The Adoption of Children 213 



reach the same ripened and constructive matur- 

 ity by hygienic living. 



If we can have a good heredity and favorable 

 environment during the early years, there is 

 no doubt that health and vigor may be con- 

 tinued much longer than have usually been at- 

 tained. The evolution of the human body has 

 been pretty fully accomplished; Professor Con- 

 klin says that for at least one hundred centuries 

 there has been no notable progress in this re- 

 spect. In stature and skull size we do not ap- 

 pear much better than the Cro-Magnons. 



What is left for us is to conserve and im- 

 prove the mental and spiritual acquirements of 

 the race, based on the physical structure we 

 have inherited from the ages. This means that 

 our years must be carefully husbanded and our 

 productive life, if possible, extended. If we 

 would try for a potent, prolonged and serene 

 old age, we must start early in life, — ^with the 

 child. 



This last chapter, therefore, ends as did the 

 first, — Concentrate on the Child! 



