PARENTAL ADAPTATION. 109 



with his or her own as to make marriage a suc- 

 cess, life happy and parentage a blessing. 



Fixed laws govern all things in nature. No 

 doubt there are laws that control natural affini- Natural 

 ties and adaptations. It is questionable, how- 

 ever, how fully these laws can be discerned and 

 applied in the present condition of society. Sages, 

 scientists and philosophers for centuries have been 

 trying to formulate some definite rule that would 

 be an infallible guide to the selection of a com- 

 panion. The early philosophers considered adapt- 

 ation largely from a physiological point of view, 

 while writers of more recent date place special 

 stress upon mental affinity. Experience proves that 

 both are essential to continued happiness and the 

 well being of offspring. 



Again, the question of adaptation has been sub- 

 jected to much discussion on account of the dif- 

 ferences of opinion among sociologists as to what 



, . - . c* The Basis of 



constitutes the primary object of marriage. Some Adaptation, 



hold the propagation of the race to be the primary 

 object, and, reckoning from this point of view, 

 adaptation is determined by whatever is most 

 favorable to this end. Others affirm that the 

 happiness and development of the contracting 

 parties are the primary objects of marriage, and 

 therefore hold that congeniality is the true basis 

 of adaptation. Fortunately these two points of 

 view are not as far apart as they would seem, 

 for observation and experience indicate that the 

 mental and temperamental union most conducive 

 to the continued health and happiness of the hus- 

 band and wife is also most favorable for their 

 offspring. 



