Women have their disqualifications for the marriage bed—many from causes which we have already enumerated, and many from others over which they have no control. Among the latter, absolute fear of the consequences imbibed through early intuition of some disappointed maiden-aunt—some from acquired notions of the immorality of the proceeding—others from personal disrelish—a total absence of desire;[31] and many, although an ungenerous world may be sceptical of the truth hereof, have not the least idea of the difference even of the sexes; at least the use and purposes of that difference. There are ways of preparing females for what they will have to encounter at all periods of life; and no mother should fail to instruct her child, as circumstances demand, of the expectancy of each succeeding era of her coming existence. It is not intended thereby to be urged, that females cannot be too early initiated into the mysteries of matrimonial ceremonies and consequences; but there is a time, and an age, when such intelligence should be conveyed to them, and by no means should they be allowed to form alliances without such knowledge. The reader, I repeat, may possibly express a doubt whether such an event ever did occur;—he may be assured that many such have, and do still occur, and are productive of much distress. Nor is it intended that the physiology of reproduction should form part of the preliminary education of a boarding-school young female; but no woman ought to become a mother without knowing something of the phenomena of conception. It is really astonishing to see the very great ignorance of these matters entertained by woman in general: it may be constructed into a specimen of American modesty: but it occasions many needless fears and anxieties that sometimes prove of serious consequence to a lying-in woman. At the hour of peril, as it is called, how few women, except those in humble life, and who have earnt their little knowledge by dear-bought experience,—have any idea of aiding their fellow-sister at the moment of their affliction: indeed by the ignorance, fear, and impatience they display, they unnecessarily alarm the patient or themselves, and put a whole family into confusion; whereas, by the help of a little information on this subject, they might allay the fears of the timid and assist the weak, and not unfrequently be the instruments whereby the life itself of the infant, or mother, might be saved. We have before stated, that persons subject to hereditary diseases ought not to become parents, because by so doing they will bring into the world a progeny, whose issue will eventually become extinct. And it is to these persons that we now more particularly address our remarks.