=When not necessary to confess the wrong.=--If her sin has not been made public and she has not been a mother, I would not advise that she make confession to her lover. Men who have been even more guilty do not confess their sins. She will, all her life, shed many bitter tears and suffer many heart agonies because of her mistake. These sad experiences may make her all the more patient, kind and loving. I have told you these sad, sad tragedies that come to many girls who over-love and over-trust, that you may more perfectly sympathize with and help the erring ones and be safeguarded against the wiles of men. CHAPTER XXXI THE MIRACLE OF MOTHERHOOD =Sublime miracle of motherhood.=--My talks to you would not be complete without a study of the sublime miracle of motherhood, the creation of a new life. It is no wonder that motherhood, in all ages and by the great of all nations, has been treated with due respect and reverence. =Ovulation.=--In this talk we shall begin with the beginning of life and trace life’s development up to birth. The formation of an egg, or ovum, by one of the ovaries once every twenty-eight days is called ovulation. When the ovum matures it breaks through the membrane of the ovary and the little muscular fingers of the oviduct, on that side, take up the ovum and convey it to the womb. This usually takes place during menstruation and the egg enters the womb near the cessation of the flow. Sometimes the egg may reach the womb before menstruation begins. It is possible for an egg to form at any time between periods of menstruation, but this is of unusual occurrence. =Impregnation.=--If, in either of these events, the husband and wife, being both of matured age, vigorous, [Illustration: A HAPPY MOTHER.] healthy and strong, engage in the reproductive act, the wife will conceive. When one of the sperm cells of the husband unites with the germ cell or egg of the wife, conception or impregnation takes place. This is the beginning of life, the creative moment of a new life, a new being. It is at this creative moment that an immortal soul is started upon its eternal voyage, nine months before it makes its visible appearance in the world. =All life begins with a cell.=--Every living being begins life as a single cell of protoplasm. The cell from which a child is formed is produced by the union of two cells, the germ cell of the mother and the sperm cell of the father. The germ cell is much larger than the sperm cell. At the point where the sperm cell enters the ovum a new cell is formed. This new cell is the beginning of a new life and is called the embryo. The embryo receives its nourishment for several days from the food material stored up in the ovum. When the sperm cell fuses with this minute ovum, 1-120th of an inch in diameter, the ovum becomes attached to the velvety inner surface of the womb. At this point of the womb the mucous membrane begins a rapid growth and in a very few hours has enveloped the ovum.