Hamilton: What to Say about Marriage? 79 
haps the other work would not, which 
would make a difference. 
PRESENT SCOPE TOO NARROW 
Such questions as this are more and 
more frequent. They come to physi- 
cians, of course, but in the present chaos 
of contradictions concerning nature and 
nurture, even our physicians are casting 
about for some authoritative anchorage 
tor their ideas on heredity in relation to 
Eugenics. And what are we who repre- 
sent the cause of Eugenics nearest its 
fountain head doing to meet this situa- 
tion? Thus far our tendency has seemed 
to be to try to draw fine lines of distinc- 
tion between euthenics and eugenics, and 
when hard thinking about such things as 
the physical and spiritual preparation for 
motherhood, or the technique of the 
affections are concerned, to retire into 
the confines of our laboratory experience. 
Eugenics needs, primarily, the moral 
support of as many people as possible for 
its activities in sound research. But in 
order to keep the attention, interest and 
sympathy of its friends it must con- 
tinue to have something to give, and it 
must continue to widen its scope as new 
situations arise within its field. Not 
that it must shift its base one 1ota, but 
only that it keep its fundamental purpose 
constantly in sight by showing its re- 
lations to problems of vital human in- 
terest wherever these may touch its 
fringe. 
What shall it sav, for instance, of mar- 
riage bureaus? 
More people read Physical Culture and 
other magazines that try to deal fairly 
with the problem of mate-getting in 
most ‘unscientific’? ways than will be 
reading THE JOURNAL OF HEREDITY for 
many years. Bernarr MacFadden once 
tried out a page or two where advertise- 
ments could appear of young men and 
young women who wanted to marry each 
other on a basis of mutual interest in 
physical culture and outdoor life. But 
Physical Culture has been getting more 
and more ‘“‘respectable” of late, and I . 
have missed those interesting. human 
items that now seem to be left entirely 
to the matrimonial brokers and their 
cheap weeklies and monthlies. 
But even in these journals that never 
breathe the air of our railway and sub- 
way news stands, there are advertise- 
ments that ring a wholesome note. 
“T am a young man of 35, German 
descent, Protestant, refined, college grad- 
uate, best of health, very fond of music, 
play the violin, blonde, blue eyes, brown 
hair, height 5 feet 714, weight 145, and am 
very young looking. Have no bad habits. 
Occupation, electrical engineer, in good 
standing. Wish to marry a sincere lady 
of education, refinement, and one who 
is broad minded in religious views, having 
some means, and who wants for a husband 
a healthy, active man, a lover of nature, 
literature and all things that tend to 
elevate one to a higher artistic, spiritual 
and intellectual life. For particulars 
Address ——ebe: 
There are eighty-four advertisements 
from young men on the page from 
which I have lifted this sample. It may 
be that this sort of thing is not in good 
taste, that many advertisements are run 
for purely commercial reasons, to catch 
small capital through marriage as a bait, 
and that these matrimonial journals lend 
themselves to much quackery. But the 
fact remains that they are sometimes the 
only available means for young men and 
women who want to marry outside their 
narrow circle of acquaintance, to get in 
direct touch with other young men and 
women of like tastes and inclinations. 
And the cheerful frankness and straight- 
forwardness of these announcements is 
positively charming in our world where 
such things are under respectable tabu. 
The influence of the astrologer is ap- 
parent in many of these attempts to 
break through the loneliness of life, as 
though good marriage were contingent 
on the zodiac. 
““Welsh-Scotch, brown eyes and _ hair, 
ruddy complexion, in perfect health, born 
under canser sign, character will stand 
the most rigid examination, lover of home 
and children, interested in eugenics and 
physical culture, outdoor life and new 
thought. Do not use tobacco or liquors. 
: I want a good, loving wife between 
the ages of 26 and 29, a home-keeper and 
a Christian, prefer an Eastern Star or a 
Rebecca, with blue eyes, blond hair, height 
5 feet 8, weight 140 to 160. Only those 
who are really interested need apply as 
I am very busy and do not care for foolish 
correspondence.”’ 
