an's Movement, Woman's Suffrage, and similar
topics--or, it may be, attending these same lectures--those who, in any
case, prefer some other occupation to the care of their own children.

Above all, let not those who have the care of children be deceived,
either by diligence, or by conduct exemplary in other ways, or indeed by
earnest study of the Bible, by pious protestations, or by regular
attendance at church. I know a boy of twelve, reputed to be extremely
religious, and ostensibly on religious grounds going to church every
Sunday; but whose real motive in the church-going was the hope to meet
the girl of whom he was enamoured. Extensive experience of the conduct
of adults should teach us the necessity for extreme caution in these
respects. I recall the case of a gentleman whose reputation was that of
a paragon of all the virtues. When others of an evening went out to
enjoy a glass or two of beer, or in search of even lighter pleasures, he
was supposed always to turn homewards, ostensibly in order to work.
Only after some years was the fact disclosed that he was an habitual
loose-liver, enjoying indiscriminate sexual intercourse with unmarried
girls and with his neighbours' wives, although to his friends and
comrades he had appeared to be a man of exceptionally strict life, and
this above all in sexual relationships. The same may be true also of
quite little children. Hebbel relates that in his first year at school
be sat next to a boy who appeared to be engaged in the most earnest
study of the catechism, whilst under the rose he was pouring into young
Hebbel's ear all kinds of obscenities, and was asking him if he was
still stupid enough to believe that children were brought by a stork or
were found in a basket in the cabbage-patch. Many parents, too, know so
little about their children in these respects, that they are utterly
astonished when some day their eyes are opened to the facts of the case
by their family physician. I knew a boy of fourteen who went regularly
to church, and who in other respects was a fine fellow, and a diligent
pupil at school He was brought to see me because he was affected with
spasmodic movements. On examination, I found him to be suffering from a
severe attack of gonorrhoea, which he had contracted in intercourse
with his aunt's servant-maid. When I told his mother the truth, she was
at first extremely angry at what she was convinced must be a mistake on
my part; but further inquiry dis