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There are now among the students of the home problems many who are seriously interested in the matter of breeding a better human stock. Many noteworthy conclusions have already been reached, and ample proofs have been produced to show that the human animal follows the same general lines of evolution as do the lower animal orders. It is shown in general, for example, that little or nothing that man has learned or acquired during his life is transmitted to his offspring. That is, even though a man devote many years to the intensive study of music or mathematics or the languages, such study will not affect the ability of his child in the study of the specialized subject. The same unaffected result obtains in respect to any other form of expertness of the merely acquired sort. For example, the fact that a man through long practice becomes expert in the use of the typewriter does not affect the character of the child in respect to such ability. It is a no less difficult task for the child to learn to master the use of the typewriter keyboard.

On the other hand, it is shown very conclusively that physical and mental characters inborn in the life of a parent tend at all times to be transmitted to the child, although many traits are known to be wanting in the first generation of children and to appear in the second or successive generations. According to the law of Mendel, the traits of the parents are transmitted to the child about as follows: one-half of the elements of one’s physical and mental natures are inherited from his parents, one-fourth from his grandparents, one-eighth from his great-grandparents, and so on. In any given case, however, there might be great variation from this rule of the averages, just as actual men and women vary more or less widely from the average human height of so many feet and inches.

There is no thought here of discussing the intricate problems of eugenics. The purpose of this brief dogmatic sketch is that of attempting to induce parents to believe that the great mass of our American-born children are comparatively sound in their physical and mental inheritances. The pathologists profess to be able to prove that nature is most kind to the new-born child in respect to inheritance of disease. In fact, it is shown that very few diseases are directly transmitted through the blood, and that many once so regarded are now found to be infectious in their natures. There is considerable indication, however, that the children of the diseased—tuberculous parents, for example,—inherit a weakened power of resistance for such disease. But this matter is somewhat foreign to our present discussion.

Best of all, for our present consideration, is the great mass of evidence sustaining the theory that about ninety-nine per cent of our new-born infants are potentially good in an economic and moral sense. That is to say, this great majority of the young humanity have latent within their natures at the beginning of life the possibilities of development into sound, self-reliant manhood and womanhood.

So, the writer of these lines would gladly lead rural parents to the point of being very courageous and optimistic about their infant children. He would have them see in the latter all the possibilities of good and efficiency that they may care to attempt to bring out by thoughtful and conscientious training. For that matter, it can be shown that many of the leaders of men are constantly springing up out of the ranks of the common masses and from those of humble parentage. Some of these great leaders, it is true, are what may be called accidental geniuses in respect to their native strength and their persistent life purposes. But many others, and perhaps the majority of them, are merely men and women who have been reasonably sound at birth and who have been trained from childhood to maturity in a manner that best served to build up strong, efficient character.

REFERENCES

The references given at the close of each chapter are meant to direct the reader to specific treatment of the topics named. It is thought that nearly every chapter or book referred to will be found helpful and instructive to such persons as may naturally become interested in this volume. In some instances a line of comment is given to make clearer the contents of the reference.

Must Children have Children’s Diseases? Newton. Ladies’ Home Journal, April, 1910.

Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette. Gazette Publishing Company, New York. $1 per year, monthly.

The Miracle of Life. J. H. Kellogg, M.D. Good Health Publishing Company, Battle Creek, Mich. Read especially pp. 363-388, “How to be Strong.”

Our Duty to Posterity. Editorial. The Independent, February. 1909.

Relation of Science to Man. Professor A. W. Small. American Journal of Sociology, February, 1908.

Character Building. Marian M. George. A. Flanagan Company. Treats the ethical problems of the home.

Through Boyhood to Manhood. Ennis Richmond. Chapter 1, “Usefulness.” Longmans.

Making the Most of Our Children. Mary Wood-Allen, M.D. Chapter IX, “Keeping the Boy on the Farm.” McClurg.

Youth. G. Stanley Hall. Chapter XII, “Moral and Religious Training.” Appleton.

The Contents of a Boy. E. L. Moore. Chapter VI, “Social Interests.” Jennings & Graham, Cincinnati.

Mind in the Making. E. J. Swift. Chapter II, “The Criminal Natures of Boys.” Scribners.

The Young Malefactor. Dr. Thomas Travis. Chapter II, “The Child born Centuries Too Late.” Crowell.

The Family Health. M. Solis-Cohen, M.D. Chapter I, “The Preservation of Health.” Penn Publishing Company, Philadelphia.

The Durable Satisfactions of Life. Dr. Charles W. Eliot. Crowell. Points out ably the higher way.

The Study of Children. Francis Warner, M.D. Chapter IV, “Observing the Child. What to Look at and For.” The Macmillan Company.

What makes a Liberal Education. Editorial. The Independent, July 1, 1909.

Relation of the Physical Nature of the Child to His Mental and Moral Development. George W. Reed. Annual Report National Educational Association, 1909, p. 305.