Here is something else that I have seen. I have seen a
family of six in one room. Of these, four were brothers and
sisters, all within, none over, their teens. There were
three beds between the six. When I came upon them they were
out of work, - the young ones in bed to keep warm. I took
them for very young married couples. It was the Scripture
reader who undeceived me. This is not the exception to the
rule, look you, but the rule itself. How will you deal with
it? It is with Nature, immoral Nature and her heedless
instincts that you have to deal. With what kind of fork will
you expel her? It is with Nature's wretched children, the
BETES HUMAINES,
Quos venerem incertam rapientes more ferarum,
that your account lies. Will they cease to listen to her
maddening whispers: 'Unissez-vous, multipliez, il n'est
d'autre loi, d'autre but, que l'amour?' What care they for
her aside - 'Et durez apres, si vous le pouvez; cela ne me
regarde plus'? It doesn't regard them either.
The infallible panacea, so the 'Progressive' tell us, is
education - lessons on the piano, perhaps? Doctor Malthus
would be more to the purpose; but how shall we administer his
prescriptions? One thing we might try to teach to advantage,
and that is the elementary principles of hygiene. I am heart
and soul with the Progressive as to the ultimate remedial
powers of education.
