The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-29
WHAT ATAvlsM IS.
A Story of a Chance Meeting Thnt Explains
tho Word Quite Luoidly.


tho Word Quite Luoidiy.
Do you know what atavism iss II is nI
strange and wonderful thing in nature
which governs most of our physical and
mental resemblances What 1t is will be-
illustrated by the true story which follows
1t was not very long ago that a beautiful
young woman OF Nantucket, whose name
may be called Mary Tilbury, was visitingI
friends at Martha's Vineyard. There, It'll
may be mentioned, lived at the time theI
young man to whom Mary Tilbury was be-
trothed. The young man took her tol
drive across the island in the vehicle usual
in the place, which has an open space be-
hind the seat.
As the pair were driving homeward along
a lonely road they saw the bent figure Of
an old woman, who bore upon her back u
burden of some sort, toiling along in ad
vance of them. As they overlook her the
young woman proposed that they should
inyite her to ride. They did so and were
glad they did, for the old woman was evi
IDENTIFY travel and burden weary and looked
up at them rs they stopped by her side
with u grateful expression upon her face.
| She was extremely old. She might well
have been beyond her eightieth year. The
young man helped her into the wagon She
In the space behind the seat and sat down
upon Il.
The old woman meantime kept looking
hard at Mary Tilbury and shaking her
head. with faraway expression in her old
| eyes. Presently she said; You are the
most beautiful girl ever saw except one,
| and that girl looked exactly like you-the
same blue eyes, the same light brown hair,
the same fair complexion, the very same
features, and just exactly that smile and
| expression. But 1t was 50-yes, more than
60-years ago that that girl came here" The
old woman wagged her head, lost in TIT
past, but in q few moments her eyes re
turned to Mary Tilbury's face. Once more
she began her expression of admiration fol
the girls beauty.
at is wonderful" she said presently. ~
must be dreaming, girl; must be dream
ing" Well" said Mary Tilbury, won't
you tell us about this girl long ago that
looked so much like me? Was it here that
you knew herr" Yes, here" answered tn,
old woman, but this was not her home
She came hero and spent but couple o
years going to school. She was older thar
IL was "A, and she was 90 l thought sht
was everything that was lovely, and SO sin,
was. worshiped the ground she wake,
| Ull anu tItflSuItu up every iuoh anu NoI'
of hers. 1t Is astonishing Your voice i
exactly hers, should think that Mar,
Tilbury was speaking to me agalnl" Tn
girl started. MY nameF' she said. "Wha
do you mean" as your name Mary Til
buryf" gasped the old woman.
Both told their stories. The old womai
explained that when she was a child cir
, came from Nantucket to Martha's Vine
yard and spent two years at school, rs sh
had said. This was Mary Tilbury, and tn
living girl Of that name learned when sh
went home that that beautiful girl frou
, Nantucket was her reat-grandmothel
In the fourth generation woman hiu
como into the world who was SO close
counterpart Of the woman of long ago tina
this aged crono was instantly impresse
, with the idea that the Same Mary 1ilbur
, had come back again.
a And this is atavism-tho temperance {
type or characteristic in u descendaL
not nearer than n grnndchild. We are tol
that in Spain every one is son of somebod!
l. 1t mhy be so in Spain, but here every OIL
!. is merely the grandson OF somebody In I'll
/. way of real governing traits and form
n ones father does not seem to amount I
& much. How many fathers have marvelc
4 that nothing of their own characteristic,
/. was communicated to their sons, whoi
n they have labored so hard to make all thu
Y they themselves would have beenl Ho
: many other sons whose fathers have doI
n nothing for them or worse have taken c
n no trait Of an unworthy sire, but have
n velnped quite another and nohler chara
r ter. Grandfather, grandmothers, grea
s grandfathcrs, great grandmothers - som
!. where in the line stood the man and Il
e woman who were tho real pTogenitors
r. that child.-Bcston Transcript