Page:The Relations Tolstoy.pdf/85



One of the most important aims of humanity is the education of chaste women.

Woman, so the legend says, is the tool of the devil. She is, in general, unintelligent, but the devil lends her his intelligence when she works for him, and lo! she accomplishes wonders of intelligence, of foresight, persistence, in order to do meannesses; but as soon as something which is not mean has to be done she cannot understand the simplest thing, she cannot comprehend anything beyond the present moment, and she has no patience, no persistence (except in childbirth and the care of children). All this relates to the non-Christian woman, the non-chaste woman... Oh, how one would wish to show to woman all the significance of pure womanhood. The legend of Mary is not without foundation. Chaste women will save the world.

... The calling of woman is, before all, the most important of all, the calling of human being, of which I spoke. To compare wedlock and family life with celibacy, is like comparing the conditions of county life with those of a town life: the states of celibacy and wedlock in themselves cannot influence man. There is saintly and sinful celibacy, there is sinful and saintly family life. To a girl, to every girl, and to you especially as a human being in whom the inner spiritual work is beginning, I would give the advice to shun as much as possible all that in our society encourages the idea of the necessity, desirableness of marriage, and all which disposes towards it: novels, music, idle chatter, dancing, games, cards, even