Acquired Characters 23 



at home a new occupation in which his natural 

 characters will be more effective than in the 

 old. 



When, for example, a bricklayer has improved 

 his condition by the acquired characters of his 

 occupation, and has, as a consequence, bet- 

 tered the position of his children, they tend 

 to become clerks and mechanics ; the sons of 

 mechanics become storekeepers, foremen, and 

 superintendents, while the children of farmers 

 become business men, lawyers, and clergymen. 

 It is well known that the children of any class 

 move into the class above them when the eco- 

 nomic welfare of parents is so improved that 

 children have more food, shelter, and leisure. 

 This means that natural inclinations and more 

 energy are used to break from the routine of 

 parents and to enter occupations where the 

 new energy and the stronger natural inclina- 

 tions count for more in the success of the 

 undertaking. <~ There is a movement of popu- 

 lation with every increase of energy, and with 

 every opportunity to develop the inherent 

 qualities born in men. 



If this well-known tendency be formulated 



