DISPOSITION AND INTELLECT—HOW FORMED.
It is wisely ordered by Nature that genius, and a high order of intellect, shall not, as a general rule, descend to children. If mankind could impart to offspring an intellectual superiority, we should probably have too many geniuses in the world, and too few workers. The animal propensities, the peculiar disposition, the various passions, the form, features, &c.—these, and other peculiarities of parents are always transmitted to their children; but that lofty, soul-inspiring sentimentality which enlarges the reasoning faculties and bestows mental distinction upon its recipients, seems to be a peculiar gift from the Deity itself.
Some physiologists assert that Nature does not endow the children of distinguished men so bountifully as those of less exalted capacities, and assign as a reason that great minds have their weaknesses and their follies, which are apt to show themselves in a marked manner at the moment they are begetting their children. I do not endorse this doctrine, but suspect that men are beholden rather to their mothers than to their paternal parents for whatever intellectual gifts God, in his wisdom, has bestowed upon them. A healthy, well developed, and naturally intelligent woman will have smart and intellectual children, even though her husband may be a ninny. If you want intelligent children, then, look you out a wife who has a soul above street yarn and love stories. But should you select the best woman from a thousand, you will scarcely find in her a wife capable of breeding you a very moderate genius. It is thought by some people that the state of the intellect at the moment of the nuptial act marks the mind of the child. I do not believe this; for if a crop of geniuses could be raised by minds specially tutored for the occasion, who doubts but that the world would be full of them?
In looking for a mother for his children, a man should seek a woman of different temperament from himself. If he is lymphatic and good natured, let him find a wife who is nervous and irritable; and vice versa. If he be of a sandy complexion, or fair-haired, with blue eyes, let him choose one of those luscious brunettes, with flashing black eyes, and a resolution as firm as a rock. On the contrary, if he be dark complexioned, impatient and passionate, let him sacrifice and enslave a mild and blue-eyed blonde of the cold North. Choose you always a woman of intellect, and if with that, you have one of a temperament and complexion opposite to your own, your children will be distinguished for something—they will not live a life of drudgery and dependence—and they may be geniuses. The selection of a conjugal partner is one of the most important events of life, in either man or woman. Too little attention is generally paid to it.
THE TEMPERAMENTS—HOW DISTINGUISHED.
In the course of this treatise we have alluded to the Temperaments of different individuals, and it may therefore be interesting to describe them. A person of a Lymphatic temperament has a languid, good-natured look, sleepy eyes, and the face is soft, round and full. A Sanguine temperament is represented by an earnest, anxious countenance, large intelligent eyes, prominent nose, robust health, and a strong constitution. The Bilious temperament usually presents a strong marked countenance, yellow skin, bulging eyes, projecting lips, full muscular habit, and not very fleshy. Persons of Nervous temperament are usually (though not always) thin and spare: their features are firm set, lines of countenance harsh, constitution delicate, and intellectual qualities of the first order.
Men of genius may be ranked as follows: Sanguine-nervous are usually great writers, divines, musicians, or artists. Sanguine-bilious, great generals, politicians, statesmen, inventors, business men, or distinguished in any calling requiring much energy and industry. Sanguine-lymphatic are frequently persons of great talent, enterprise, and distinction, and are generally long lived; but they seldom make any considerable display of their abilities, or become men of mark.
Lazy, inefficient and irresolute people, are in most cases constitutionally so from a lack of sanguinity in their temperaments. Some men and women are so constituted that they never can rise above drudges in society; for if they are industrious they have no confidence in themselves.