_The Purity Ideal._—Nine out of ten of the women who accept the ideal of virginity as that of purity have no idea where this delusion originated. The theory of woman’s innocence and purity was launched during the days of chivalry. Even modern women have a soft spot in their hearts for chivalry. What was it? Was it the high and noble Galahad belief that women were superior spiritual beings, far above the touch of mere man? If so, man’s actions have never proved it. It was not. In a few words, men put women on a so-called pedestal, not to worship her, but to keep her from seeing what they were doing. They told her the world was a low place, and they would shield her from it, and women, blinded by flattery, fell for the hoax. Men have never really reverenced women. A few have reverenced one woman, mother, wife or sister. But the fundamental reason for their so doing was not to do honor to her, but to keep her ignorant of what they were doing. Men realized, either consciously or unconsciously, that they could rule the world only so long as women were ignorant of its customs and habits. An ignorant foe is no foe. Therefore, so long as women were kept in ignorance, they could not threaten man’s supremacy. Face this fact, all women. Stop yielding to the silly, hypocritical sham of chivalry, and your progress in man’s world will be made in rapid, shining strides.