When we take under consideration the higher, truer love of one sex for

the other, that is, an affection which is not simply a friendship, but

has a sex basis, we realize that it may be a very noble emotion. There

is no manner of doubt but that the normal human being feels a great

need for love. Sex in love and its manifestation in the life of the

soul is one of the first conditions of human happiness, and a main aim

of human existence.

All know the tale of Cupid's arrow. A man falls in love with a face, a

pair of eyes, the sound of a voice, and his affection is developed

from this trifling beginning until it takes complete possession of

him. This love is usually made up of two components: a sex instinct,

and feelings of sympathy and interest which hark back to primal times.

And this love, in its true sense, should stand for an affection

purified from egoism.

When, among the lower animal forms we find individuals without a

determined sex, egoism develops free from all restraint. Each

individual creature devours as much as it can and feeding, together

with propagation by division, "budding" or conjunction, makes up the

total of its vital activities. It need do no more to accomplish the

purpose of its existence. Even when propagation commences to take

place by means of individual male and female parents, the same

principle of egoism largely obtains. The spiders are typical instances

of this: in their case the carrying out of the natural functions of

the male spider is attended with much danger for him, owing to the

fact that if he does not exercise the greatest care, he is apt to be

devoured immediately afterward by his female partner, in order that no

useful food matter may be lost. Yet even in the case of the spiders,

the female spider already gives proof of a certain capacity for

sacrifice where her young are concerned, at any rate for a short time

after they have crept from the egg.

In animals somewhat higher in the creative scale, more or less

powerful feelings of affection may develop out of their sex

association. There is affection on the part of the male for his mate,

and on the part of the female for her young. Often these feelings

develop into a strong, lasting affection between the sexes, and years

of what might be called faithful matrimonial union have been observed

in the case of birds. This in itself is sufficient to establish the

intimate relationship between love in a sex sense and love in a




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024