I do not think that women will fail (even if for a time they stumble a little) in finding the way. The vital germinal spot of each forward step in women’s position must be sought with the women who are the conscious mothers of the race. The great women reformers are not those who would have women act just like men in all externals, but those who are conscious that all men are born of women. In this lies women’s strength in the past and in this must be their strength in that glad future that is to be. But only if motherhood is regarded as an intrinsic glory, and children are born in freedom. Think what this means. The birth of a child, in so far as its mother has not received the sanction of a man, is subject to the fire and brimstone of public scorn. And this scorn is the most pitiful result in all the patriarchal record. A woman’s natural right is her right to be a mother, and it is the most inglorious page in the history of woman that too often she has allowed herself to be deprived of that right. Women have this lesson first to learn. We, and not men, must fix the standard in sex, for we have to play the chief part in the racial life. Let us, then, reacquire our proud instinctive consciousness, which we are fully justified in having, of being the mothers of humanity; and having that consciousness, once more we shall be invincible. INDEX A Absorption by the male of female ideas, 75 Advance of the family to the clan and tribe, 36, 67-91, 170, 256 _et seq._ Africa, 174-176, 204-205 Agriculture and women, 60 _et seq._, 116, 158, 194-208 Ahitas of Philippines, 152 Alladians of Gold Coast, 185 Allison, Mrs., 198 Amazons, 34, 36, 38, 228, 245-246 Amazons, revolt of, 31, 32, 36, 38 _Ambel-anak_ marriage, 147, 182 American aborigines, 27, 95-131, 148, 198, 206 Andamanese, women’s work among, 197 Andombies, women’s work among, 201 Apes, anthropoid, 72, 80, 81 Arabia, 178, 206 Arabs, 179-180, 189 Architects, women as primitive, 117, 203 Arruwimi tribe, 201 Aryans, mother-descent among, 230 _et seq._ Athens, 216, 220 Atkinson, Mr., 24, 47, 51, 52, 56, 69, 71, 72, 73, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86 Australia, 102, 167-170, 178 Australia, work of women in, 197, 200, 210 B Babylon, position of women in ancient, 214-215 Bacchanalian festivals, 38, 241, 243 Bachofen, 26 _et seq._, 40, 97, 154, 165, 216, 240, 245 Bachofen’s theory of matriarchy, 26-44 Bancroft, 116, 119, 124, 125, 184 Bandelier, 207 Banyai tribe, 183 Barton, 178 Basques, 229 Batu tribe, 175 Bavili tribe, 185 _Beena_ marriage, 178, 182, 183, 223, 248 Benefits of marriage law for women, 32 Beni-Amer of Africa, 211 Berbers, 222-227 Bonwick, 195 Brewers, women as, 203 Bride-price, 159, 184, 190, 260, 263 Brute-force of male, 44. _See_ Father as tyrant. Buckley, 197, 198 C Californian Redskins, 124 Campbell, 183 Capture of wives, 51, 64, 74, 80, 83, 169, 181 Celts, 233, 234 Ceylon, 173, 182 Charleroix, 114