sband. Her emotions, her mind, her heart, her happiness, her
preferences do not count for anything. The one act is made
all-important. On the husband's side, if he provides for his wife and
family, he is justified in exacting the sole right to the wife's body,
and although his own heart and caresses may be given to another, he
justifies himself, and the wife not infrequently feels satisfied, as
long as he provides well for her. What is this but prostitution? The
principle is the same as in the case of the recognized prostitute,
although the conditions are easier for the woman, and less cheapening
of her womanhood, but the difference is only in degree.

Now, a singular idea of fidelity, a direct antithesis to the one just
mentioned, prevails among prostitutes, when married either by law or
by selection.

They may surrender their physical body to another, for money, and
according to their idea they may yet remain true to the husband or
lover, because the matter is a business transaction. The other man has
only what he has purchased, namely, the physical body. But should the
woman permit another man to arouse in her a sexual response; should
another invade her mind, absorb her thoughts, or engage her heart, the
husband is outraged and the woman realizes her unfaithfulness.

All of which goes to show that up to the present time sexual morality
has in itself no absolute uniform standard by which it can be measured
and satisfactorily and convincingly presented to all persons, as have
other phases of morality, such as honesty, justice, mercy, generosity,
friendship, fidelity to country, and self-sacrifice to the good of
humanity.

And although all these moral qualities have their bearing upon sexual
morality, they do not establish a uniform ideal of sexual morality.
Honesty is honesty whether in Paris, London, Calcutta, or Pekin, but
as has been previously observed, sexual morality is determined by
local conditions.

Can there, then, be established a universal standard of sexual
morality? There can, but its universal acceptance is a remote
probability, albeit it will arrive some day.

First of all, the sex relation must be absolutely free from sale;
coercion; or barter; whether within the respectable "sale" of
matrimony or of recognized prostitution. It must be free from any
erroneous idea of marital duty; it must be exalted, reverenced,
deified, in all its aspects, from the impregnation of a plant, to the
sexual embra