but neither
Celis nor the others would consent.

"We can't expect them to want to go with us--yet," said Terry sagely.
"Wait a bit, boys. We've got to take 'em on their own terms--if at all."
This, in rueful reminiscence of his repeated failures.

"But our time's coming," he added cheerfully. "These women have never
been mastered, you see--" This, as one who had made a discovery.

"You'd better not try to do any mastering if you value your chances,"
I told him seriously; but he only laughed, and said, "Every man to his
trade!"

We couldn't do anything with him. He had to take his own medicine.

If the lack of tradition of courtship left us much at sea in our
wooing, we found ourselves still more bewildered by lack of tradition of
matrimony.

And here again, I have to draw on later experience, and as deep an
acquaintance with their culture as I could achieve, to explain the gulfs
of difference between us.

Two thousand years of one continuous culture with no men. Back of that,
only traditions of the harem. They had no exact analogue for our word
HOME, any more than they had for our Roman-based FAMILY.

They loved one another with a practically universal affection, rising
to exquisite and unbroken friendships, and broadening to a devotion to
their country and people for which our word PATRIOTISM is no definition
at all.

Patriotism, red hot, is compatible with the existence of a neglect of
national interests, a dishonesty, a cold indifference to the
suffering of millions. Patriotism is largely pride, and very largely
combativeness. Patriotism generally has a chip on its shoulder.

This country had no other country to measure itself by--save the few
poor savages far below, with whom they had no contact.

They loved their country because it was their nursery, playground,
and workshop--theirs and their children's. They were proud of it as a
workshop, proud of their record of ever-increasing efficiency; they had
made a pleasant garden of it, a very practical little heaven; but most
of all they valued it--and here it is hard for us to understand them--as
a cultural environment for their children.

That, of course, is the keynote of the whole distinction--their
children.

From those first breathlessly guarded, half-adored race mothers, all
up the ascending line, they had this dominant thought of building up a
great race through the children.

All the surrendering devotion our women have put into their private