64 THE KALLIKAK FAMILY 



through the agency of the good woman who attended to 

 the legalizing of Deborah's mother's alliances, the last 

 time, the man, being normal, attended to this himself. 

 He was old and only wanted a housekeeper, and this 

 woman, having been strictly raised in an excellent 

 family, was famous as a cook, so this arrangement 

 seemed to him best. None of these sisters ever ob- 

 jected to the marriage ceremony when the matter was 

 attended to for them, but they never seem to have 

 thought of it as necessary when living with any man. 

 The stupid helplessness of Deborah's mother in re- 

 gard to her own impulses is shown by the facts of her 

 life. Her first child had for its father a farm hand ; the 

 father of the second and third (twins) was a common 

 laborer on the railroad. Deborah's father was a young 

 fellow, normal indeed, but loose in his morals, who, 

 along with others, kept company with the mother while 

 she was out at service. After Deborah's birth in the 

 almshouse, the mother had been taken with her child 

 into a good family. Even in this guarded position, 

 she was sought out by a feeble-minded man of low 

 habits. Every possible means was employed to sep- 

 arate the pair, but without effect. Her mistress then 

 insisted that they marry, and herself attended to all the 

 details. After Deborah's mother had borne this man 



