Page:The Woman Socialist - Snowden - 1907.djvu/57

 power, and with so little self-respect, and respect for his girl-friend, that he is willing to neglect his books and spoil his own prospects and hers for the sake of a senseless flirtation or a vulgar intrigue.

But in the intermediate stages of Socialist development,—even under a complete Socialism,—the sacred and peculiarly feminine function of motherhood shall be recognised by the community, and an education for that occupation be given to all the female children.

Strange, that to-day so much should be made of the maternal function of woman, and that so much fear should exist of the consequences upon it of increased liberty, when it is remembered that practically no teaching whatever, and certainly no effective training for this great work is given in the schools to those who are to become the mothers of the future.

Some little instruction, very elementary, is given in the principles of Hygiene, Human Physiology, and Domestic Economy, in some of the schools; but this mainly for the purposes of examination. Every other occupation has its apprenticeship, or period of initiation and training. A doctor