FROM A NEW ENGLAND HILLSIDE. 233 



rapidity than material resources ; yet I can 

 not see but that in its essence it is impreg 

 nable. The tendency is practically more or 

 less held in check, but mainly by misery 

 and disease. And in this connection, this 

 is to be noted : that as a general rule, of 

 course with numerous exceptions, the 

 higher in the grade of civilization, the fewer 

 the offspring, the lower, the more prolific. 

 The consequences of this tendency are most 

 marked. The f requency with which families 

 which have been publicly known for several 

 generations, die out and disappear, is noto 

 rious. The small number of individuals in 

 such of these families as continue, is as 

 familiar. On the other hand, the magni 

 tude of the families of those who have small 

 resources, and whose demands, though con 

 siderable, are within a narrow range, is 

 patent to every one. There is a constant 

 tendency in our society to die at the top 

 a constant tendency toward a dominance of 

 the lower stratum, which tendency, as I have 

 before said, is chiefly checked at present 

 by misery and disease. 



There are several manifest causes for 

 this condition of things, and perhaps other 

 causes which are not so evident, doubt 

 less some which we do not recoiruize. On 



