34 THE LAW OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS 



just round the corner : the whole being a home and 

 environment for the rearing of children. I have sat at 

 dinner in such houses, and the talk was of nothing but 

 children ; and anybody who possessed any children, or 

 any reliable knowledge of the ways of children, was sure 

 of a respectful hearing and warm interest. If one said : 

 ' By the way, I think I may have a photograph of the 

 kid in my pocket,' every eye would reply immediately, 

 ' Out with it man or woman ! and don't pretend you 

 don't always carry the photograph with you in order to 

 show it off ! ' In such a house it is proved that children 

 are unmatched as a subject of conversation. And the 

 conversation is rendered more thrilling by the sense of 

 partially tamed children children fully aware of their 

 supremacy prowling to and fro unseen in muddy boots 

 and torn pinafores, and speculating in their realistic 

 way on the mysteriousness of adults. * We are keen on 

 children here,' says the youngish father frankly." l Such 

 a passage needs no comment beyond pointing out that 

 in these very circles the number of childless marriages 

 may be anything up to 25 per cent. 



One striking confirmation of the view that childless 

 women usually desire children is to be found in the growth 

 of a large demand for children for adoption in this country. 

 The supplying of this demand which comes from all 

 classes, ranging from miners to millionaires has been 

 organised by the National Children Adoption Association, 

 and nearly fifteen hundred applications for children for 

 adoption have been received. Curiously enough, these 

 are not all from childless couples, but frequently come 

 from people who have one child and want another. Per- 

 haps they have a boy and want a girl, or vice versa. Girls, 

 it seems, are in much greater demand than boys. This 



1 Arnold Bennett, Harper's Magazine, November, 1912. 



