October, 1901, fittingly called attention to this. He declared a babe born of perfect parents and giving promise of living the normal time worth to the public thousands of pounds sterling at the moment of birth. Children of this kind, he said, grow up to increase the wealth of multitudes and to amass large fortunes themselves, besides being of incalculable value to the nation through the intellectual and the spiritual stimuli they impart. Dr. Galton urged that state, society and individuals, in every possible way, encourage young men and women of high character, intelligence, energy and physique to marry and rear families. Certain of the means suggested by Galton for realizing this end smack of artificiality and utopianism, but his main idea is sound. Effort to improve humanity without first radically elevating the average quality of parenthood is like trying to put a 1500-pound Hereford carcass on a Texas steer of the old long-horn type by condition powders and patent meal.

We close with a pair of words touching a few abused or neglected means of health.

The perverse dislike and avoidance of physicians is as unfortunate as it is common. Much ill health and many deaths are traceable to it. To imagine illness is, of course, weak, and the habit of resolute resistance to threatened ailments is in general most commendable. But this is often carried fatally far. The wise way is, whenever ill symptoms suspiciously persist, to call a physician or call on one.

Blessed be gymnastic exercises, and, as a rule, blessed be athleticism. The fact that our colleges and universities are now health factories is among the most promising data in American life today. Call this a fad, if you will; a good-health fad is better than a bad-health fad such as once prevailed.

But hygienic exercises may easily be made too set, formal, or concrete, and, with many, they are certainly in danger of becoming too severe. Let us train for record by all means, but let it be a health-strengthand-longevity record rather than a polevault, shot-putting or hammer-slinging record. The writer always exercised in the

gymnasium till crowded out by younger men. He will not deny that his retirement was partly due to the discouragement following pretty uniform defeat. But there was one event in which he always bore off the palm, in which today he holds the world-record and is pronounced a wonder by all who have seen him perform. That event is moderation.

The numerous athletes and trick-gymnasts of both sexes airing themselves over the cubic feet of air they can blow into the bag, the size of their biceps, and the various records they've made, must not be allowed to lead the less accomplished of us to think exercise of no account because it is informal. Methuselah and Samson never trained in a gymnasium, and not one per cent of the people in any modern community can do so. We plead for forms of health work suitable for both sexes and all ages, at odd moments, without teachers, set uniforms, rigid hours or rules. Walking is such; so are slow running, throwing, cultivating a vegetable or a flower garden.

Middle-aged and elderly people ought to have more fun, play, diversion. Don't let the "kids" monopolize these. Avail yourself of all good incidental pastimes: games, concerts, joking, light converse, novels. In proportion as your work interests you there is danger of protracting it too long at a stretch. Change of work avails little. There is but so much nerve energy in a man at any time. Quit work and relax.

Everyone also needs systematic, studied, professional diversion-an avocation. Be an amateur expert at some craft other than the one which earns you bread-mountainclimbing, golfing, boxing, rowing, hunting, keeping bees, rearing horses, cattle or dogs. Microscopy is a splendid avocation. Systematic reading is another.

Best of all avocations, however, are the various forms of art life and work. Without ever tempting to excess or suggesting what is base, they round out, embellish and enrich character and inspire devotees for occupations which are more serious and more immediately and obviously valuable.

CHAPTER VI

FARMERS' VACATIONS*

I AM impressed by the growing popular

ity of outing travel among people of the merely well-to-do classes. To the ordinary man on business errands bent, car travel would be a burden were it not for the good humor vacation spirit of his fellow travelers. In their relaxation there is an infectious cheer that speaks of the wholesome effect of change and of the added zest with which the day's work will be taken up again when the outing is ended.

This habit of spending some small part of each year in looking about is a good one. The tension of modern American life demands that both mind and body have periods of relaxation, such as nothing but change can give-must have them or in time suffer the nervous breakdown which is the curse of our age.

* Reprinted, by permission, from The Twentieth Century Farmer.