problem raised for married persons that concerns me. About two main
points I am quite clear.

In the first place, for two healthy young persons to marry with the
definite intention of having no children is, I believe, an unchristian
thing. If they cannot afford to have children they cannot afford
to marry. If at the beginning they interfere with nature they spoil
their first experiences of sexual intimacy, which should be spontaneous
and untrammelled. I even believe that artificial attempts to postpone
the arrival of a first child are a deplorable mistake. The first
consummation of love should be closely followed by parentage. Some
couples having followed the plan of postponing parentage have, when it
was too late, found that by this course they had forfeited the
possibility of that great privilege. Of course children mean very hard
work. Of course they restrict the freedom of parents to pursue their
own pleasure, and use up a large proportion of the family income. But
these things are a blessing in disguise. Comparative poverty for young
couples is a bracing and a useful discipline. Probably the cream of the
nation consists of men and women reared in families of four or five,
where the parents gave much individual attention to each child, and by
self-denial helped them to a good start in life. When birth control is
resorted to in order to avoid the labors of family life it is a purely
selfish and quite indefensible thing.

I am thinking of course of healthy parents. Unhealthy parents probably
ought not to have children at all.

The second point I am clear about is that for most couples to have as
many children as is possible is equally indefensible. Most healthy
couples could have far more children than they can do justice to. In