Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-08-04
HEREDITY.

W oheSA0 oAJ "a sAN~S
meetings.
HEREDITY.
If I were a doctor and had years OF
successful experience in my profession,
or if l were President of a medical col
lege, l would approach the subject of
heredity with fear and trembling. l
am not surprised that the w. G. T. U.
has listed it for discussion, for 1t must
be admitted that there are some smart
women in the union, but that l have
dared to place the word at the head of
a paper may be accounted for by the
adage, Fools rush in where angels
dare not tread l have repented in
sackcloth and ashes that l have de.
clined to make myself famous on more
familiar themes. If neglect this OPP
portunity of my life, | may be invited
to unravel the mystery of the seven
seals, or to read a dissertation on the
battle of Armageddon,. and an educa-
ted conscience warns me that / had
better strike while / can at least spell
the words.
The doctrine of heredity is taught in
the holy Scriptures, beginning with
Abraham. Fearing that he might be
slain, he said of Sarah, his wife, "She
is my sister," and Sarah said, HE is
my brother" This cowardly trait of
character was inherited by their son,
Isaac, and he told the men of Gerah
that Rebekah was his sister. Jacob in.
herited a full share OF the family fail
ing, for he put the skins of kids and
goats upon his hands and upon his neck,
and he went unto his father and said,
" am Esau, thy first born l have done
according as thou badest me; arise, l
pray thee, sit and eat of my venison,
that thy soul may bless me-" And
Isaac said, "Art thou my very son,
Esau?n And he said, II am"
The law, Like produces like,n es-
tablishes heredity beyond q peradven.
ture. The child takes after the father
and mother-physically, morally and
mentally. A knowledge of this fact,
and a common sense application of it,
would prevent many of the ills of life.
An old colored informed me
q few days ago that If l wanted TO
know what l looked like, to just look
at my daughter. If we want to know
ourselves, we have only to become bet
ter acquainted with our children. A
lady friend once told me of q mistake
she had made, which amounted almost
to a crime. | asked her impatiently
why she did it, and she turned to me
with flashing eyes. "Do you belong to
an insane family Was your mother
insane when you were borng Did you
nurse her when she was chained for
ear she would kill you?n "Your
mother ought to have been in the asy-
lum," ~ ventured. "Yes, she ought"
she replied, land I ought not to have
been born at ALL" After a pause, she
continued, You know what u cranky
set we are; half of us in the asylum,
and the other half ought to be.
Yes, l knew them. l knew OF the
suicide, and at the numerous attempts
at suicide; l knew of the five sisters,
all OF whom married and three of whom
died insane, leaving families of mother.
less children, with madness coursing
through their veins-children that
ought never to have been born at all.
1t occurred to me that / ought not
to attempt to discuss heredity without
consulting some authority. My W
library is stored where | can not reach
it, so wendell my way to the public
library, Secretary gave me "Rebot.n
On page 149-a little below the middle
OF the page-the statement is made
thatin the half breed of Europeans and
Hottentots, the moral nature is always
determined by the race of the father.
The children of a white woman and a
Hottentot father has always the good
nature and the gentle and kindly incli.
nations of the father. The children of
white men and Hottentot women have
in themselves the germs of all vices
and unruly passions. l did not know
that before, and am SO glad | have
made the discovery. The knowledge
is ample compensation for the trouble
of preparing this paper. 1t is humili.
ating information that the Hottentot
fathers are good natured, gentle and
kind, and the white fathers are vicious
and passionate, but that sinks into in.
significance before the greater fact
that the moral nature of the child is
determined by the father.
II that renowned doctor Of divinity
should ever repeat his sermon on
Motherhood from the words, "As is the
mother, 80 is the daughter. " IL 10 to be
hoped that he will enlarge his text and
make it include the next paragraph,
Your mother was a Hittite and your
father an Amorite." When a young
woman falls into the bottomless pit OF
eternal degradation, instead of Ia quir
ing what kind OF q mother she has and
what sort Of home training she had re
ceived, 1t might be we'll to look a little
after her father, and see, il perchauce
his h~earthstone ought to be dislocated
CONTINUED next week..