But for this she must learn to distinguish
between the ideal and the actual, between woman's nature as God designed
it, and her nature as long years of hereditary sin and disease and false
custom have made it; between the unfallen Eve, the last best work of
Creation, and the daughters of corruption and luxury, bearing the sins
of their fathers and their mothers for more than three or four
generations.

The mother must be prepared to meet the terrible questionings of her
daughter on those points of physiology which are still baffling the most
candid observers.

She should prepare herself for this duty by obtaining all the knowledge
of the subject that is possible to her. She will find that the laws of
the human organization are marked by the same wisdom and beauty as those
of the physical world; and many things which seemed dark and cruel will
be seen to be beneficent and beautiful when their whole relation is
understood. She may then give some reasonable answer to the question
which the young intellect, struggling with the great problems of
physical life, is so prone to ask, "Why was I thus made?" It helps us
very much to learn the _how_, even if we can never solve the _why_.

Every mother has not the power to answer these questions scientifically;
but if she have it herself, she can at least inspire in her child a firm
faith that everything in creation has its meaning and its use, and that
until the workings of any function are made to promote the highest
health and welfare of every human being, its law has not been discovered
and obeyed.

The very search after the answer to her inquiry, is often the healthful
exercise of mind which will drive away morbid doubts.

Health is the holiness of the body, and every girl should have a high
standard of perfect health set before her, and be made to feel that she
has no more right to trifle with and disobey the hygienic laws, than
those of morality or civil society. She should be as much ashamed of
illness brought on by her own folly, as of being whipped at school for
disobedience to her teacher.

But how low, on the contrary, is the standard of health for woman! A
thoroughly strong, able-bodied woman is almost an unknown ideal to
American society.

A physician pleading before a legislative committee of Massachusetts a
few years ago, bade the gentlemen present he grateful for their happy
lot in being exempt from the infirmities that beset women. A very
admirable teacher