Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/165

 thinking of dances, toilettes and domestic duties, and was passionately fond of horses. She was obliged to marry from reasons of family-convenience: but though she became a mother, her vita sexualis was totally averse to such a normal union, and presently the marriage was dissolved. Countess V— therewith settled in England. She became much engrossed in sporting life, and was a steady patron of the turf, was constantly at racing-meetings, and so on. It was a near collateral member of the family of this lady who is the hero of an Uranian tragedy, given in another chapter of this study.

The Remark may be made here, that exactly as certain forms of college-theatricals for young men develop their similisexual instincts, and much as react, if in less direct degree, athletics in university life for men, so comes with the theatrical and athletic interests of women's colleges a tendency to abnormal sexualism of young women. It sometimes confirms the instinct in the "born" Uraniad. The question of athletic work and sport for young women is too little regarded by parents and by physicians, in its relations to sexual life. Further consideration of this topic will be met in the next chapter.

In Riga, some time age occurred one of those distinctive cases of concealed uraniadism that are so constantly spoken of as being "unique", and "unexampled" and the like, when really not such at all. The widow of a man of standing in Riga presented a petition to the authorities to be allowed to resume her maiden-name; the more justifiably as her deceased husband had been a woman. With the latter she had lived happily, and as it appeared with satisfactory sexual relations between them (the deceased partner being in the masculine rôle) during about nineteen years. On being asked why she had not disclosed