For over a hundred years woman had been gradually developing in strength and stature, and had by this time attained as great a height as man formerly possessed. ‘Woman’s weakness’ was an unknown term, except from ancient literature, for owing to the various athletic exercises which for generations had been the universal custom for girls and women to engage in, and also to the increased physical strength attained by abstemiousness from much child-bearing, they had almost overtaken the males in vigour, and endurance. Courage being the accompaniment of bodily strength the myth of a woman running away from a mouse was regarded as a silly invention of their ancestors for the purpose of pleasantry, or a playful manner of showing up the difference of the organisation of the sexes. But there were cynics to be found who averred that the comic papers of the nineteenth century in their skits on society gave as true a reflection of its condition, from one point of view, as the most veracious and trustworthy historian could have afforded. It appeared, indeed, utterly absurd to the twentieth-century mind, when they turned over the leaves of some ancient copy of _Punch_ to see the joke portraying the bald-headed pater looking aghast when the monthly nurse presents him with the twelfth consignment, which are twins! ‘Why the man ought to be dandling his grand-children at his time of life, he is actually bald, and babies coming still!’ the reader of those ancient cynicisms would exclaim. They could not understand the imprudence of parents bringing children into the world for almost the whole of their natural lives. Leaving themselves without leisure or ease to enjoy the fruits of their industry in middle age, while yet youthful enough to appreciate the pleasures of life. The nursery story—most artistically illustrated, of course,—descriptive of the condition of their ancestors formed a curious revelation to twentieth-century children. ‘This is the man who toiled all day to fill the mouths of seven hungry children that didn’t get enough. ‘This is the woman all worn with care, who was wife to the man that toiled all day, to fill the mouths of seven hungry children that didn’t get enough. ‘This is the strap the woman used, all worn with care, who was wife to the man that toiled all day to fill the mouths of seven hungry children that didn’t get enough. ‘This is the pup that eat up the strap the woman used, all worn with care, who was wife to the man that toiled all day to fill the mouths of seven hungry children that didn’t get enough. ‘This is the cat that clawed the pup, that eat up the strap, the woman used, all worn with care, who was wife to the man that toiled all day to fill the mouths of seven hungry children that didn’t get enough.