ieve it to be
"the thing to do."

One or two illustrations which have come to my personal knowledge will
perhaps show the kind of idea which is conveyed to the mind of young
people by books and speeches on this subject, though such results may
not have been desired by the authors or speakers.

A young bride came to her mother on returning from her honeymoon and
said, "Mother, how long must we wait before having children--is it
really necessary to prevent them for a year or two? We are both dying
to have babies."

A young couple on the eve of marriage consulted a gynaecologist
regarding the question of using the cap pessary to prevent the
possibility of having children for a few years.

The bride, who was greatly distressed, produced the pessary which she
had purchased, and said she could not possibly use it; her fiance,
however, had been advised that she could, and ought to do so, hence
the first serious dispute had arisen between them, clouding the
future.

She was told by her doctor that it was quite impossible for her, and
this fully satisfied the future husband.

The next point was if this method were impossible what should be used.

They were a splendid young couple, with ample means to support a
family, and the doctor naturally asked--"But for what purpose do you
need any methods to prevent children at all?" They hesitated and
looked at each other, and then said--"I don't know, but we thought it
was the thing to do."

They left with the whole nightmare put aside, determined not to spoil
the perfect consummation of their happiness.

Many similar cases might be quoted where young people, without any
considered motive, are acting in accordance with the vogue of the
moment.

2. The use of contraceptives does not encourage self-control, yet the
cultivation of self-control is a far higher gain to the individual and
the nation than any apparent advantages obtained by its abandonment.

By no means unimportant is the influence that wide diffusion of the
knowledge of how to prevent conception would have in causing more
irregular unions and greater promiscuity in sex relations. The effect
of this would not only loosen, rather than strengthen, the marriage
tie, but would inevitably lead to an extension of venereal disease.
Many people seem to think that contraceptives prevent venereal disease
at the same time that they prevent conception. But this is not so. The
use of methods of prevention by women is no prote