Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-08
Twilight
Sleep
BY REV. MAREL N. IRWIN.


I'm sorrow thou shalt bring forth chill.
dren."
Woman Is the gateway Of humanity.
Through and by her come all the chill
dren OF men. Il would seem. therefore.
II she be compelled by no fault OF her
own 60 bring forth children in sorrow
and pain that q lamentabie injustice had
been done her. against which all woman
hood might reasonably be expected to re-
bel
Those who seriously regard this print.
tive curse upon motherhood as operative
today welcome the twilight sleep" ana
lts attendant painless childbirth as q be-
lated gift Of God.
Through this discovery some even
dream that paradise may be restored.
paradise where man and woman i'm
welded bliss may safely and joyousH
multiply and replenish tho earth with
out sorrog and without shame; paradise
where infthe beginning the command was
given them when God saw all that He
had made and behold It was very good"
Others there be who-having no theo-
logical bias--accounting for the modern
woman's growing aversion TO mother
hood welcome this latest gift OF SCIENCE
with optimistic assurance. These deem
that " tho pains OF childbirth were re-
moved all women would welcome mother
hood. and that the race suicide croaker"
would be heard no more in the land.
They rec In this discovery but another
asset making for national perpstuity.
! Upon soberer thought. however. II d
seen that these are at best but surfaos
conclusions. and that something other
than an iuanimate drug--however skil-
fully compounded and administered =
must be found to heal the hurt Of the
daughter Of my people" lest they cry,
Peace. peace. when there 10 no peace
Aside from all the merits Of the drug
which makes tho mother forget her pain,
aside from all the possibilities OF itr
effects upon tho newborn babe for good
or III. we must not forget that after an
tlt IL but drugging OF the sensibiiity 70
pain and not doing away with the cor
dillon itself.
Il Is otter all but n mitigation rather
than a removal OF the curse which at
tends children. The twilight sleep
bears about the same relation 70 PAIN
less birth an does the evening twilight
OF summer's day 20 the giories OF the
coming morn {,
There IL no reason to suppose that In
the nature Of the case the bearing of
young should be attended either with
isorrow OF great pain. There II no evf-
dence OF Il In the Kingdoms below man
untouched by civilization. Even the prim-
Iitive human mother, allowed TO exercise
lher primitive instinct OF virginity while
carrying her child, brings II TO birth with
little pain.
That Il has become 20 serious an ex-
perience in human civilization bespeahs
1.-THE fact that the man has wandered far
away from the origjszS; :ntert or purpnss
OF nature In It's reproductive plan.
Humanity today is suffering not from
the imposed curse OF an eztra-humar
deity, but from a disregard OF the eunda'
mentals Of the reproductive law written
in the nature OF woman herself
In the twilight sleep"-ns In all othei
nerve-numbed conditicnE--w have q
palliative and not q sure. physical be-
aullement and not q remedy.
; Welcome then a. Il may be to thoss
, who feel compelled TO choose il
''poppied aid.'' others Of US. seeking pre-
! vention rather than fancied cure: seek
, ing the way to remove the paln-curse-
by removing It's allied curses. isnoranc.
. ana transgression--m continue to ~,
, gard the twilight sleep as but n nninol
accompaniment to the Joyous song a.
! creatnion's dawn BE fruitful, and multi
! ply. and replenish the earth, and subdus
It,"