Heredity In Morals

The futnily conuectious attrlbuted to the lleged slayer of the Chicago millloualre, Snell, have glven somethlng of a shock to beltevf rs in heredity. The reputcd father was a man of wcalth and excellent general character. He luid given the depraved youth the educational advantages, the pocket money and opportunitlrs for business advance:nnt whlch a fond parent of incans is ittiielled to elve a on. Yet in tliis case the inducements to Jead an honorable and upriirht Ufe wcre con stantlv rejected, and in the absence of anv nrvessltnus piessure the profession of thlef was deliberntelv preferred and a course adoptcd wbfeb tciminatcd in murder. Similar puzzllng circuustauces were presented to tlie deceived husband in Charles Reade's "A Terrible Temptntion." Tb solution In both cuses, it scems, Is the same. In the woik of fiction a false hcir had been palraed upon the man as bis own: in real ilfe the child was adopted whennn infmnt, the fiict beinir concealed from the world. Atleatt the puUtlvc father now declares thls to bo the trulh. The wlfe In Charles Rpade's novel meant no liarm. She erred laruely throuuh Iguorance and upon the bollet that one babe was as goot] as anotber. The morid of the story wa to brlng out the ïval extunt of her crime and to teiich tlie principie of heredity now generallv acceptxl by the sclentlilc world. There are exceptious, "reversions of type" and other circtinvjtnnces which neem to dlsprove tlie low, but wlder research wil] no doubt recon ciie these to the iniiin pmposltlon. Those desirintr to adopt children wlll do well to see tluit the Jutter inherit no pie'lis: -o-iltlon to becomc burstlars or rallroad wrscKcra -