120 THE FAMILY AND THE NATION 



from his father's side. He left half a million of money 

 between two illegitimate sons, with whom our history 

 of this branch of the Elwes ends. 



The title meanwhile had gone to a great-grandson 

 of the first Sir Gervase. There were successively two 

 families of sons, who, brought up in scant comfort, 

 served in the army. The eldest of the second genera- 

 tion, Sir William, was the typical dissipated spend- 

 thrift. He married a lady of good family whom he 

 deserted. She died in a lunatic asylum, while he 

 himself spent much of his later life in debtors' gaols. 

 Their son, an honest fellow who accepted his position, 

 was at one time boots and head waiter at a country 

 inn ; he married a respectable woman in his own rank 

 of life and had a large family of children. In the 

 middle of the nineteenth century, these children held 

 positions as clerks, drapers' apprentices, etc. The title 

 appears to have fallen into abeyance or disuse. 



When one first considers such records as those given 

 in this chapter and the preceding one, a feeling of 

 despair is apt to arise at the inevitableness of the 

 succession of good or evil. It seems of little use to 

 fight against fate. But in reality, for most people, 

 there is no cause for such despondence. As usual, a 

 knowledge of the natural laws governing a subject leads 

 to greater freedom, if also to increased responsibility. 

 We learn the exact limits of our liberty, the precise 

 nature of our fetters. We know partially the extent to 

 which we are masters of fate when we realize the prob- 

 able character of the abilities that are latent within us. 

 Certainly, in problems connected with the education 



