THAT EUGENIC BABY,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1557, 28 September 1912, Page 11

THAT EUGENIC BABY,

Mr. Philip Gibbs, the novelist, has an amusing skit in tho London "Daily Chronicle" on "The Eugenic Baby," in which he imagines what will happen When we are compelled to have or to be eugenic babies. ; , "The husband and wife had been married, with the blessing of' the Eugenic Society, by a vote carried unanimously. "The family history of the young couplo had been examined as far back as the great-grandfathers arid great-grand-mothers on each side. The result of this genealogical inquiry had been declared eminently, satisfactory by the executive committee^ "His father was a professor of economics, his paternal grandfather was a bishop with Socialistic , tendencies, his greatgrandfather had Written many learned treatises on'tho Greek, gerends. His mother had. been educated at Girton, his grandmother was the authoress of that well-known book, 'The Biological Aspects of Love,' his great-grandmother had been the mistress of a .school -for the eons of gentlemen at .Weston-super-Mare. . . . v Chapter Two. , "When the baby was born it was examined by the executive committee, who reported very favourably in their 'minutes.' According to scientific laws it had blue-grey eyes, mouse-coloured hair,. and a double chin. ; Its cranium was remarkably well developed.. . "Little '• Frankie was of a grave and thoughtful disposition. He looked out upon the world with wistful, wondering eyes, as though he could not quite make out why he had been born.' Unlike most babies',, he seldom burst into tears, but, on the other hand, was not often betrayed into a smile. His moral character seemed almost perfect for so youpg a babe, and his intelligence was phenomenal. But he had one characteristic which alarmed his fond parents. He had a most extraordinary thirst. ... " 'My dear,' said the young mother one day, nftei filling tho buttle for tho eighth. time, 'I really Cannot understand it. Frankie's thirst fills me with uneasiness. .It is unscientific.. I can find no cause for it in our family history.' "Her husband was puling up and down the bedroom. He. was white to, the lips, tho beads of perspiration stood upon his cultured brow. There, was a look of such terrible anguish upon his intellectual face that his wife was startled and . afraid. " 'Gladys,' he said, 'wo forgot my great-great-grandfathor.' "She gave a little shriek of. terror.

"'What do .you mean, John? Oh, heavens I what is your awful meaning?' "John spoke in a low and tragio voice. " 'I have just discovered,' he said, 'that my great-great-grandfather was a friend of the' Regent. Ho was known as a 'three-bottle' man.' His thirst was remarkable oven for the Georgian era.' "John's wife burst into a passion of tears, and' sobbed as though ner heart would break. John's groans awakened liitlo Frankio from his morning sleep, and ho immediately demanded another 'bokkle.'. . Chapter Three. "At five.years of age Frankie was able to read the report of the latest Euerenic Congress, .and was nble to discern the Tiereditary \ weaknesses among his little comrades. _ "There was a tragio episode in the family when' at 10 years of age Frankie flung the !A B C of economics' out of the nursery window, spilt the ink over a coloured chart depicting the 'Progress of the Human Raoe towards Eugenic Perfection,'. and defied his nurse when she reminded him that the eugenio inspector was coming to make his annual report. "Then, one day, in a moment of supreme passion, when_ his father and mother had rebuked him for disobedience, he threw his great-great-grandfather, as it were; at his father's head, and said: "'What can you expect when one of my ancestors was a Georgian rake? You should have' thought of this before you married my ma. . - . . I didn't ask to be born!' ,

, The terrible. and relentless logic of this remark struck dismay into the hearts of his poor parents, and they never smiled again;" "'