When innocence leads to harmful results, it is time it was ended, and
that knowledge takes its place!_

As for the husband, the chances are not one in a million that he will
be ignorant of what an orgasm is like before he marries, since all
healthy young men "spend" at least once a week, automatically, if not
otherwise!

Let it be said further, that auto-erotism, self-spending, may be
practiced by both men and women, to their healthful benefit, when
sexual exercise cannot be secured in any other way. It is only when
_carried to excess_ that such action is in any way harmful. The only
danger is, that, the individual being alone and having all the means
for self-gratification in his or her own hands, so to speak, it is
quite possible to indulge in the action too freely, which, of
course, leads to bad results. _But the act itself is not bad._ On the
contrary, when kept within bounds, it is healthful and wholesome.

There are many unmarried women, maiden ladies, and especially widows,
who would greatly improve their health if they practiced some form of
auto-erotism, occasionally. When husbands and wives are forced to
be much away from each other, it is right for them to occasionally
satisfy themselves in this way, their souls filled with loving
thoughts of the absent one the while.

There is any amount of nonsense current about auto-erotism. As a
matter of fact, all boys masturbate, and many girls also. Some
authors claim that more than half of all women engage in some form
of auto-erotism, at some time in their lives, and the estimate is
probably too low rather than too high. But, unless they carry the act
to excess, they are guilty of no wrong. Not infrequently, they may
make the act a means of great good to themselves. _The sex organs are
alive! They constantly secrete fluids that need to be excreted, as
all other organs of the body do. They ought to be relieved, as their
nature requires they should be._ If this cannot be accomplished as
the most natural way prescribes, it is only right to do the next best
thing. Only, it should not be carried to excess. Be temperate in all
things. Gratify yourself, but don't ABUSE yourself. Auto-erotism, or
masturbation, should never be permitted to become "self-abuse," nor
is there any need that it should ever do so. It should be
self-upbuilding, not self degrading. Rightly used it can be thus.

IX

COITUS RESERVATUS

This brings us to another item in the matter of s