughlythattheyhaveneverbeenre—established。

Thesteadylevelofgoodhealthgavethemallthatnaturalstimulusweusedtocall"animalspirits"——anoddcontradictioninterms。

Theyfoundthemselvesinanimmediateenvironmentwhichwasagreeableandinteresting，andbeforethemstretchedtheyearsoflearninganddiscovery，thefascinating，endlessprocessofeducation。

AsIlookedintothesemethodsandcomparedthemwithourown，mystrangeuncomfortablesenseofrace—humilitygrewapace。

Elladorcouldnotunderstandmyastonishment。Sheexplainedthingskindlyandsweetly，butwithsomeamazementthattheyneededexplaining，andwithsuddenquestionsastohowwediditthatleftmemeekerthanever。

IbetookmyselftoSomeloneday，carefullynottakingEllador。

IdidnotmindseemingfoolishtoSomel——shewasusedtoit。

"Iwantachapterofexplanation，"Itoldher。"Youknowmystupiditiesbyheart，andIdonotwanttoshowthemtoEllador——shethinksmesowise！"

Shesmileddelightedly。"Itisbeautifultosee，"shetoldme，"thisnewwonderfullovebetweenyou。Thewholecountryisinterested，youknow——howcanwehelpit！"

Ihadnotthoughtofthat。Wesay："Alltheworldlovesalover，"

buttohaveacoupleofmillionpeoplewatchingone’scourtship——andthatadifficultone——wasratherembarrassing。

"Tellmeaboutyourtheoryofeducation，"Isaid。"Makeitshortandeasy。And，toshowyouwhatpuzzlesme，I’lltellyouthatinourtheorygreatstressislaidontheforcedexertionofthechild’smind;wethinkitisgoodforhimtoovercomeobstacles。"

"Ofcourseitis，"sheunexpectedlyagreed。"Allourchildrendothat——theyloveto。"

Thatpuzzledmeagain。Iftheylovedtodoit，howcoulditbeeducational？

"Ourtheoryisthis，"shewentoncarefully。"Hereisayounghumanbeing。Themindisasnaturalathingasthebody，athingthatgrows，athingtouseandenjoy。Weseektonourish，tostimulate，toexercisethemindofachildaswedothebody。

Therearethetwomaindivisionsineducation——youhavethoseofcourse？——thethingsitisnecessarytoknow，andthethingsitisnecessarytodo。"

"Todo？Mentalexercises，youmean？"

"Yes。Ourgeneralplanisthis：Inthematteroffeedingthemind，offurnishinginformation，weuseourbestpowerstomeetthenaturalappetiteofahealthyyoungbrain;nottooverfeedit，toprovidesuchamountandvarietyofimpressionsasseemmostwelcometoeachchild。Thatistheeasiestpart。Theotherdivisionisinarrangingaproperlygraduatedseriesofexerciseswhichwillbestdevelopeachmind;thecommonfacultiesweallhave，andmostcarefully，theespecialfacultiessomeofushave。

Youdothisalso，doyounot？"

"Inaway，"Isaidratherlamely。"Wehavenotsosubtleandhighlydevelopedasystemasyou，notapproachingit;buttellmemore。

Astotheinformation——howdoyoumanage？Itappearsthatallofyouknowprettymucheverything——isthatright？"

Thisshelaughinglydisclaimed。"Bynomeans。Weare，asyousoonfoundout，extremelylimitedinknowledge。Iwishyoucouldrealizewhatafermentthecountryisinoverthenewthingsyouhavetoldus;thepassionateeagernessamongthousandsofustogotoyourcountryandlearn——learn——learn！Butwhatwedoknowisreadilydivisibleintocommonknowledgeandspecialknowledge。Thecommonknowledgewehavelongsincelearnedtofeedintothemindsofourlittleoneswithnowasteoftimeorstrength;thespecialknowledgeisopentoall，astheydesireit。Someofusspecializeinonelineonly。Butmosttakeupseveral——somefortheirregularwork，sometogrowwith。"

"Togrowwith？"

"Yes。Whenonesettlestoocloseinonekindofworkthereisatendencytoatrophyinthedisusedportionsofthebrain。

Weliketokeeponlearning，always。"

"Whatdoyoustudy？"

"Asmuchasweknowofthedifferentsciences。Wehave，withinourlimits，agooddealofknowledgeofanatomy，physiology，nutrition——allthatpertainstoafullandbeautifulpersonallife。

Wehaveourbotanyandchemistry，andsoon——veryrudimentary，butinteresting;ourownhistory，withitsaccumulatingpsychology。"

"Youputpsychologywithhistory——notwithpersonallife？"

"Ofcourse。Itisours;itisamongandbetweenus，anditchangeswiththesucceedingandimprovinggenerations。Weareatwork，slowlyandcarefully，developingourwholepeoplealongtheselines。

Itisgloriouswork——splendid！Toseethethousandsofbabiesimproving，showingstrongerclearerminds，sweeterdispositions，highercapacities——

don’tyoufinditsoinyourcountry？"

ThisIevadedflatly。Irememberedthecheerlessclaimthatthehumanmindwasnobetterthaninitsearliestperiodofsavagery，onlybetterinformed——astatementIhadneverbelieved。

"Wetrymostearnestlyfortwopowers，"Somelcontinued。

"Thetwothatseemtousbasicallynecessaryforallnoblelife：

aclear，far—reachingjudgment，andastrongwell—usedwill。Wespendourbestefforts，allthroughchildhoodandyouth，indevelopingthesefaculties，individualjudgmentandwill。"

"Aspartofyoursystemofeducation，youmean？"

"Exactly。Asthemostvaluablepart。Withthebabies，asyoumayhavenoticed，wefirstprovideanenvironmentwhichfeedsthemindwithouttiringit;allmannerofsimpleandinterestingthingstodo，assoonastheyareoldenoughtodothem;physicalproperties，ofcourse，comefirst。Butasearlyaspossible，goingverycarefully，nottotaxthemind，weprovidechoices，simplechoices，withveryobviouscausesandconsequences。You’venoticedthegames？"

Ihad。Thechildrenseemedalwaysplayingsomething;orelse，sometimes，engagedinpeacefulresearchesoftheirown。Ihadwonderedatfirstwhentheywenttoschool，butsoonfoundthattheyneverdid——

totheirknowledge。Itwasalleducationbutnoschooling。