336 Edward Livingston Youmans. 



LONDON, January 16, 1877. 



MY DEAR YOUMANS : The chapter which I have just com- 

 menced is The Family, and will contain a good deal of inter- 

 esting matter. In the first place, evidence of the relation 

 between polygamy and the militant state of the race and of 

 monogamy along with the rise of the industrial state ; fur- 

 ther, a criticism on the doctrines of Sir Henry Maine, show- 

 ing their inapplicability to all stages of society below the 

 pastoral, and showing why the family as it enters into mod- 

 ern civilizations acquired the traits derived from the pas- 

 toral state; and further, an important contrast between the 

 fundamental principles of family ethics and the fundamental 

 principles of social ethics, indicating the evils which arise 



from confusing the two. 



NEW YORK, March 2, 1877. 



MY DEAR SPENCER : I have given a note to Mr. E. Mc- 

 Clintock, of Milwaukee, for yourself. He is a very nice 

 fellow, a profound mathematician, and stands very high in 

 the Northwest. His business is that of an insurance 

 actuary, and his head has broken down so that he has had 

 to stop. I think he was anxious to speak to you, but was 

 very modest about it. 



A prejudice is growing up against me as a great fighter. 

 I am inclined to stop the controversial policy, and let things 

 shift for themselves, as it is less and less matter how they go. 



The outlook is not clear. As an illustration of how flat 

 the book trade has been for the past six months, I may 

 mention that my five per cent on the International Series 

 yields me but three hundred dollars for the lot. But now 

 that we have a usurper foisted into the presidential chair 

 by sheer political trickery we may hope for more pros- 

 perity. 



ARDTONISH TOWER, September q, 1877. 



MY DEAR YOUMANS : I start south on next Thursday, 

 and expect to be in town next day. The last week has 

 been doing me great good. 



