106 THE FAMILY AND THE NATION 



stock are drawn into the stirring life of the period. 

 They set up small mills along their native water- 

 courses, the next generation puts in machinery and 

 extends the business in all directions. The most 

 capable section of a whole class rise slowly together, 

 continuing to live and mate among themselves and 

 their likes, a process which has none of the objection- 

 able and destructive elements associated with the sudden 

 withdrawal of an immature individual into another 

 sphere of life. Gradually the abler families and abler 

 individuals separate out, for a while holding up the 

 Jess competent members of the stock. To the winners, 

 generous and warm-blooded men, their success, as they 

 reach the position held by other families of long 

 standing, suggests that all men are born equal, and 

 only require opportunity to demonstrate the truth of 

 the proposition. Thus naturally they become indi- 

 vidualists ; but in reality it is the process of the sorting- 

 out of an aristocracy of latent commercial ability, 

 integrity, and organizing power that has brought them 

 to the front. They attribute their success to superior 

 education, and found schools, churches, and mechanics' 

 institutes, hoping, by equalizing opportunity, to equalize 

 achievement. They overlook the innate qualities re- 

 quired to take advantage of each favourable opportunity 

 of life as it presents itself, and to seek out and profit by 

 education in the days when it was not at hand in every 

 village school. 



Then the foremen-workmen rise in their turn men 

 of the same blood, of slightly less ability and somewhat 

 humbler birth ; and the foundling apprentice follows 

 suit, for other foundlings besides Tom Jones had good 



