184 MENTAL TRAITS. 



DEGENERATES. 



The man who has what is often termed a "bad eye" or crafty 

 expression should be shunned, as he will surely lead any woman who 

 marries him a miserable life. Sometimes these eyes are fierce, often 

 restless, while the eyebrows have a tendency to lower. Notice them 

 when their possessor meets strangers or people he does not like, and 

 the evil spirit back of the eye will be apparent, although otherwise 

 well hidden. Then, too, we hear much said nowadays about degen- 

 erates, not because people have changed, but simply because some 

 scientific students have gathered the actual facts about the number of 

 people who have been deteriorating and have given the proofs to the 

 world. 



Anybody looking at the young ladies in any of our large cities can- 

 not help noting how the very slim, narrow-hipped, and narrow-shoul- 

 dered girls and young women predominate. This is attributed by the 

 scientists to the very general habit of wearing tight clothing and of 

 tight lacing that prevailed among their mothers a generation ago. 

 These pretty, trim, vivacious, nervous, sexually undeveloped young 

 women make the poorest kind of wives and still worse mothers. They 

 are degenerates suffering for the sins of their ancestors. If they will 

 read page 113 they will discover wherein they are persisting in the 

 habits that will continue the degeneracy inherited from their mothers. 

 Young men would de better and be happier to remain bachelors than 

 to marry such girls. 



DEFECTS OF MEN In any city or town one has not far to go to 

 find young men with a more or less slouchy gait, low forehead, chin 

 narrow, jaw widening rapidly until it becomes prominent under the 

 ear, eyes near together, and generally restless, receding forehead and 

 chin, back of head almost in line with the back of the neck ; etc. Such 

 a man, even though of pleasing address, will prove to be cruel, selfish, 

 heartless, liable to fail in business or commit some crime, if a work- 

 man, likely to engage in strikes and frequently out of work. They 

 are degenerates in whom the natural mental qualities ara illy de- 

 veloped and who are sadly deficient in that most important of all 

 qualities, self-control. They are like an engine without a safety-valve 

 or balance wheel. They may run all right for a time, but trouble is 

 sure to come before long. So it is with the degenerate. He may make 

 a fairly good appearance for a time, but it is not in him to do well. 

 He, too, will cause trouble. To a careful observer, the signs of de- 

 generacy are always apparent, and such persons should be shunned for 

 companions and especially avoided when matrimony is the end of the 

 companionship. 



True, not many will show all the signs of degeneracy noted in a 

 very marked degree, but some will show marked deficiency in some 

 one feature and slighter ones in others. Some will show slight de- 

 ficiency in nearly all, though marked in none. But all alike are un- 

 fitted for parenthood. It is not their fault, but their misfortune, and 

 society must come to the point where it shall protect itself from the 

 perpetuation of such blemishes of character before it can hope to make 

 real progress and secure a preponderance of noble, capable citizens. 



