is a fear of young people hearing the
sexual question spoken of freely and openly; but it is not taken into
account that in hiding these things under half-understood words one
only excites their curiosity, and, owing to their being blindfolded,
they are delivered into the snares and surprises of debauchery.

I cannot better illustrate the error that I have just pointed out than
by quoting, among several others of the same kind, a letter which I
have received from a young girl, aged 21 years, intelligent, virtuous,
educated, and well brought up, but without restraint.

Having read my book she put several questions to me to which I
replied. On my part I requested her to tell me frankly:

(1). If, in her opinion, I had been mistaken in my judgment of the
sexual psychology of the normal young girl; (2). If my book had done
her the least harm, moral or otherwise.

I begged her to criticise me without pity, for I wished above all
things to be clear on the effect produced by my book. This is her
letter:

"I must thank you for the deep and unalterable impression which
your book has produced on me. I am a young girl of 21 years, and
you know how difficult it is for us to see clearly into those
natural things which so closely concern us. I cannot, therefore,
thank you too much for the calm enlightenment which has been
produced in me, and for the just and humane words which you
devote to the education of our sex. I hope one day to have the
good fortune to apply to my children the ideas on education with
which you have inspired me.

"You ask me for the impression which your book has made on me.
It is true that I am still very young, but I have read much. My
mother has brought me up very freely, so that I can count myself
among the young girls who are free from prejudice. In spite of
this, a sort of internal anxiety or false shame has hindered me
from speaking of all the things of which you treat. All that I
knew I had read in books or derived by instinct. Although I knew
very well that my mother would always answer my questions I
never asked any.

"I declare that latterly my mind had been in a state of
veritable chaos. I was obsessed and tormented by a fear of
everything of which I was ignorant and some day ought to learn.
This is why I was anxious to read your book which a friend
showed me. I will now express myself more clearly.