Young men of high attainment and noble purposes, there is still something for you to do, to transmit the best to your progeny. Make the noblest in you still nobler, root out the weeds, attain greater heights every year, seek nobler companionship among books and men, choose for your mate the woman whose desires and ambitions are like your own, and your children will be a blessing to you and the world, and may well “rise up to call you blessed.” To the other class of young men, we have only to say, there should be before them many years of rooting and weeding and killing out, and hard preparation, before they should dare ask any good women to be their wives. Aye, more, before they should even dare to ask a woman like themselves, for think of the double inheritance of such unfortunate children as might be theirs; and think again how the world is cursed with such disinherited humanity now. The motto “Without halting, without rest, Pushing better up to best,” should be the sentiment of every young man, in view of his preparation for fatherhood. It is a lamentable fact that children have as often reason to lament their parentage, as parents their wayward children. But it is probably a merciful thing that most children of this class never realize it—merciful at least for them and their parents, but not for the coming generations. Remember you are to reproduce yourself, and in large measure what you are yourself that will your children be. Measure yourself carefully, take account of stock and see what there is that you would have different, what you would make better, what you would eradicate, what new qualities you would engraft. The little children, to be, in your home who are to call you father, are not only to copy you when they are large enough and wise enough in their love to wish to be like you; but they come into existence with inborn tendencies, that perforce make them like you, whether they will or not. Happy the parents whose children never regret their inheritances. “It isn’t all in the bringing up, Let folks say what they will, You may silver polish a pewter cup, But it will be pewter still.” CHAPTER X. ANTENATAL INFANTICIDE. The Alarming Prevalence of This Hideous Sin.—How Daughters are Initiated.—How Expectant Mothers Appeal to Reputable Physicians.—Young Women Should be Taught to Associate the Idea of Marriage with Motherhood.—Destruction of own Health and Life go Hand in Hand with Prenatal Murder.—Effect of Such Attempts Upon the Physical Life and Character.—Life from the Moment of Conception.—The Injustice and Cruel Wrongs Inflicted upon Wives by Uncontrolled Passions of Husbands.—Obligation of Motherhood Should be Recognized.—Its Blessings.—The Duty of the Physician as Educator of Public Sentiment.