cter, and take up their peculiar
work. Heretofore, all the physical development of the child has been for
self alone; the gradual growth of each organism has pointed to nothing
outside; each has been in a manner isolated. But now we have a
foreshadowing of a nobler meaning to human life, for man is not to be
alone, an isolated individual; he attains his highest significance only
in relation to others.[8] I say it is supposed that by thirteen or
fourteen years of steady _educated_ growth, the system in both sexes has
acquired strength enough to assume this last duty; and if this growth
has been educated growth in both sexes, it does do so. I am considering,
however, only the girls, and all that is said hereafter must be
understood as applying specially to them. It makes its first trial of
its newly acquired power, and, in a well-trained organism, such as we
are thankful to know are yet found in our own country, it does do so
with as little effort, with as little outer disturbance of the general
system as is manifested when the first new tooth cuts through the gum of
the seven year old little girl. If it is asserted that such cases are
rare, I can only answer that such is not the testimony of other women of
large acquaintance, whom I have consulted; and that even if they were,
the sufficient answer to the statement would be that cases of girls who
have been physically thoroughly educated, are equally rare. No
impression can be given to American women which will tend more directly
towards producing the opposite result in our girls, than one which
should lead them to believe thoroughly that this last period of
development is necessarily a period of great physical or mental
disturbance. American women have common sense enough to know that they
must submit to the inevitable, but they have also common sense enough to
fight against, and to conquer, what is not inevitable, provided it is
not desirable; and if what I have said above could become the conviction
of every American woman as thoroughly as it is that of some of them, we
should in thirteen more years be able to prove it by innumerable cases.
Every woman who knows it and acts upon the knowledge in educating her
daughter, thereby becomes a benefactor to her country and her race.

We all know that many a baby cuts all its first teeth without any
trouble, noticeable nervous excitement, or derangement of any of the
bodily functions. We know, also, that large numbers are sick;