about the duty of marriage kiss the girls of
their hearts with an eye to the general welfare? I can fancy them
saying, "My angel, I love you--from a sense of duty to the state. Let
us rear innumerable progeny--from a sense of duty to the state." How
charmed the girls would be!

If the marrying age changes, if the birth-rate shows a sympathetic
tendency to follow the death-rate (as it must--see "X"), no one need
be alarmed. Elementary principles of right and wrong are not trembling
on their bases. The human conscience is not silenced. The nation is
not going to the dogs. Conduct is adjusting itself to new conditions,
and that is all. We may not be able to see exactly _how_ conditions
are changing; that is a detail; our descendants will see exactly;
meanwhile the change in our conduct affords us some clew. And although
certain nervous persons do get alarmed, and do preach, and do "take
measures," the rest of us may remain placid in the sure faith that
"measures" will avail nothing whatever. If there are two things set
high above legislation, "movements," crusades, and preaching, one is
the marrying age and the other is the birth-rate. For there the
supreme instinct comes along and stamps ruthlessly on all insincere
reasonings and sham altruisms; stamps on everything, in fact, and
blandly remarks: "I shall suit my own convenience, and no one but
Nature herself (with a big, big N) shall talk to _me_. Don't pester me
with Right and Wrong. I _am_ Right and Wrong...." Having thus
attempted to clear the ground a little of fudge, I propose next to
offer a few simple remarks on marriage.

THE ADVENTURE OF IT

Having endeavoured to show that men do not, and should not, marry from
a sense of duty to the state or to mankind, but simply and solely from
an egoistic inclination to marry, I now proceed to the individual case
of the man who is "in a position to marry" and whose affections are
not employed. Of course, if he has fallen in love, unless he happens
to be a person of extremely powerful will, he will not weigh the pros
and cons of marriage; he will merely marry, and forty thousand cons
will not prevent him. And he will be absolutely right and justified,
just as the straw as it rushes down the current is absolutely right
and justified. But the privilege of falling in love is not given to
everybody, and the inestimable privilege of falling deeply in love is
given to few. However, the man whom circumstances permit to marry bu