Page:War and Other Essays.djvu/102

66 tenth century, Ibrahim Ibn Jakub, says of Poland at that time that grain was cheap and the bride-price for wives high. Therefore, if a man had many daughters, he was rich; if he had many sons he was poor. The interplay of interests under the forms of material gain, sex-passion, and vanity is here most complicated and fierce; but the interference of philosophy and religion is noticeably slight. The phases are many, and there is not a feeling of the human heart which does not bear upon the sex-relation in one way or another. Masculine love of rule and domination, and masculine generosity to an object of affection, have modified every status. Fuegians prefer boys, who when they grow up will have means of strength and protection to their parents. The Amarr-Bambala celebrate the birth of a boy with a banquet; boys will become the strength of the country as hunters and warriors. The Ossetes celebrate the birth of boys only. Such is the usual sentiment, but in frequent cases girls are preferred. The Basutos find it a financial calamity if a woman bears all boys, for girls are salable and constitute a capital. In Kamerun a girl is preferred because she will soon bring a bride-price. Amongst Hindus, "when a son is born there is great rejoicing in the family and friends come with their congratulations, but on the birth of a daughter there are no sounds indicative of gladness in the house." When a boy is born the conch shell is blown to call all the neighbors to rejoice; when a girl is born the conch shell is