CHAPTER XIII 



COMPENSATIONS 



Let us now consider the application of these perceptions 

 of nature's attitude toward a compound unit of human con- 

 duct. Under this system of compensations let us study a 

 supposed family, a family of only average natural advan- 

 tages. Let this group be imagined as consisting of parents, 

 one or two children of these parents, and grandparents, of 

 the direct line and previous generation ; and as connections 

 one or two other adult persons, who are brothers or sisters 

 to these parents. This is a small family, enjoying little of the 

 advantage in the large clan support which favors some others 

 who have many ramifications and alliances. It must be 

 recollected first that the present position in the world of 

 this Httle group of persons is chiefly due to their ancestors. 

 Do they show in their comparatively small numbers a lesser 

 power for mutual assistance, and a greater liability to serious 

 percentage of loss in accident or epidemic than larger clans 

 do? It is evident that a loss of, say, three individuals in a 

 great catastrophe would be more disastrous to a clan of 

 eight persons than it would be to a clan of forty. On the 

 other hand there are some ofifsetting advantages possible in a 

 compact affectionate alliance of a few highly qualified per- 

 sons which a larger clan may miss and in some environment 



this smaller number may better develop all the opportunity. 



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