Read this excerpt from "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift, in which he describes the benefits of his proposal for less affluent families in Ireland: Men would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, or sow when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage. Which inference about Ireland's less affluent husbands is best supported by evidence in the passage?

In this passage, it is implied that men often mistreat their wives, and that they treat their animals better. Swift tells us that men do not value their wives because they do not see the importance of the child they carry. However, if the child represented economic gain, they would value it, and by extension, they would value their wives who carry these babies. He tells us that this is the case with cows and mares that are pregnant. Farmers fear a miscarriage because it would represent a monetary loss, and therefore, treat them extremely well.