Page:The Relations Tolstoy.pdf/56

 rich if it were suggested to him that one should not accumulate money for one's family, nor erect church bells, but should give away all one has, to free oneself from sin.

I will jot down at random all I think about this.

The feeling of being in love -the most powerful over man -exist between two individuals of opposite sexes who have not yet united; this feeling leads to marriage; and marriage results in a child. The period of pregnancy begins, and, consequently, the mutual sexual attraction between husband and wife slackens -a slackening which would be very perceptible and would interrupt intercourse as it does between animals, if men did not regard such intercourse as a lawful pleasure. This slackening is replaced by solicitude for the growth and nursing of the child, and continues until weaning; and in a good married life (it is in this that lies the difference between man and animals) with the weaning the mutual attraction between the same individuals recommences.

However far from this we may be, it is yet unquestionably what should be. And this is why: First, because sexual relations, when conception is impossible (i.e., when the woman is already enceinte) has no rational meaning and is merely a sensual pleasure, and a very bad and shameful one, as every conscientious man knows -an act akin to the vilest unnatural sexual aberrations. Man addicting himself to this becomes more irrational than an animal, for he uses his reason to transgress the laws of reason. Secondly, all know and agree that intercourse weakens and exhausts the individual, and weakens him in the most essentially human activity -the spiritual activity. "Moderation," the defenders of the present habits will say; but there can be no real moderation when the laws established by reason are