MARRIAGE AMONG DEAF-MUTES. I 27 



the descendants will be deaf. This family would then constitute a 

 deaf variety of the race, in which deaf offspring would be the rule, 

 and hearing offspring the exception. 



Now, the point that I would impress upon you all is the signifi- 

 cance of family deafness. I would have you remember that all the 

 members of a family in which there are a number of deaf-mutes have 

 a liability to produce deaf offspring, the hearing members of the 

 family as well as the deaf members. 



This, I think, is the explanation of the curious fact that the con- 

 genitally deaf pupils of the Hartford Institution who married hearing 

 persons had a larger percentage of deaf children than those who 

 married deaf-mutes. It is probable that many of the hearing persons 

 they married had brothers or sisters who were born deaf. 



Cases will constantly arise in which a proposed marriage will 

 appear undesirable and desirable both at the same time. For 

 example : a semi-mute having no deaf relatives may form an attach- 

 ment for a congenitally deaf person in whose family deafness may be 

 hereditary. Of course, I have nothing to say as to what the young 

 people should do : that is a matter for them to decide. I cannot even 

 undertake to advise. The semi-mute will have no tendency to have 

 deaf children if he or she will marry a person of similar kind (Class 

 1), or marry a bearing person belonging to a family in which there is 

 no deafness : hence this person, by marrying a congenitally deaf 

 person in whose family deafness is hereditary, will create a liability to 

 have deaf offspring which would not otherwise exist. From this 

 point of view, the marriage is undesirable. 



On the other hand, from the point Jof view of the person born 

 deaf, such a marriage is extremely desirable, for it will diminish the 

 hereditary tendency in his family. In such a case, the friends of one 

 party would probably favour the union, and the friends of the other 

 advise against it; and the mutual friends of both could only say, " It 

 is desirable to one, and undesirable to the other : we cannot advise ; 

 your own hearts must decide the matter." 



Now, I have come before you to-night to show you that there may 

 be something in my researches of benefit to you ; I want also to assure 

 you that there is nothing of harm. I want to disabuse your minds 

 entirely of the idea that I intend or desire to interfere with your 

 perfect liberty of choice. I claim the right to advise you as I would 

 advise my own children, or any young people in whom I feel an 

 interest. In this matter my views coincide very closely with those 

 recently expressed by President Oallaudet through the columns of 

 Science. You have to live iu a world of hearing and speaking people, 

 and every thing that will help you to mingle with hearing and speak- 

 ing people will promote your welfare and happiness. A hearing- 

 partner will wed you to the hearing world, and be of inestimable 

 value to you in all the relations of life. Not only will your own success 

 in life be thereby increased, but the welfare of your children will be 

 materially promoted. It is surely to the interests of children, both 

 deaf and hearing, tlat at least one of their parents should hoar. 



