WOMAN, THE INTERPRETER

man. But to the womaa it iB the cnlmination of lior life. her profound and secret mission to humanity, ol incomparable import and delicacy.^

In the man, sex is an unorganized passion, an individual need or impetns ; but in woman it is a constructive instinct.* It is possible that there bas always been excess and abuse of sex-love, but its degeneration began when woman fell to the position of man's serf or chattel. It waits for her émancipation that it may be restored, for woman ■' should be the interpréter of Love to man." •

The crux of the sex-problem on its social side is the position of woman. It will never be solved until woman is free.

Let every woman whose heart bleeds for the snfierings of her sex, hasten to dedare hersélf and to oonstitute herselt so far as she possibly can, a free woman. Let her accept the term with ail the odium that belongs to it ; let her insist on her right to speak, dress, think, act, and above aU to use her sex, as she deems best ; ^

for a vital constituent of woman's freedom will be the freedom to choose her man, freedom to give or to withhold herself. In our présent society, sexual sélection is determined by the man ; this is not likely to continue so for long ; and

it is possible that the more dignified and serions attitude of women towards sex may give to sexual sélection when

1 Love* s Corning of Age, p. 57.

a Ibid,, p. 62. » /Wi., p. 40. * i^'<^.. p. ^l.