CHAPTER XV 



THE ADOPTION OP CHILDREN 



Attention has been directed in a previous 

 chapter to the fact that the poorest families 

 usually have the largest number of children. 

 If sickness or death comes to such a family, to 

 cripple or remove the bread winner, the chil- 

 dren are often stranded and the community 

 must then come to the rescue. In many in- 

 stances, the institution steps in and affords 

 the needed refuge. 



On the other hand, many people in easy or 

 independent circumstances, have few or no 

 children. This is not entirely due to birth con- 

 trol, as is usually supposed. In many cases, 

 it is owing to physical causes that are trouble- 

 some or impossible of removal. Civilization is 

 hard on women and the higher they are in the 

 social scale, the more difficult and uncertain be- 

 comes the question of maternity. If some of 



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