urned this creature. I
remember she danced before me, singing. I recall how she glanced
at me from the corner of her eye, how she played with me, clung
to me. Give her back to me," and Twashtri returned the woman to
him. Three days only passed and Twashtri saw the man coming to
him again. "My Lord," said he, "I do not understand exactly how
it is, but I am sure that the woman causes me more annoyance
than pleasure. I beg you to relieve me of her."

But Twashtri cried: "Go your way and do the best you can." And
the man cried: "I cannot live with her!" "Neither can you live
without her!" replied Twashtri.

And the man went away sorrowful, murmuring: "Woe is me, I can
neither live with nor without her."

PREFACE

In the first chapter of this book I have shown, I believe
convincingly, why sex knowledge is even more important for women than
it is for men. I have examined carefully the books that have been
written for girls and women, and I know that it is not bias, nor
carping criticism, but strict honesty that forces me to say that I
have not found one satisfactory girl's or woman's sex book. There are
some excellent books for girls and women on general hygiene; but on
sex hygiene, on the general manifestations of the sex instinct, on sex
ethics--none. I have attempted to write such a book. Whether I have
succeeded--fully, partially or not at all--is not for me to say,
though I have my suspicions. But this I know: in writing this book I
have been strictly honest with myself, from first page to last.
Whether everything I have written is the truth, I do not know. But at
least I believe that it is--or I would not have written it. And I can
solemnly say that the book is free from any cant, hypocrisy,
falsehood, exaggeration or compromise, nor has any attempt been made
in any chapter to conciliate the stupid, the ignorant, the pervert, or
the sexless.

As in all my other books I have used plain, honest English. Not any
plainer than necessary, but plain enough to avoid obscurity and
misconception.

Science and art are both necessary to human happiness. This is not the
place to discuss the relative importance of the two. And, while I have
no patience with art-for-art's-sake, I recognize that the scientist
can not be put into a narrow channel and ordered to go into a certain
definite direction. Scientific investigations which seemed aimless and
useless have sometimes