On the race-course the mares have been quite able to hold the laurels for their sex; the she bear when bereaved of her whelps is terrible beyond the fury of her mate, and the simple word "mother" applied to any animal means "hands off". Women, though hampered by a greater complication of sexual structure and function, nevertheless stand the wear and tear of life fully as well as, or even better than, men; they live longer, and, if they raise families, do more work. They arrive at puberty and maturity earlier than men, and there is far greater activity in their sexual spheres; they become women before boys become men; their longing for parentage is greater, so that even as children they play with dolls, and throughout life they continue to be fond of children. Unconsciously a woman has a desire for maternity and an eagerness for a romance; and her life is continually dominated by her physical sex, whether she is married or single, though the sensual longing is far less energetically manifested in her than in man, and not so liable to overflow into wrong channels.
It is essential for a woman to have a greater knowledge of sexual hygiene of menstruation, pregnancy and lactation while sex need exercise comparatively little influence over a man's thought and attention. A clean, pure, undefined sexual feeling is thus a fundamental law in woman's nature, for love is her element; and her sexual feeling is by no means a light thing, but an inflexible yearning, normally, toward an honorable maternity, which impulse is infinitely higher in rank than the sensual passion of the libertine and seducer. Devotion is an attribute of strength, and women have that in greater degree than men; love is also an attribute of strength implying ardor, and for it a woman will brave all dangers, or bear disgrace, and victimize herself, by reason of her very nature, for the welfare of the beloved object. Everything is sacrificed for this love toward her offspring and partner, whether in honor or dishonor.
On the other hand, sensual men follow an unnatural role and display a cowardly weakness when they stain their own offspring with the bastard's inheritance, and when they give them mothers with tarnished names; they fulfil no duties to their illegitimate children, usually abandoning both them and the mothers, or at most contributing in a niggardly way to their support, but not at the loss of a single jot of their own comfort or advantage. The outraged mother, by reason of the strength of her maternal love, will, however, expend her all for her child of shame endure infamy, shield it, and fight for it as will a tigress for her cubs.
Outside of the marriage relationship, no man can indulge in the act of love without offending the dictates of his moral nature and of his manhood. Like a coward the fallen man slinks away from the disgrace and responsibility of his act, refusing to acknowledge his own child, and abandoning to her deplorable infamy the lovable woman, thinking to place a market value on her shame.
In trifles many men display before the gentler sex gallantries fit for the drawing-room, but in the great affairs of life this conduct is often put aside, and those women who are unprotected are driven to the wall, being the "weaker vessels" indeed in the infamous work of marring Creation's plan and perverting the promptings of Nature. Men desire outward decorations and recognition of their nobleness and grandeur; if there is a great effort called for, or a wild beast to fight, the man goes out to do battle for the family, and never tires of hearing his wife and children and neighbors praise and honor his heroism, and call him a strong, noble man. He likes praise, flattery, and an appreciated record, and desires orders and medals for his service to such a degree that he is unique in the animal kingdom as a medal wearing animal.
Women, on the other hand, are heroic from love, and content themselves with the inner consciousness of right not receiving and not expecting fame or applause, and getting no outward decorations for their kind of heroism.
Women say that men are brave and strong; men control literature and human activities, agree with the women in their judgments, decorate each other with honors and medals, and, with a questionable magnanimity, have styled themselves the strong sex! And yet in sexual matters they have in many instances acted the part of cowards and poltroons, heaping infamy on the illegitimate child who is absolutely innocent of all harm, outcasting the mother who comes next in innocence, and in a large measure absolving themselves, who are the principals in the appalling disaster.
Man, who has a predominant position in the world, is both "the glory and the shame of the universe", the latter characteristic being very largely due to the perversion of his sexual role in Nature.