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。