第6章

"Wehavebeenworkingforsomesixteenhundredyears，devisingbetterandbettergamesforchildren，"continuedSomel。

Isataghast。"Devisinggames？"Iprotested。"Makingupnewones，youmean？"

"Exactly，"sheanswered。"Don’tyou？"

ThenIrememberedthekindergarten，andthe"material"

devisedbySignoraMontessori，andguardedlyreplied："Tosomeextent。"Butmostofourgames，Itoldher，wereveryold——camedownfromchildtochild，alongtheages，fromtheremotepast。

"Andwhatistheireffect？"sheasked。"Dotheydevelopthefacultiesyouwishtoencourage？"

AgainIrememberedtheclaimsmadebytheadvocatesof"sports，"

andagainrepliedguardedlythatthatwas，inpart，thetheory。

"ButdothechildrenLIKEit？"Iasked。"Havingthingsmadeupandsetbeforethemthatway？Don’ttheywanttheoldgames？"

"Youcanseethechildren，"sheanswered。"Areyoursmorecontented——moreinterested——happier？"

ThenIthought，asintruthIneverhadthoughtbefore，ofthedull，boredchildrenIhadseen，whining;"WhatcanIdonow？";

ofthelittlegroupsandgangshangingabout;ofthevalueofsomeonestrongspiritwhopossessedinitiativeandwould"startsomething";

ofthechildren’spartiesandtheonerousdutiesoftheolderpeoplesetto"amusethechildren";alsoofthattroubledoceanofmisdirectedactivitywecall"mischief，"thefoolish，destructive，sometimesevilthingsdonebyunoccupiedchildren。

"No，"saidIgrimly。"Idon’tthinktheyare。"

TheHerlandchildwasbornnotonlyintoaworldcarefullyprepared，fullofthemostfascinatingmaterialsandopportunitiestolearn，butintothesocietyofplentifulnumbersofteachers，teachersbornandtrained，whosebusinessitwastoaccompanythechildrenalongthat，tous，impossiblething——theroyalroadtolearning。

Therewasnomysteryintheirmethods。Beingadaptedtochildrenitwasatleastcomprehensibletoadults。Ispentmanydayswiththelittleones，sometimeswithEllador，sometimeswithout，andbegantofeelacrushingpityformyownchildhood，andforallothersthatIhadknown。

Thehousesandgardensplannedforbabieshadinthemnothingtohurt——nostairs，nocorners，nosmalllooseobjectstoswallow，nofire——justababies’paradise。Theyweretaught，asrapidlyasfeasible，touseandcontroltheirownbodies，andneverdidI

seesuchsure—footed，steady—handed，clear—headedlittlethings。

Itwasajoytowatcharowoftoddlerslearningtowalk，notonlyonalevelfloor，but，alittlelater，onasortofrubberrailraisedaninchortwoabovethesoftturforheavyrugs，andfallingoffwithshrieksofinfantjoy，torushbacktotheendofthelineandtryagain。Surelywehavenoticedhowchildrenlovetogetuponsomethingandwalkalongit！Butwehaveneverthoughttoprovidethatsimpleandinexhaustibleformofamusementandphysicaleducationfortheyoung。

Watertheyhad，ofcourse，andcouldswimevenbeforetheywalked。IfIfearedatfirsttheeffectsofatoointensivesystemofculture，thatfearwasdissipatedbyseeingthelongsunnydaysofpurephysicalmerrimentandnaturalsleepinwhichtheseheavenlybabiespassedtheirfirstyears。Theyneverknewtheywerebeingeducated。Theydidnotdreamthatinthisassociationofhilariousexperimentandachievementtheywerelayingthefoundationforthatclosebeautifulgroupfeelingintowhichtheygrewsofirmlywiththeyears。Thiswaseducationforcitizenship。

CHAPTER10

TheirReligionsandOurMarriagesIttookmealongtime，asaman，aforeigner，andaspeciesofChristian——Iwasthatasmuchasanything——togetanyclearunderstandingofthereligionofHerland。

Itsdeificationofmotherhoodwasobviousenough;buttherewasfarmoretoitthanthat;or，atleast，thanmyfirstinterpretationofthat。

IthinkitwasonlyasIgrewtoloveElladormorethanI

believedanyonecouldloveanybody，asIgrewfaintlytoappreciateherinnerattitudeandstateofmind，thatIbegantogetsomeglimpsesofthisfaithoftheirs。

WhenIaskedheraboutit，shetriedatfirsttotellme，andthen，seeingmeflounder，askedformoreinformationaboutours。

Shesoonfoundthatwehadmany，thattheyvariedwidely，buthadsomepointsincommon。AclearmethodicalluminousmindhadmyEllador，notonlyreasonable，butswiftlyperceptive。

Shemadeasortofchart，superimposingthedifferentreligionsasIdescribedthem，withapinrunthroughthemall，asitwere;theircommonbasisbeingaDominantPowerorPowers，andsomeSpecialBehavior，mostlytaboos，topleaseorplacate。

Thereweresomecommonfeaturesincertaingroupsofreligions，buttheonealwayspresentwasthisPower，andthethingswhichmustbedoneornotdonebecauseofit。ItwasnothardtotraceourhumanimageryoftheDivineForceupthroughsuccessivestagesofbloodthirsty，sensual，proud，andcruelgodsofearlytimestotheconceptionofaCommonFatherwithitscorollaryofaCommonBrotherhood。

Thispleasedherverymuch，andwhenIexpatiatedontheOmniscience，Omnipotence，Omnipresence，andsoon，ofourGod，andofthelovingkindnesstaughtbyhisSon，shewasmuchimpressed。

ThestoryoftheVirginbirthnaturallydidnotastonishher，butshewasgreatlypuzzledbytheSacrifice，andstillmorebytheDevil，andthetheoryofDamnation。

WheninaninadvertentmomentIsaidthatcertainsectshadbelievedininfantdamnation——andexplainedit——shesatverystillindeed。

"TheybelievedthatGodwasLove——andWisdom——andPower？"

"Yes——allofthat。"

Hereyesgrewlarge，herfaceghastlypale。

"AndyetthatsuchaGodcouldputlittlenewbabiestoburn——foreternity？"Shefellintoasuddenshudderingandleftme，runningswiftlytothenearesttemple。

Everysmallestvillagehaditstemple，andinthosegraciousretreatssatwiseandnoblewomen，quietlybusyatsomeworkoftheirownuntiltheywerewanted，alwaysreadytogivecomfort，light，orhelp，toanyapplicant。

Elladortoldmeafterwardhoweasilythisgriefofherswasassuaged，andseemedashamedofnothavinghelpedherselfoutofit。

"Yousee，wearenotaccustomedtohorribleideas，"shesaid，comingbacktomeratherapologetically。"Wehaven’tany。Andwhenwegetathinglikethatintoourmindsit’slike——oh，likeredpepperinyoureyes。SoIjustrantoher，blindedandalmostscreaming，andshetookitoutsoquickly——soeasily！"

"How？"Iasked，verycurious。

"`Why，youblessedchild，’shesaid，`you’vegotthewrongideaaltogether。YoudonothavetothinkthatthereeverwassuchaGod——fortherewasn’t。Orsuchahappening——fortherewasn’t。

Noreventhatthishideousfalseideawasbelievedbyanybody。

Butonlythis——thatpeoplewhoareutterlyignorantwillbelieveanything——whichyoucertainlyknewbefore。’"

"Anyhow，"pursuedEllador，"sheturnedpaleforaminutewhenIfirstsaidit。"

Thiswasalessontome。Nowonderthiswholenationofwomenwaspeacefulandsweetinexpression——theyhadnohorribleideas。

"Surelyyouhadsomewhenyoubegan，"Isuggested。

"Oh，yes，nodoubt。Butassoonasourreligiongrewtoanyheightatallweleftthemout，ofcourse。"

Fromthis，asfrommanyotherthings，IgrewtoseewhatI

finallyputinwords。

"Haveyounorespectforthepast？Forwhatwasthoughtandbelievedbyyourforemothers？"

"Why，no，"shesaid。"Whyshouldwe？Theyareallgone。

Theyknewlessthanwedo。Ifwearenotbeyondthem，weareunworthyofthem——andunworthyofthechildrenwhomustgobeyondus。"

Thissetmethinkingingoodearnest。Ihadalwaysimagined——simplyfromhearingitsaid，Isuppose——thatwomenwerebynatureconservative。Yetthesewomen，quiteunassistedbyanymasculinespiritofenterprise，hadignoredtheirpastandbuiltdaringlyforthefuture。

Elladorwatchedmethink。Sheseemedtoknowprettymuchwhatwasgoingoninmymind。

"It’sbecausewebeganinanewway，Isuppose。Allourfolksweresweptawayatonce，andthen，afterthattimeofdespair，camethosewonderchildren——thefirst。AndthenthewholebreathlesshopeofuswasforTHEIRchildren——iftheyshouldhavethem。Andtheydid！Thentherewastheperiodofprideandtriumphtillwegrewtoonumerous;andafterthat，whenitallcamedowntoonechildapiece，webegantoreallywork——tomakebetterones。"

"Buthowdoesthisaccountforsucharadicaldifferenceinyourreligion？"Ipersisted。

Shesaidshecouldn’ttalkaboutthedifferenceveryintelligently，notbeingfamiliarwithotherreligions，butthattheirsseemedsimpleenough。TheirgreatMotherSpiritwastothemwhattheirownmotherhoodwas——onlymagnifiedbeyondhumanlimits。

Thatmeantthattheyfeltbeneathandbehindthemanupholding，unfailing，serviceablelove——perhapsitwasreallytheaccumulatedmother—loveoftheracetheyfelt——butitwasaPower。

"Justwhatisyourtheoryofworship？"Iaskedher。

"Worship？Whatisthat？"

Ifounditsingularlydifficulttoexplain。ThisDivineLovewhichtheyfeltsostronglydidnotseemtoaskanythingofthem——"anymorethanourmothersdo，"shesaid。

"Butsurelyyourmothersexpecthonor，reverence，obedience，fromyou。Youhavetodothingsforyourmothers，surely？"

"Oh，no，"sheinsisted，smiling，shakinghersoftbrownhair。

"WedothingsFROMourmothers——notFORthem。Wedon’thavetodothingsFORthem——theydon’tneedit，youknow。Butwehavetoliveon——splendidly——becauseofthem;andthat’sthewaywefeelaboutGod。"

Imeditatedagain。IthoughtofthatGodofBattlesofours，thatJealousGod，thatVengeance—is—mineGod。Ithoughtofourworld—nightmare——Hell。

"Youhavenotheoryofeternalpunishmentthen，Itakeit？"

Elladorlaughed。Hereyeswereasbrightasstars，andthereweretearsinthem，too。Shewassosorryforme。

"Howcouldwe？"sheasked，fairlyenough。"Wehavenopunishmentsinlife，yousee，sowedon’timaginethemafterdeath。"

"HaveyouNOpunishments？Neitherforchildrennorcriminals——

suchmildcriminalsasyouhave？"Iurged。

"Doyoupunishapersonforabrokenlegorafever？Wehavepreventivemeasures，andcures;sometimeswehaveto`sendthepatienttobed，’asitwere;butthat’snotapunishment——it’sonlypartofthetreatment，"sheexplained。

Thenstudyingmypointofviewmoreclosely，sheadded：

"Yousee，werecognize，inourhumanmotherhood，agreattenderlimitlessupliftingforce——patienceandwisdomandallsubtletyofdelicatemethod。WecreditGod——ourideaofGod——withallthatandmore。Ourmothersarenotangrywithus——whyshouldGodbe？"

"DoesGodmeanapersontoyou？"

Thisshethoughtoveralittle。"Why——intryingtogetclosetoitinourmindswepersonifytheidea，naturally;butwecertainlydonotassumeaBigWomansomewhere，whoisGod。

WhatwecallGodisaPervadingPower，youknow，anIndwellingSpirit，somethinginsideofusthatwewantmoreof。IsyourGodaBigMan？"sheaskedinnocently。

"Why——yes，tomostofus，Ithink。OfcoursewecallitanIndwellingSpiritjustasyoudo，butweinsistthatitisHim，aPerson，andaMan——withwhiskers。"

"Whiskers？Ohyes——becauseyouhavethem！OrdoyouwearthembecauseHedoes？"

"Onthecontrary，weshavethemoff——becauseitseemscleanerandmorecomfortable。"

"DoesHewearclothes——inyouridea，Imean？"

IwasthinkingoverthepicturesofGodIhadseen——rashadvancesofthedevoutmindofman，representinghisOmnipotentDeityasanoldmaninaflowingrobe，flowinghair，flowingbeard，andinthelightofherperfectlyfrankandinnocentquestionsthisconceptseemedratherunsatisfying。

IexplainedthattheGodoftheChristianworldwasreallytheancientHebrewGod，andthatwehadsimplytakenoverthepatriarchalidea——thatancientonewhichquiteinevitablyclotheditsthoughtofGodwiththeattributesofthepatriarchalruler，thegrandfather。

"Isee，"shesaideagerly，afterIhadexplainedthegenesisanddevelopmentofourreligiousideals。"Theylivedinseparategroups，withamalehead，andhewasprobablyalittle——domineering？"

"Nodoubtofthat，"Iagreed。

"Andwelivetogetherwithoutany`head，’inthatsense——justourchosenleaders——thatDOESmakeadifference。"

"Yourdifferenceisdeeperthanthat，"Iassuredher。"Itisinyourcommonmotherhood。Yourchildrengrowupinaworldwhereeverybodylovesthem。Theyfindlifemaderichandhappyforthembythediffusedloveandwisdomofallmothers。SoitiseasyforyoutothinkofGodinthetermsofasimilardiffusedandcompetentlove。Ithinkyouarefarnearerrightthanweare。"

"WhatIcannotunderstand，"shepursuedcarefully，"isyourpreservationofsuchaveryancientstateofmind。Thispatriarchalideayoutellmeisthousandsofyearsold？"

"Ohyes——four，five，sixthousand——everysomany。"

"Andyouhavemadewonderfulprogressinthoseyears——inotherthings？"

"Wecertainlyhave。Butreligionisdifferent。Yousee，ourreligionscomefrombehindus，andareinitiatedbysomegreatteacherwhoisdead。Heissupposedtohaveknownthewholethingandtaughtit，finally。Allwehavetodoisbelieve——andobey。"

"WhowasthegreatHebrewteacher？"

"Oh——thereitwasdifferent。TheHebrewreligionisanaccumulationofextremelyancienttraditions，somefarolderthantheirpeople，andgrewbyaccretiondowntheages。Weconsideritinspired——`theWordofGod。’"

"Howdoyouknowitis？"

"Becauseitsaysso。"

"Doesitsaysoinasmanywords？Whowrotethatin？"

Ibegantotrytorecallsometextthatdidsayso，andcouldnotbringittomind。

"Apartfromthat，"shepursued，"whatIcannotunderstandiswhyyoukeeptheseearlyreligiousideassolong。Youhavechangedallyourothers，haven’tyou？"

"Prettygenerally，"Iagreed。"Butthiswecall`revealedreligion，’

andthinkitisfinal。Buttellmemoreabouttheselittletemplesofyours，"Iurged。

"AndtheseTempleMothersyourunto。"

Thenshegavemeanextendedlessoninappliedreligion，whichIwillendeavortoconcentrate。

TheydevelopedtheircentraltheoryofaLovingPower，andassumedthatitsrelationtothemwasmotherly——thatitdesiredtheirwelfareandespeciallytheirdevelopment。Theirrelationtoit，similarly，wasfilial，alovingappreciationandagladfulfillmentofitshighpurposes。Then，beingnothingifnotpractical，theysettheirkeenandactivemindstodiscoverthekindofconductexpectedofthem。Thisworkedoutinamostadmirablesystemofethics。

TheprincipleofLovewasuniversallyrecognized——andused。

Patience，gentleness，courtesy，allthatwecall"goodbreeding，"

waspartoftheircodeofconduct。Butwheretheywentfarbeyonduswasinthespecialapplicationofreligiousfeelingtoeveryfieldoflife。Theyhadnoritual，nolittlesetofperformancescalled"divineservice，"savethosereligiouspageantsIhavespokenof，andthosewereasmucheducationalasreligious，andasmuchsocialaseither。Buttheyhadaclearestablishedconnectionbetweeneverythingtheydid——andGod。Theircleanliness，theirhealth，theirexquisiteorder，therichpeacefulbeautyofthewholeland，thehappinessofthechildren，andabovealltheconstantprogresstheymade——allthiswastheirreligion。

TheyappliedtheirmindstothethoughtofGod，andworkedoutthetheorythatsuchaninnerpowerdemandedoutwardexpression。

TheylivedasifGodwasrealandatworkwithinthem。

Asforthoselittletempleseverywhere——someofthewomenweremoreskilled，moretemperamentallyinclined，inthisdirection，thanothers。These，whatevertheirworkmightbe，gavecertainhourstotheTempleService，whichmeantbeingtherewithalltheirloveandwisdomandtrainedthought，tosmoothoutroughplacesforanyonewhoneededit。Sometimesitwasarealgrief，veryrarelyaquarrel，mostoftenaperplexity;eveninHerlandthehumansoulhaditshoursofdarkness。Butallthroughthecountrytheirbestandwisestwerereadytogivehelp。

Ifthedifficultywasunusuallyprofound，theapplicantwasdirectedtosomeonemorespeciallyexperiencedinthatlineofthought。

Herewasareligionwhichgavetothesearchingmindarationalbasisinlife，theconceptofanimmenseLovingPowerworkingsteadilyoutthroughthem，towardgood。Itgavetothe"soul"

thatsenseofcontactwiththeinmostforce，ofperceptionoftheuttermostpurpose，whichwealwayscrave。Itgavetothe"heart"

theblessedfeelingofbeingloved，lovedandUNDERSTOOD。Itgaveclear，simple，rationaldirectionsastohowweshouldlive——andwhy。

Andforritualitgavefirstthosetriumphantgroupdemonstrations，whenwithaunionofallthearts，therevivifyingcombinationofgreatmultitudesmovedrhythmicallywithmarchanddance，songandmusic，amongtheirownnoblestproductsandtheopenbeautyoftheirgrovesandhills。Second，itgavethesenumerouslittlecentersofwisdomwheretheleastwisecouldgotothemostwiseandbehelped。

"Itisbeautiful！"Icriedenthusiastically。"Itisthemostpractical，comforting，progressivereligionIeverheardof。YouDO

loveoneanother——youDObearoneanother’sburdens——youDOrealizethatalittlechildisatypeofthekingdomofheaven。YouaremoreChristianthananypeopleIeversaw。But——howaboutdeath？

Andthelifeeverlasting？Whatdoesyourreligionteachabouteternity？"

"Nothing，"saidEllador。"Whatiseternity？"

Whatindeed？Itried，forthefirsttimeinmylife，togetarealholdontheidea。

"Itis——neverstopping。"

"Neverstopping？"Shelookedpuzzled。

"Yes，life，goingonforever。"

"Oh——weseethat，ofcourse。Lifedoesgoonforever，allaboutus。"

"ButeternallifegoesonWITHOUTDYING。"

"Thesameperson？"

"Yes，thesameperson，unending，immortal。"IwaspleasedtothinkthatIhadsomethingtoteachfromourreligion，whichtheirshadneverpromulgated。

"Here？"askedEllador。"Nevertodie——here？"Icouldseeherpracticalmindheapingupthepeople，andhurriedlyreassuredher。

"Ohno，indeed，nothere——hereafter。Wemustdiehere，ofcourse，butthenwe`enterintoeternallife。’Thesoullivesforever。"

"Howdoyouknow？"sheinquired。

"Iwon’tattempttoproveittoyou，"Ihastilycontinued。"Letusassumeittobeso。Howdoesthisideastrikeyou？"

Againshesmiledatme，thatadorable，dimpling，tender，mischievous，motherlysmileofhers。"ShallIbequite，quitehonest？"

"Youcouldn’tbeanythingelse，"Isaid，halfgladlyandhalfalittlesorry。Thetransparenthonestyofthesewomenwasanever—endingastonishmenttome。

"Itseemstomeasingularlyfoolishidea，"shesaidcalmly。

"Andiftrue，mostdisagreeable。"

NowIhadalwaysacceptedthedoctrineofpersonalimmortalityasathingestablished。Theeffortsofinquiringspiritualists，alwaysseekingtowootheirbelovedghostsbackagain，neverseemedtomenecessary。Idon’tsayIhadeverseriouslyandcourageouslydiscussedthesubjectwithmyselfeven;Ihadsimplyassumedittobeafact。AndherewasthegirlIloved，thiscreaturewhosecharacterconstantlyrevealednewheightsandrangesfarbeyondmyown，thissuperwomanofasuperland，sayingshethoughtimmortalityfoolish！Shemeantit，too。

"WhatdoyouWANTitfor？"sheasked。

"HowcanyouNOTwantit！"Iprotested。"Doyouwanttogooutlikeacandle？Don’tyouwanttogoonandon——growingand——and——beinghappy，forever？"

"Why，no，"shesaid。"Idon’tintheleast。Iwantmychild——

andmychild’schild——togoon——andtheywill。Whyshould_I_wantto？"

"ButitmeansHeaven！"Iinsisted。"PeaceandBeautyandComfortandLove——withGod。"Ihadneverbeensoeloquentonthesubjectofreligion。ShecouldbehorrifiedatDamnation，andquestionthejusticeofSalvation，butImmortality——thatwassurelyanoblefaith。

"Why，Van，"shesaid，holdingoutherhandstome。"WhyVan——darling！Howsplendidofyoutofeelitsokeenly。That’swhatweallwant，ofcourse——PeaceandBeauty，andComfortandLove——withGod！AndProgresstoo，remember;Growth，alwaysandalways。Thatiswhatourreligionteachesustowantandtoworkfor，andwedo！"

"ButthatisHERE，Isaid，"onlyforthislifeonearth。"

"Well？Anddonotyouinyourcountry，withyourbeautifulreligionofloveandservicehaveithere，too——forthislife——onearth？"

NoneofuswerewillingtotellthewomenofHerlandabouttheevilsofourownbelovedland。Itwasallverywellforustoassumethemtobenecessaryandessential，andtocriticize——

strictlyamongourselves——theirall—too—perfectcivilization，butwhenitcametotellingthemaboutthefailuresandwastesofourown，wenevercouldbringourselvestodoit。

Moreover，wesoughttoavoidtoomuchdiscussion，andtopressthesubjectofourapproachingmarriages。

Jeffwasthedeterminedoneonthisscore。

"Ofcoursetheyhaven’tanymarriageceremonyorservice，butwecanmakeitasortofQuakerwedding，andhaveitinthetemple——itistheleastwecandoforthem。"

Itwas。Therewassolittle，afterall，thatwecoulddoforthem。

Herewewere，pennilessguestsandstrangers，withnochanceeventouseourstrengthandcourage——nothingtodefendthemfromorprotectthemagainst。

"Wecanatleastgivethemournames，"Jeffinsisted。

Theywereverysweetaboutit，quitewillingtodowhateverweasked，topleaseus。Astothenames，Alima，franksoulthatshewas，askedwhatgooditwoulddo。

Terry，alwaysirritatingher，saiditwasasignofpossession。

"YouaregoingtobeMrs。Nicholson，"hesaid。"Mrs。T。O。

Nicholson。Thatshowseveryonethatyouaremywife。"

"Whatisa`wife’exactly？"shedemanded，adangerousgleaminhereye。

"Awifeisthewomanwhobelongstoaman，"hebegan。

ButJefftookitupeagerly："Andahusbandisthemanwhobelongstoawoman。Itisbecausewearemonogamous，youknow。Andmarriageistheceremony，civilandreligious，thatjoinsthetwotogether——`untildeathdouspart，’"

hefinished，lookingatCeliswithunutterabledevotion。

"Whatmakesusallfeelfoolish，"Itoldthegirls，"isthatherewehavenothingtogiveyou——except，ofcourse，ournames。"

"Doyourwomenhavenonamesbeforetheyaremarried？"

Celissuddenlydemanded。

"Why，yes，"Jeffexplained。"Theyhavetheirmaidennames——theirfather’snames，thatis。"

"Andwhatbecomesofthem？"askedAlima。

"Theychangethemfortheirhusbands’，mydear，"Terryansweredher。

"Changethem？Dothehusbandsthentakethewives’`maidennames’？"

"Oh，no，"helaughed。"Themankeepshisownandgivesittoher，too。"

"Thenshejustloseshersandtakesanewone——howunpleasant！

Wewon’tdothat！"Alimasaiddecidedly。

Terrywasgood—humoredaboutit。"Idon’tcarewhatyoudoordon’tdosolongaswehavethatweddingprettysoon，"hesaid，reachingastrongbrownhandafterAlima’s，quiteasbrownandnearlyasstrong。

"Astogivingusthings——ofcoursewecanseethatyou’dliketo，butwearegladyoucan’t，"Celiscontinued。"Yousee，weloveyoujustforyourselves——wewouldn’twantyouto——topayanything。

Isn’titenoughtoknowthatyouarelovedpersonally——andjustasmen？"

Enoughornot，thatwasthewayweweremarried。Wehadagreattripleweddinginthebiggesttempleofall，anditlookedasifmostofthenationwaspresent。Itwasverysolemnandverybeautiful。Someonehadwrittenanewsongfortheoccasion，noblybeautiful，abouttheNewHopefortheirpeople——theNewTiewithotherlands——BrotherhoodaswellasSisterhood，and，withevidentawe，Fatherhood。

Terrywasalwaysrestiveundertheirtalkoffatherhood。

"Anybody’dthinkwewereHighPriestsof——ofPhiloprogenitiveness！"

heprotested。"ThesewomenthinkofNOTHINGbutchildren，seemstome！

We’llteach’em！"

Hewassocertainofwhathewasgoingtoteach，andAlimasouncertaininhermoodsofreception，thatJeffandIfearedtheworst。Wetriedtocautionhim——muchgoodthatdid。Thebighandsomefellowdrewhimselfuptohisfullheight，liftedthatgreatchestofhis，andlaughed。

"Therearethreeseparatemarriages，"hesaid。"Iwon’tinterferewithyours——noryouwithmine。"

Sothegreatdaycame，andthecountlesscrowdsofwomen，andwethreebridegroomswithoutanysupporting"bestmen，"oranyothermentobackusup，feltstrangelysmallaswecameforward。

SomelandZavaandMoadinewereonhand;wewerethankfultohavethem，too——theyseemedalmostlikerelatives。

Therewasasplendidprocession，wreathingdances，thenewanthemIspokeof，andthewholegreatplacepulsedwithfeeling——thedeepawe，thesweethope，thewonderingexpectationofanewmiracle。

"TherehasbeennothinglikethisinthecountrysinceourMotherhoodbegan！"Somelsaidsoftlytome，whilewewatchedthesymbolicmarches。"Yousee，itisthedawnofanewera。Youdon’tknowhowmuchyoumeantous。ItisnotonlyFatherhood——thatmarvelousdualparentagetowhichwearestrangers——themiracleofunioninlife—giving——butitisBrotherhood。Youaretherestoftheworld。Youjoinustoourkind——toallthestrangelandsandpeopleswehaveneverseen。Wehopetoknowthem——toloveandhelpthem——andtolearnofthem。Ah！Youcannotknow！"

ThousandsofvoicesroseinthesoaringclimaxofthatgreatHymnofTheComingLife。BythegreatAltarofMotherhood，withitscrownoffruitandflowers，stoodanewone，crownedaswell。

BeforetheGreatOverMotheroftheLandandherringofHighTempleCounsellors，beforethatvastmultitudeofcalm—

facedmothersandholy—eyedmaidens，cameforwardourownthreechosenones，andwe，threemenaloneinallthatland，joinedhandswiththemandmadeourmarriagevows。

CHAPTER11

OurDifficultiesWesay，"Marriageisalottery";also"MarriagesaremadeinHeaven"——butthisisnotsowidelyacceptedastheother。

Wehaveawell—foundedtheorythatitisbesttomarry"inone’sclass，"andcertainwell—groundedsuspicionsofinternationalmarriages，whichseemtopersistintheinterestsofsocialprogress，ratherthaninthoseofthecontractingparties。

Butnocombinationofalienraces，ofcolor，ofcaste，orcreed，waseversobasicallydifficulttoestablishasthatbetweenus，threemodernAmericanmen，andthesethreewomenofHerland。

Itisallverywelltosaythatweshouldhavebeenfrankaboutitbeforehand。Wehadbeenfrank。Wehaddiscussed——atleastElladorandIhad——theconditionsofTheGreatAdventure，andthoughtthepathwasclearbeforeus。Buttherearesomethingsonetakesforgranted，supposesaremutuallyunderstood，andtowhichbothpartiesmayrepeatedlyreferwithoutevermeaningthesamething。

Thedifferencesintheeducationoftheaveragemanandwomanaregreatenough，butthetroubletheymakeisnotmostlyfortheman;hegenerallycarriesouthisownviewsofthecase。

Thewomanmayhaveimaginedtheconditionsofmarriedlifetobedifferent;butwhatsheimagined，wasignorantof，ormighthavepreferred，didnotseriouslymatter。

Icanseeclearlyandspeakcalmlyaboutthisnow，writingafteralapseofyears，yearsfullofgrowthandeducation，butatthetimeitwasratherhardsleddingforallofus——especiallyforTerry。PoorTerry！Yousee，inanyotherimaginablemarriageamongthepeoplesoftheearth，whetherthewomanwereblack，red，yellow，brown，orwhite;whethershewereignorantoreducated，submissiveorrebellious，shewouldhavebehindherthemarriagetraditionofourgeneralhistory。Thistraditionrelatesthewomantotheman。Hegoesonwithhisbusiness，andsheadaptsherselftohimandtoit。Evenincitizenship，bysomestrangehocus—pocus，thatfactofbirthandgeographywaswavedaside，andthewomanautomaticallyacquiredthenationalityofherhusband。

Well——herewerewe，threealiensinthislandofwomen。Itwassmallinarea，andtheexternaldifferenceswerenotsogreatastoastoundus。Wedidnotyetappreciatethedifferencesbetweentherace—mindofthispeopleandours。

Inthefirstplace，theywerea"purestock"oftwothousanduninterruptedyears。Wherewehavesomelongconnectedlinesofthoughtandfeeling，togetherwithawiderangeofdifferences，oftenirreconcilable，thesepeopleweresmoothlyandfirmlyagreedonmostofthebasicprinciplesoftheirlife;andnotonlyagreedinprinciple，butaccustomedforthesesixty—oddgenerationstoactonthoseprinciples。

Thisisonethingwhichwedidnotunderstand——hadmadenoallowancefor。Wheninourpre—maritaldiscussionsoneofthosedeargirlshadsaid："Weunderstanditthusandthus，"or"Weholdsuchandsuchtobetrue，"wemen，inourowndeep—seatedconvictionsofthepoweroflove，andoureasyviewsaboutbeliefsandprinciples，fondlyimaginedthatwecouldconvincethemotherwise。Whatweimagined，beforemarriage，didnotmatteranymorethanwhatanaverageinnocentyounggirlimagines。

Wefoundthefactstobedifferent。

Itwasnotthattheydidnotloveus;theydid，deeplyandwarmly。Butthereareyouagain——whattheymeantby"love"

andwhatwemeantby"love"weresodifferent。

Perhapsitseemsrathercold—bloodedtosay"we"and"they，"

asifwewerenotseparatecouples，withourseparatejoysandsorrows，butourpositionsasaliensdroveustogetherconstantly。

Thewholestrangeexperiencehadmadeourfriendshipmorecloseandintimatethanitwouldeverhavebecomeinafreeandeasylifetimeamongourownpeople。Also，asmen，withourmasculinetraditionoffarmorethantwothousandyears，wewereaunit，smallbutfirm，againstthisfarlargerunitoffemininetradition。

IthinkIcanmakeclearthepointsofdifferencewithoutatoopainfulexplicitness。Themoreexternaldisagreementwasinthematterof"thehome，"andthehousekeepingdutiesandpleasureswe，byinstinctandlongeducation，supposedtobeinherentlyappropriatetowomen。

Iwillgivetwoillustrations，oneawayup，andtheotherawaydown，toshowhowcompletelydisappointedwewereinthisregard。

Forthelowerone，trytoimagineamaleant，comingfromsomestateofexistencewhereantsliveinpairs，endeavoringtosetuphousekeepingwithafemaleantfromahighlydevelopedanthill。Thisfemaleantmightregardhimwithintensepersonalaffection，butherideasofparentageandeconomicmanagementwouldbeonaverydifferentscalefromhis。Now，ofcourse，ifshewasastrayfemaleinacountryofpairingants，hemighthavehadhiswaywithher;butifhewasastraymaleinananthill——！

Forthehigherone，trytoimagineadevotedandimpassionedmantryingtosetuphousekeepingwithaladyangel，arealwings—and—harp—and—haloangel，accustomedtofulfillingdivinemissionsalloverinterstellarspace。Thisangelmightlovethemanwithanaffectionquitebeyondhispowerofreturnorevenofappreciation，butherideasofserviceanddutywouldbeonaverydifferentscalefromhis。Ofcourse，ifshewasastrayangelinacountryofmen，hemighthavehadhiswaywithher;butifhewasastraymanamongangels——！

Terry，athisworst，inablackfuryforwhich，asaman，Imusthavesomesympathy，preferredtheantsimile。MoreofTerryandhisspecialtroubleslater。ItwashardonTerry。

Jeff——well，Jeffalwayshadastreakthatwastoogoodforthisworld！He’sthekindthatwouldhavemadeasaintlypriestinparentagearliertimes。Heacceptedtheangeltheory，swalloweditwhole，triedtoforceitonus——withvaryingeffect。HesoworshippedCelis，andnotonlyCelis，butwhatsherepresented;hehadbecomesodeeplyconvincedofthealmostsupernaturaladvantagesofthiscountryandpeople，thathetookhismedicinelikea——Icannotsay"likeaman，"butmoreasifhewasn’tone。

Don’tmisunderstandmeforamoment。DearoldJeffwasnomilksopormolly—coddleeither。Hewasastrong，brave，efficientman，andanexcellentfighterwhenfightingwasnecessary。Buttherewasalwaysthisangelstreakinhim。Itwasratherawonder，Terrybeingsodifferent，thathereallylovedJeffashedid;butithappenssosometimes，inspiteofthedifference——perhapsbecauseofit。

Asforme，Istoodbetween。IwasnosuchgayLotharioasTerry，andnosuchGalahadasJeff。ButforallmylimitationsI

thinkIhadthehabitofusingmybrainsinregardtobehaviorrathermorefrequentlythaneitherofthem。Ihadtousebrain—

powernow，Icantellyou。

Thebigpointatissuebetweenusandourwiveswas，asmayeasilybeimagined，intheverynatureoftherelation。

"Wives！Don’ttalktomeaboutwives！"stormedTerry。"Theydon’tknowwhatthewordmeans。"

Whichisexactlythefact——theydidn’t。Howcouldthey？Backintheirprehistoricrecordsofpolygamyandslaverytherewerenoidealsofwifehoodasweknowit，andsincethennopossibilityofformingsuch。

"TheonlythingtheycanthinkofaboutamanisFATHERHOOD！"

saidTerryinhighscorn。"FATHERHOOD！"AsifamanwasalwayswantingtobeaFATHER！"

Thisalsowascorrect。Theyhadtheirlong，wide，deep，richexperienceofMotherhood，andtheironlyperceptionofthevalueofamalecreatureassuchwasforFatherhood。

Asidefromthat，ofcourse，wasthewholerangeofpersonallove，lovewhichasJeffearnestlyphrasedit"passeththeloveofwomen！"Itdid，too。Icangivenoidea——eithernow，afterlongandhappyexperienceofit，orasitseemedthen，inthefirstmeasurelesswonder——ofthebeautyandpowerofthelovetheygaveus。

EvenAlima——whohadamorestormytemperamentthaneitheroftheothers，andwho，heavenknows，hadfarmoreprovocation——

evenAlimawaspatienceandtendernessandwisdompersonifiedtothemansheloved，untilhe——butIhaven’tgottothatyet。

These，asTerryputit，"allegedorso—calledwives"ofours，wentrightonwiththeirprofessionasforesters。We，havingnospeciallearnings，hadlongsincequalifiedasassistants。Wehadtodosomething，ifonlytopassthetime，andithadtobework——wecouldn’tbeplayingforever。

Thiskeptusoutofdoorswiththosedeargirls，andmoreorlesstogether——toomuchtogethersometimes。

Thesepeoplehad，itnowbecamecleartous，thehighest，keenest，mostdelicatesenseofpersonalprivacy，butnotthefaintestideaofthatSOLITUDEADEUXwearesofondof。Theyhad，everyoneofthem，the"tworoomsandabath"theoryrealized。

Fromearliestchildhoodeachhadaseparatebedroomwithtoiletconveniences，andoneofthemarksofcomingofagewastheadditionofanouterroominwhichtoreceivefriends。

Longsincewehadbeengivenourowntworoomsapiece，andasbeingofadifferentsexandrace，thesewereinaseparatehouse。Itseemedtoberecognizedthatweshouldbreatheeasierifabletofreeourmindsinrealseclusion。

Forfoodweeitherwenttoanyconvenienteating—house，orderedamealbroughtin，ortookitwithustothewoods，alwaysandequallygood。Allthiswehadbecomeusedtoandenjoyed——inourcourtingdays。

Aftermarriagetherearoseinusasomewhatunexpectedurgeoffeelingthatcalledforaseparatehouse;butthisfeelingfoundnoresponseintheheartsofthosefairladies。

"WeAREalone，dear，"Elladorexplainedtomewithgentlepatience。"Wearealoneinthesegreatforests;wemaygoandeatinanylittlesummer—house——justwetwo，orhaveaseparatetableanywhere——orevenhaveaseparatemealinourownrooms。

Howcouldwebealoner？"

Thiswasallverytrue。Wehadourpleasantmutualsolitudeaboutourwork，andourpleasanteveningtalksintheirapartmentsorours;wehad，asitwere，allthepleasuresofcourtshipcarriedrighton;butwehadnosenseof——perhapsitmaybecalledpossession。

"Mightaswellnotbemarriedatall，"growledTerry。"Theyonlygotupthatceremonytopleaseus——pleaseJeff，mostly。

They’venorealideaofbeingmarried。

ItriedmybesttogetEllador’spointofview，andnaturallyItriedtogivehermine。Ofcourse，whatwe，asmen，wantedtomakethemseewasthattherewereother，andasweproudlysaid"higher，"usesinthisrelationthanwhatTerrycalled"mereparentage。"

InthehighesttermsIknewItriedtoexplainthistoEllador。

"Anythinghigherthanformutuallovetohopetogivelife，aswedid？"shesaid。"Howisithigher？"

"Itdevelopslove，"Iexplained。"Allthepowerofbeautifulpermanentmatedlovecomesthroughthishigherdevelopment。"

"Areyousure？"sheaskedgently。"Howdoyouknowthatitwassodeveloped？Therearesomebirdswholoveeachothersothattheymopeandpineifseparated，andneverpairagainifonedies，buttheynevermateexceptinthematingseason。

Amongyourpeopledoyoufindhighandlastingaffectionappearinginproportiontothisindulgence？"

Itisaveryawkwardthing，sometimes，tohavealogicalmind。

OfcourseIknewaboutthosemonogamousbirdsandbeaststoo，thatmateforlifeandshoweverysignofmutualaffection，withouteverhavingstretchedthesexrelationshipbeyonditsoriginalrange。Butwhatofit？

"Thosearelowerformsoflife！"Iprotested。"Theyhavenocapacityforfaithfulandaffectionate，andapparentlyhappy——

butoh，mydear！mydear！——whatcantheyknowofsuchaloveasdrawsustogether？Why，totouchyou——tobenearyou——tocomecloserandcloser——tolosemyselfinyou——surelyyoufeelittoo，doyounot？"

Icamenearer。Iseizedherhands。

Hereyeswereonmine，tenderradiant，butsteadyandstrong。Therewassomethingsopowerful，solargeandchangeless，inthoseeyesthatIcouldnotsweepheroffherfeetbymyownemotionasIhadunconsciouslyassumedwouldbethecase。

Itmademefeelas，onemightimagine，amanmightfeelwholovedagoddess——notaVenus，though！Shedidnotresentmyattitude，didnotrepelit，didnotintheleastfearit，evidently。

Therewasnotashadeofthattimidwithdrawalorprettyresistancewhichareso——provocative。

"Yousee，dearest，"shesaid，"youhavetobepatientwithus。

Wearenotlikethewomenofyourcountry。WeareMothers，andwearePeople，butwehavenotspecializedinthisline。"

"We"and"we"and"we"——itwassohardtogethertobepersonal。And，asIthoughtthat，IsuddenlyrememberedhowwewerealwayscriticizingOURwomenforBEINGsopersonal。

ThenIdidmyearnestbesttopicturetoherthesweetintensejoyofmarriedlovers，andtheresultinhigherstimulustoallcreativework。

"Doyoumean，"sheaskedquitecalmly，asifIwasnotholdinghercoolfirmhandsinmyhotandratherquiveringones，"thatwithyou，whenpeoplemarry，theygorightondoingthisinseasonandoutofseason，withnothoughtofchildrenatall？"

"Theydo，"Isaid，withsomebitterness。"Theyarenotmereparents。Theyaremenandwomen，andtheyloveeachother。"

"Howlong？"askedEllador，ratherunexpectedly。

"Howlong？"Irepeated，alittledashed。"Whyaslongastheylive。"

"Thereissomethingverybeautifulintheidea，"sheadmitted，stillasifshewerediscussinglifeonMars。"Thisclimacticexpression，which，inalltheotherlife—forms，hasbuttheonepurpose，haswithyoubecomespecializedtohigher，purer，nobleruses。Ithas——

Ijudgefromwhatyoutellme——themostennoblingeffectoncharacter。

Peoplemarry，notonlyforparentage，butforthisexquisiteinterchange——and，asaresult，youhaveaworldfullofcontinuouslovers，ardent，happy，mutuallydevoted，alwayslivingonthathightideofsupremeemotionwhichwehadsupposedtobelongonlytooneseasonandoneuse。

Andyousayithasotherresults，stimulatingallhighcreativework。

Thatmustmeanfloods，oceansofsuchwork，blossomingfromthisintensehappinessofeverymarriedpair！Itisabeautifulidea！"

Shewassilent，thinking。