IMPROVEMENT OF THE HUMAN BREED. 537 



There are other activities long since existing which might well be 

 extended. I will not dwell, as I am tempted todo, on the endowments 

 of scholarships and the like, which aim at finding and educating - the 

 fittest youths for the work of the nation; but I will refer to that whole- 

 some practice during all ages of wealthy persons interesting themselves 

 in and befriending poor but promising lads. The number of men who 

 have owed their start in a successful life to help of this kind must have 

 struck every reader of biographies. This relationship of bef riender and 

 befriended is hardly to be expressed in English by a simple word that 

 does not connote more than is intended. The word "patron " is odious. 

 Recollecting Dr. Johnson's abhorrence of the patrons of his day, I 

 turned to an early edition of his dictionary in hope of deriving some 

 amusement as well as instruction from his definition of the word, and I 

 was not disappointed. He defines '* patron " as ' k a wretch who supports 

 with insolence and is repaid with flattery." That is totally opposed 

 to what I would advocate, namely, a kindly and honorable relation 

 between a wealthy man who has made his position in the world and a 

 youth who is avowedly his equal in natural gifts, but who has yet to 

 make it. It is one in which each party may well take pride, and I 

 feel sure that if its value were more widely understood it would become 

 commoner than it is. 



Many degrees may be imagined that lie between mere befriendment 

 and actual adoption, and which would be more or less effective in free- 

 ing capable youths from the hindrances of narrow circumstances, in 

 enabling girls to marry early and suitabby, and in securing favor to 

 their subsequent offspring. Something in this direction is commonly 

 but half unconsciously clone by many great landowners whose employ- 

 ments for man and wife, together with good cottages, are given to 

 exceptionally deserving couples. The advantage of being connected 

 with a great and liberally managed estate being widely appreciated, 

 there are usually more applicants than vacancies, so selection can be 

 exercised. The consequence is that the class of men found upon these 

 properties is markedly superior to those in similar positions elsewhere. 

 It might well become point of honor, and as much an avowed object, 

 for noble families to gather fine specimens of humanity around them 

 as it is to procure and maintain fine breeds of cattle, etc.. which are 

 costly, but repa}" in satisfaction. 



There is yet another existing form of princely benevolence which 

 might be so extended as to exercise a large effect on race improvement. 

 I mean the provision to exceptionally promising young couples of 

 healthy and convenient houses at low rentals. A continually renewed 

 settlement of this kind can he easily imagined, free from the taint of 

 patronage and analogous to colleges, with their self-elected fellowships 

 and rooms for residence that shall become an exceedingly desirable 

 residence for a specified time. It would be so in the same way that a 

 good club by its own social advantages attracts desirable candidates. 



