of
service to a woman unless it is a freedom to follow her own nature. I
am very glad that the book that is now finished was not written in
that period of my belief. I have waited and I have lived.

Five years ago I took up definitely the task of writing the book. At
that time the plan of the work was made and the first Introductory
chapter written. Circumstances into which I need not enter caused the
work again to be put aside. I am glad: I have learnt much in these
last years.

There is little more that I need to say.

The book is divided into three parts--the first biological, the second
historical. These two parts are preliminary to the third part, which
deals with the present-day aspects of the Woman Problem, the
differences between woman and man, and the relations of the sexes.

This arrangement of my inquiry into three parts was necessary. It may
seem to some that I should have done better to confine my
investigations to the present. But the claim of woman for freedom is
rooted deep in the past. This fact had to be established. I have tried
to give the earlier sections such lighter qualities and interest as
would commend them to my readers. It is hardly necessary for me to say
I can make no claim to personal scientific knowledge. Probably I have
made many mistakes.

It is perhaps foolish to make apologies for work that one has done.
But the inclusion of so wide a field has had a disadvantage. My
investigations may be objected to as in certain points not being
supported by sufficient proof. I know this. My stacks of unused notes
remind me of how much I have had to leave out. This is especially the
case in the final part. The subject of every chapter treated here
could easily form a volume in itself. I hope that at least I have
opened up suggestions of many questions on which I could not dwell at
length.

Some remarks may be necessary as to the nature of my material. It has
been drawn from a variety of sources. I have tried to acknowledge in
footnotes the great amount of help I have received. But my notes have
been taken during many years, and if any acknowledgment has been
forgotten, it is my memory that is at fault, and not my gratitude. The
Bibliography (which has been drawn up chiefly from the works I have
consulted, and is merely representative) will show how many fields
there are from which the student may glean. In particular I am
indebted to the works of Havelock Ellis, of Iwan Bloch and Ellen Key.