52 Hattie Plum Williams 
The Russian Germans—men, women, and children—think in 
terms of large families. The man’s idea of playing “ eine grosse 
Rolle” in state or church is to rear at least as many children as 
did his father or grandfather. A woman of thirty-two was 
asked how many children she had and her reply was, “‘ Only six, 
yet.” A girl of fourteen explained her lack of appetite at a table 
where only two persons were seated by saying that she never could 
eat unless there were lots of folks around, and quoted one of her 
countrymen—a physician—who said that it gave one an appetite 
to eat where there were a great many children. 
The American family—or lack of it—is .a source of deep 
mystery to the Russian Germans. They pity the women with no 
children, for they cannot conceive of such a state occurring from 
free choice instead of necessity. They suspect the woman with 
but one or two children, and are convinced that some illegitimate 
means must be used to accomplish such an end. They are en- 
couraged in this belief by the fact that young girls among them 
who have left the path of virtue have no difficulty in finding 
physicians to provide them with unlawful means of escape from 
their dilemma. 
Statistics are too inadequate, and the immigrants’ length of 
residence in America is too short, to note accurately any change 
in the birth-rate due to other than superficial causes. But through 
personal acquaintanceship with the people, one detects here and 
there the beginning of a changed attitude toward the large family. 
One of the primary causes is the rise in the standard of living, 
and the consequent feeling that it is impossible to rear so many 
children properly when the cost of mere necessities is so great. 
Therefore, “the rich people are the ones who ought to raise 
children for they can take care of them.” ‘The religious objection 
to a voluntary reduction in the size of the family is met with the 
conviction that life is a serious proposition and that the calami- 
ties which may befall children make it “better if they do not 
live.” 
A growing regard for women is also responsible for some of 
this change. There are not a few young wives in the settlements 
who have had their health impaired by hard work when they 
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