sually painful to the new wife, and
no enjoyment to her follows. Great caution and kindness should be
exercised. A young couple rushing together in their animal passion soon
produce a nervous and irritating condition which ere long brings apathy,
indifference, if not dislike. True love and a high regard for each other
will temper passion into moderation.

8. WERE THE ABOVE INJUNCTIONS HEEDED fully and literally it would be folly
to say more, but this would be omitting all account of the bridegroom's new
position, the power of his passion, and the timidity of the fair creature
who is wondering what fate has in store for her trembling modesty. To be
sure, there are some women who are possessed of more forward natures and
stronger desires than others. In such cases there may be less trouble.

9. A COMMON ERROR.--The young husband may have read in some treatise on
physiology that the hymen in a virgin is the great obstacle to be overcome.
He is apt to conclude that this is all, that some force will be needed to
break it down, and that therefore an amount of urgency even to the degree
of inflicting considerable pain is justifiable. This is usually wrong. It
rarely constitutes any obstruction, and, even when its rupturing may be
necessary, it alone seldom causes suffering.

There are sometimes certain deformities of the vagina, but no woman should
knowingly seek matrimonial relations when thus afflicted.

We quote from Dr. C. A. Huff the following:

10. "WHAT IS IT, THEN, THAT USUALLY CAUSES distress to many women, whether
a bride or a long-time wife?" The answer is, Simply those conditions of the
organs in which they are not properly prepared, by anticipation and desire,
to receive a foreign body. The modest one craves only refined and platonic
love at first, and if husbands, new and old, would only realize this plain
truth, wife-torturing would cease and the happiness of each one of all
human pairs vastly increase. {204}

11. THE CONDITIONS OF THE FEMALE organs depend upon the state of the mind
just as much as in the case of the husband. The male, however, being more
sensual, is more quickly roused. She is far less often or early ready. In
its unexcited state the vagina is lax, its walls are closed together, and
their surfaces covered by but little lubricating secretion. The chaster one
of the pair has no desire that this sacred vestibule to the great arcana of
procreation shall be immediately and roughly invaded. This,