Compensations 109 



But it is possible that the parents and forefathers of 

 this small conduct unit gave it that numerical weakness with- 

 out just cause. Possibly these people long enjoyed affluence 

 and opportunity and simply yielded to the temptations of 

 indolence and luxury and neglected natural duties and in- 

 stincts, showing a lack of ambition and force, and losing 

 hold of the world by mere inactivity. 



But such possibilities need not be exhaustively examined. 

 It suffices to show that obviously the elements of the visible 

 situation of this group of persons, their numbers, their pros- 

 perity or their poverty, are not the only things to consider. 

 Equally important factors are their history and their ten- 

 dency. What they are is not to be learned by an examination 

 of them and their environment. There is needed an in- 

 spection of the facts that led to their present position and all 

 of these factors go to determine what will be the impress they 

 will make upon their circumstances. 



It is common knowledge that families do for several gen- 

 erations show continuous tendencies, purposes and policies, 

 and whether magnanimous, constructive, idealistic, produc- 

 tive or destructive, virtuous or criminal, or what not, these 

 qualities do tend to reappear in succeeding offspring; the 

 transmission may pass over certain generations to reappear 

 later. 



The main fact pointed by this study is that the family 

 in its equipment of constitution, temperament, character and 

 education, as well as in its physical numbers and quality and 

 fortune, is largely what the forefathers, in their contest 

 with their surroundings, have made it. That is its new start- 

 ing point, although the time and place of such a start have no 



