22 HEREDITY AND SOCIAL FITNESS 



family being of good mentality. Was far superior to her half-brothers 

 and sisters, sensible, obliging and a neat housekeeper. Their eight 

 children (V-40, 42, 44, 40, 48, 50, 52, 54), who will be considered at 

 length under Line F, show ability above their father's. The'sons are 

 in the employ of the railroad as carpenters and contractors. The 

 daughters are good housekeepers of fair intelligence, with well-kept 

 families. 



IV-21, second son of III-7, born about 1845, is ignorant, shiftless, 

 and a ne'er do well, but not so stupid as his elder brother. Never 

 went to school much and was working as a day laborer when he fell in 

 with IV-22, a student of an academy, whose family was far superior to 

 his, including successful teachers and professional men. Their 

 marriage was a forced one. He managed to work quite steadily dur- 

 ing his wife's lifetime, but after her death, which was from tuberculosis, 

 reverted to his old ways, taking little responsibility for his family. 

 The girls went to work among strangers at an early age, while the boys 

 have drifted about, trying first one thing and then another. All show 

 fair capability in school work, and but little inclination to profit by it. 



V-56, born 1874, had little schooling, but grew to be a large, fine- 

 looking, plausible woman. At 13 went to work on a large farm in a 

 neighboring State, where the son of her employer (V-57) fell in love with 

 and married her. His family are extensive land-holders and among the 

 most intelligent and progressive in this prosperous section. Certain 

 members exhibit much nervousness and excitability, and he belongs 

 to this group. He often goes to pieces over his w^ork, and his con- 

 versation is so rapid and shows such quick change of topic as to suggest 

 the flight of ideas of the insane. One brother died of spinal meningitis 

 and another is highly nervous, but there is no instance of other serious 

 nervous disease in the immediate family. The large farm where this 

 couple live is admirably cultivated, house and out-buildings are modern, 

 well equipped, excellently kept. V-56 is looked down upon by the 

 other members of her husband's family, whose standing in the com- 

 munity is far superior to hers. She is charged also with infidelity and 

 falsifying. Their children are: 



VI-62, bom 1898; handsome, well-developed girl, just finishing eighth 

 grade; average ability in number; 



VI-63, born 1901 ; strong, fine-looking, excellent in number, in eighth 

 grade; 



VI-64, died, 14 months, spinal meningitis; 



\T-65, born 1909; attractive and alert and making good progress in 

 school ; 



VI-66, died, 14 months, spinal meningitis. 



The second daughter (V-58) of IV-21 (born 1876, died 1898 of pulmo- 

 nary tuberculosis) was a fairly bright girl of good reputation. Taken to 



