C!. 



CHAPTER X 

 HEREDITY 



Vom Vater hab' ieh die Statur, 



Des Lebens ernstes Fiihren; 

 Vom Miitterchen die Frohiiatur 



Und Lust zu fabuliren. 



Urahnherr war der Schonsten hold, 



Das spukt so hin und wieder. 

 Urahnfrau liebte Sehmuck und Gold, 



Das zuckt wohl durch die Glieder. 



Sind nun die Elemente nicht 



An dem Complex zu trennen; 

 Was ist denn an dem ganzen Wicht 



Original zu nennen?" 



— Goethe, ^ " Zahme Xenien," vi. 



Heredity is the rule of persistence among organisms. The 

 existence of such a law, or "ascertained sequence of events," is 

 a matter of common observation. "Like produces like," 



^ "Stature from father and the mood 

 Stem views of life compelling; 

 From mother, I take the joyous heart 

 And the love of story-telling. 



"Great-grandsire's passion was the fair. 

 AVhat if I still reveal it? 

 Great-grandam's, pomp and gold and show, 

 And in my bones I feel it. 



"Of all the various elements 



That make up this conipk'xity, 

 What is there left when all is done, 

 To call originality? " 



Bayahd Tayloh's translation in jxirt. 



163 



