400 CAROLINE H. ROBINSON 



of more unstable character who rush into marriage when diseased and thus 

 also keep the sterility rates nearly as high in prompt as in delayed marriages. 



REALLY LARGE FAMILIES; WEALTH 



As to really large families we have the most startling difference from the 

 general population (see table 6, a). Only two men, college professors both, 

 had as many as 6 children. Five women had 6 or more, and they were all 

 heiresses, except one who married a wealthy man. They were likewise 

 all fine students, except one of them, who nevertheless was a wit and also 

 got suspended for merely speculating on the new sex freedom twenty years 

 too soon. But these 7 men and women ought to have numbered about 

 200 instead 16 (can you believe it?) if our graduates had been as prolific of 

 families over 5 as was the general population of England a little earlier. 



Wealth was favorable to fertility in both men and women, as the 81 men 

 on the "special contributors" list of the college had more children than 

 necessary to replace themselves and the 52 women almost had. Both 

 sexes married in greater proportion than any groups I have noted at this or 

 any college. There were numerous large families, sterility was low, but 

 the one-child family was as much a problem as ever among the women 

 but not the men. But much weight should not be put on this paragraph 

 as "the contributors" may really have been "interested in family life and 

 hence in their coeducational college" rather than essentially "wealthy." 

 That is, it is not known whether the wealthy graduates uninterested in 

 coeducation got adequately represented in the list. (See table 7.) 



SUMMARY 



The 50 women who married under 25 are the only group who averaged 

 nearly 3 children apiece. All other marriages contracted up to 35 years 

 of age (except of males aged 20-24 = 2.6) were decimated by sterility and 

 by the small-family philosophy, to average about 2 children. Only a dozen 

 women had any children. at all after marrying later than 34 and their men 

 classmates who likewise became autumn bridegrooms were very little better. 

 These marriages after 34 are the real merely companionate marriages, 

 though they are not realized to be such by all the bridal assemblage on the 

 great day. 



The chief cause of offense and injury to the graduates' birth rate remains 

 of course late marriage. The custom of having 6 and more children is not 



16 Determined as per note J to table 6. 



