Essayist.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 39, 23 December 1893, Page 20

Essayist.

A T A V I S M. Among* the many mysterious forms and traits in human life and character, there is nothing more wonderful than those which come from, or are developed in what is known as Heredity and Atavism. Heredity is is an okl term, the meaning’ of which is well understood. It is a word somewhat broad in its sense and application. Atavism is a newer term, and one with a narrower significance than that conveyed by heredity, although it may be considered as one form of heredity. The technical expression is sometimes written also “ avitism,” from the Latin avitus, (pertaining to an ancestor or ancestral.) The term usually applies to some strongly developed peculiarity or trait in character simply; to a mere mental or moral force or weakness which manifests itself at irregular intervals in particular families. It appears to be governed by no general laws as have been observed in the effects of heredity in the physical system. But it may apply to infirmities or diseases showdng themselves in the blood after lapses of generation in families. Kleptomania is often a form of atavism. The innate disposition to filch, to steal slyly and adriotly, is sometimes irrestible and ineradicable in certain people. It is a taint in their nature something like the instinct of an animal of the lower orders, a force difficult to control where nature is allowed free course. The following is an illustration of atavism: — Some years ago a youth of intelligence in one of the very best families of a principal city, a youth, who from the force of necessity had never known occasion to steal in order to supply his wants, w’as accidentally detected in the act of rifling the wardrobe of a friend whose guest the young man was at the time. Evidences subsequently’revealed disclosed the fact that this same youth had been for years engaged in the commission of similar crimes. His petty pilferings had amounted in the aggregate to hundreds of dollars, many'’ of the things stolen being articles for which the fellow had no earthly use. Investigations into his history betrayed the fact that one of the young man’s ancestors four generations back -was a noted thief, the bad blood manifesting’ itself in this one instance (and in this one instance only’, so far as the records could be known), after the lapse of seventy years. This is not only a striking illustration of atavism; but the fact also proves the truth of the old society aphorism that “ it takes more than two generations to make a gentleman.” A very interesting case of atavism has been recently discovered in one of our large cities. A minister of great piety and retirement in character has a bright, promising* son, who, in defiance of all education, in defiance of both precept and example, has become a confirmed habitue of livery stables and sporting circles. He is a patron of the race track particularly. He lias no moral weakness except in the penchant to bet on fast horses. Where did- this young man first receive the touch or foi’ce that has led to such a career ? Eveiy element in his training has been in efforts to take him in a contrary direction from that of his present habits. Recently the

discovery was made that the great grandfather of the boy was a breeder of fine running horses, and that one of the passions in his life was in betting at the race course. This is an example of atavism in the fourth generation. Early in this century an immoral woman came to New York from Europe. She raised a large family of children, nearly every one of whom landed in prison in early life. The criminal records of the country show that three hundred of the progeny of that woman have been notorious felons and inmates of penitentiaries and other prisons in various parts of the country. The facts doubtless illustrate the laws of both heredity and atavism in their fullest degrees.— American paper.