offer this explanation as a necessary comment.

XI

PREGNANCY

And now just a few words about having children, and this treatise will
end.

As has already been said, every true husband and wife who are well
enough and strong enough, and who are reasonably furnished with this
world's goods, ought to have and rear at least two children. The world
needs at least so many, even if all children lived and grew up, to
keep up the constant number of people on the earth. But, far more than
this, the husband and wife need children _to make a home complete, and
a complete home is the supreme attainment of human life!_

This does not mean that people should not marry unless they can have
children; there are many women who should never even try to become
mothers. But these should not be deprived of all sexual joys for this
reason. On the contrary, it is for their best good, in most cases,
that they should marry and so live normal sex lives, in all respects
except parenthood.

But, for the most part, husbands and wives _can_ have children, if
they so desire, _and they_ SHOULD _so desire_.

And, so desiring, the question is, How can they best fulfil such
desire?

As a matter of fact, there is very little that is really known about
the begetting of children, and the securing of the best results from
such action. The laws of human heredity are, as yet, for the most
part, unknown. But common sense would seem to indicate a few things
that must be best in the premises.

Thus, it would seem to be for the best that the husband and wife
should be in good physical condition when a child is begotten. More
than this, it would seem right that the act of begetting should be a
_deliberate_, and not a mere _chance_ begetting. Hence, in general,
it is well for the husband and wife to _agree_ upon a time for the
begetting of a child, and _deliberately accomplish a sex-meeting
for such purpose_. Although, one instinctively feels that such a
deliberate meeting might be too matter of fact--too cold and formal,
lacking in warm blood and genuine emotion; still, the probabilities
are that even this could be overcome, if kept in mind and "provided
for."

Referring to the things that have already been said, of course an
embrace which is to result in pregnancy should be one of the most
perfect that can possibly be experienced, one in which, in an ecstasy
of love's delight, husband and wife merge their souls and bodies into
a perfect onen