18 HEREDITY AND SOCIAL FITNESS 



the household of her immoral alcoholic daughter, died broken-hearted 

 in the county home. 



This daughter (V-1), born 1884, has miarried a very defective mem- 

 ber of the inferior Line D of this network. She was always regarded 

 as "silly and queer," but of better mentality than her mother. Was 

 able to learn by dint of great effort, which she rarely put forth. Ad- 

 vanced to the sixth grade in school and at 17 married her third cousin 

 (V-2) belonging to the degenerate Line D. He went to school scarcely 

 at all; is boorish, ignorant, irascible; working very irregularly at 

 teaming, section work, or other odd jobs. Both husband and wife 

 drink heavily, quarrel frequently, and make their house a rendezvous 

 for the worst characters in the neighborhood where they chance to 

 live. They move often, sometimes under coercion, and at present 

 occupy a dilapidated house in E. Visitor found the family gathered 

 in the dirty, disordered living-room, whose only furniture was an old 

 couch piled with rags, a cupboard with sagging doors, and two or three 

 rickety chairs, soiled clothing, and a few broken playthings scattered 

 about. A view of three adjoining rooms disclosed a similar condition 

 of squalor. The husband smoked and buried himself in the evening 

 paper, vouchsafing little more than an occasional growl of correction 

 or remonstrance to the wife's voluble account of themselves. She is 

 nervous, fairly plausible, childishly fond of stir and commotion. 



Three timid, backward girls are the only ones left of nine V-1 has 

 borne in the past 11 years. Of these, the first died at 5 months of 

 spinal meningitis, the fourth at 18 months of dropsy, the last two have 

 died mysteriously of "blood-poisoning" when a few daj^s old, while the 

 two others died and were buried by the parents in the night and with- 

 out ceremony. The three living are : 



VI- 1, born 1902; small for her age and shy, appearing to be about 7, 

 large mouth and teeth, retreating forehead and chin, rather vacant 

 expression. In second grade at school, reads a little and knows a part 

 of the table of fours. 



VI-3, born 1906; appears to be 4 or 5 and resembles her sister in 

 looks. Has never been to school. 



VI-5, born 1908; at 3 could neither walk or talk, but now runs about, 

 talks, and can count to 6 or 7. A rather attractive child, though dirty 

 and uncared-for. 



This branch is by far the most deficient of the line; all other branches, 

 save that engendered by the sexually-immoral daughter of Isaac, 

 showing a decided upward trend. 



The second daughter (IV-9) of Stephen Rufer, born 1850, died 1878; 

 was an average pupil in school, and became a thrifty, capable, fairly 

 intelligent woman. Married IV-8 upon his return from the Civil 

 War and lived on a small farm. A severe cold, caught after the birth 



