To keep boarders occurred to her, naturally, | tle Sophy can take care of the children while we as the first resource; but her heart sank at are at meals. Don't you think it will do, Frank? thought of rent and servants' wages. Nor was Of course it would not with exacting, fashionatheir house large enough to accommodate many ble people; but if we can get the right sort?" people. What else could she do-teach music, Nothing was hinted of the labor that must get a situation in a school? She was well-edu- devolve upon herself; but Frank remembered cated, but her accomplishments had rusted ait. "I am afraid for you, Milly," he said. little from disuse; what chance had she in com- "Think of it! To teach all day and take petition with those trained and ready for the care of such a family besides. You never can service? Even could she obtain a situation or endure it." class, it must take her from home for the greater part of every day; and how was she to obtain it; what friends, what interest, had she? She thought and thought, and formed at last her project; so humble, yet of such deep import to her family.

"Frank," she said, one evening, when she had been sitting silent a long time, pondering the possibilities of the case, "I believe I shall try a little school-here, at home."

"Do you think you can get scholars ?" "I hope so-a few, at any rate. You know we were beginning to wish for a good, quiet place somewhere at hand for Sophy. Mrs. Ayres and I have often talked of it; I don't doubt that she would let me have her little girls; and there are others of our friends who might send their children, partly to help us, and partly for their own convenience. I am disposed to make the trial, at any rate. How does it look to you?"

"I am afraid you can not make it pay. Oh, if I could but do something!" The poor fellow fairly groaned at thought of his helpless

ness.

"No matter, Frank. You worked for me while you could, and now you must let me have my turn."

"Oh yes, I hope I can. If not, we must try something else. Haven't I a pretty good head for planning ?" she asked, with a smile.

"Excellent," said poor Frank, trying to return the smile. If he could but do something! He was willing to be a porter, a stevedore even; he could have shoveled coal or broken stone with a joyful heart, had his enfeebled frame allowed. Any thing, rather than to be a burden upon Milly, whose life he had once hoped to make all sunshine. But he was powerless; he could not even dissuade her from efforts which he feared would be beyond her strength; for something must be done, and what else could he suggest?

Aunt Sophia was horrified when the project became known to her. "People will drop you entirely, now," she said.

"Some may," returned Milly; "and those are the very ones I do not care to know." The next moment she doubted if she had spoken quite sincerely; it is not flattering to be "dropped," however indifferent the acquaintance may have been. "At any rate," she added, "I shall be too busy to dwell much upon slights."

Fortune-or should one say, Heaven-smiled upon her efforts. A dozen scholars were obtained without much trouble. People were

"These slender hands," he said, taking them sympathizing and disposed to aid her, particuin his own, "what can they do?"

"A great deal, you will find," she answered, cheerfully. "I want you to listen to the rest of my plan. I shall try to get three or four boarders; plain people, who, in consideration of the lowness of the price, will be glad of such accommodations as we can offer."

"But how can you have boarders and a school together?"

"I will show you how. Our breakfast will be cleared away and the front basement ready by the time the scholars come. After that my time will be occupied till three o'clock, except the hour at noon, when I must prepare the necessary lunch and send up to the rooms. At three school will be over, and I can easily have dinner ready by six."

"You will have Margaret back then, will you not?"

"No-at least not till I see how the plan works. You have no idea, Frank, of what a helpful creature little Anny is. I shall have the children under my own eye in school-hours; and they are so good; they have learned to amuse themselves in a way that is quite wonderful since I have had less time to devote to them. Anny can wait at table very nicely, and our litVOL. XXXVIII.-No. 225.-25

larly when it involved no great trouble to themselves. A newly married couple, a middleaged pair without children, and a young clerk, occupied the second floor. When all these had moved in and arranged their various possessions, Milly's labors began.

on.

They were severe, but that she had counted All she asked was, if she could endure them, and if they would achieve her purpose. Up early and retiring late, busy every moment of the day, teaching, working, superintending her small maid, a spirit less cheerful would have sunk under the burden. Milly kept on. She had the housewife's talent, precious at any time, invaluable now; inanimate things ministered to her, as it were, instead of thwarting her; the domestic machinery worked as quietly as in the days when so much less was demanded of it. Nor could all her multiplied labors reduce Milly to a drudge. She sat at the head of her table as lady-like in garb and look as when its hospitalities were dispensed to her own friends.

She had her reward. At the end of the first month, when every bill was paid, every expense allowed for, a certain sum remained in her hands. It was not large; no more than you would pay for a silk walking-dress, or a lace

pocket-handkerchief, perhaps; but how large it | more leisure to bestow upon her husband and was to her! When once convinced that there the children. How they all prized the priviwas no error, no overlooked account, that the lege; though Milly had never been too busy to sum was fairly her own, what joy and thankful- make her house a home for her own family. ness filled her heart! For a great burden had She had not degenerated into the bustling manbeen laid upon her, and she hoped that she was ager, but kept her soft and womanly graces still. equal to it. Henceforward, if her health were Frank's health was now her only object of anxspared, they need not fear. Hard work there iety; if that could only be restored, she thought, must be still, and careful management, but the nothing would be wanting to her happiness. terrible dread of want, of friendless destitution, no longer impended over them.

"And now you will have Margaret back," said Frank, coaxingly, as she imparted her good

news.

Just as these brighter days had dawned he left her. His life of patient suffering ended, and he was "well" at last, in that land to which pain and sickness can not follow.

It was providential, Aunt Sophia thought. "Perhaps though it will be hard to part with The poor fellow meant well always, but he had Anny. The most willing little soul, and a per- been the blight of Milly's life. But for him fect marvel for her age! But I am not sure she might have been a rich woman all these that it is safe to go on as I have done for this years. Of late, especially, he had been a perlast month; I feel the strain, sometimes, se- fect wreck; a burden to every one, and no comverely. And yet I did not know what else to fort to himself. Fortunately they had mando, for all expense must be avoided till the ex-aged, she hardly knew how, to keep up the periment was made."

premiums on his life-insurance, and with that

"It has proved successful, so far, and you and her business Milly and the children would must spare yourself; do promise me.'

"I think it will be wise to do so, and not altogether self-indulgent either. Margaret will save some outlay which we have not hitherto been able to avoid. What a time it has been! I hardly dared to think, this whole month, how we were coming out; and to-night, when it was to be tested, I was so nervous. Now, if we can but continue as we have begun, this business will support us, and the little we have can still be saved to educate the children. Oh, Frank, how glad, how thankful we ought to be!"

Margaret returned; her strong and skillful

be provided for. If it weren't for those children Milly might have plenty of chances yet; she was quite a young woman still, and wonderfully pretty, spite of all she had gone through. But then no man would want such a family.

Thus reasoned Aunt Sophia. While Milly, in the very depths of her sorrow, rejoiced in that sure rest to which her beloved had attained, and blessed God who had allowed her to sustain and soothe him to the end.

CHANGES IN POPULATION.

aid lightened the labors of her mistress, which AMONG the various topics claiming public

still remained arduous enough. The summer vacation came; when it was ended the little school was not resumed. Milly believed it wisest to relinquish this heavy tax upon her strength and time. Gaining confidence in herself, she ventured to raise her prices; room was made for one or two more inmates. Experience taught her better ways of managing; the housekeeping grew more profitable, while its comforts remained undiminished.

attention the changes taking place in our population are not the least important. While large numbers are constantly emigrating to our shores from foreign lands, many of our own people are seeking homes in the South and West. The cities, villages, and large places are increasing in population every year, at the expense of rural and agricultural districts remote from the great thoroughfares of travel and business. But the most important change of all, Frank, meanwhile, aided her in numerous especially in its prospective influence, is the insmall matters; he was so glad to be of use, to creasing proportion of children of a foreign dedo something toward the work which had once scent, compared with the relative decrease of been his alone. He obtained employment, too, those of strictly American origin. It is a quesfor those days in which his health admitted of tion of no ordinary interest whether there realexertion; law papers to copy, little jobs of book-ly is now, or is likely to be hereafter, a natural keeping. These earnings were slender and precarious, it is true, but still they counted. The family felt that they were prospering in their humble way.

In the spring a larger house was taken, and a portion of the precious capital expended in its plenishing. This venture was not made without anxiety, but it proved successful. After a few years Milly was at rest, so far as pecuniary troubles were concerned. Her establishment was large, handsome, and remunerative.. With good servants in sufficient number, her time was no longer absorbed by household cares; she had

increase among the regular descendants of the first or the early settlers of our country. It is proposed here to notice certain changes in this direction, together with some of the causes.

The census of the State of New York for 1865 discloses some curious facts upon this subject.

The method of taking this census was different from all others in this respect, that it was taken by families. The census reported in 1865 a total of 780,931 families-196,802 families living without children, 148,208 with only one child, 140,572 with two, and 107,342 with three children. Here is almost one-fourth of

all the families in the State in which not a single child was found; and in 592,924 families -more than three-fourths-there was, on an average, only a small fraction over one child to each family. In answer to the inquiry put to every woman who was or had been married (in all, 842,562), how many children she had had, whether present or absent, living or dead, there were 115,252 women who responded that they never had had a child, 124,317 only one child, 123,319 two, and 108,324 three children. Here we find 115,252 women who were or had been married-almost one-seventh of all-who never bore a single child, and 471,772-more than one-half of all-who will average less than one child and seven-tenths to each woman. These figures include both the foreign and American classes, but a large proportion applies to the strictly American. If the law settled by mortuary statistics, that two-fifths of all children born die before reaching adult life, be applied to the above facts, it will appear that on an average only about one child to each woman ever reaches mature age-that is, only one-half of the original stock is supplied as far as these women (471,772) are concerned.

The first regular census ever taken in Massachusetts was in 1765, when the total inhabitants were 222,563, and the number under sixteen years of age was 102,489-almost one-half the whole population. Now it is estimated in the school reports that only one-third of the population is under fifteen years of age; and, as the foreign class have relatively a much larger proportion of children, a careful examination will show that scarcely one-fourth of the purely American class are under sixteen. This makes a surprising difference in the relative number of children of the same people at the two periods 1765 and 1865.

Again, many towns in this State have been settled over two hundred years, and their history will include from six to eight generations. Great pains were taken to enter upon the records of these towns the names of all persons therein born. These records have been carefully examined in several places with respect to the relative number of children in each generation. It was found that the families comprising the first generation had on an average between eight and ten children; the next three generations averaged between seven and eight to each family; the fifth generation about five, and the sixth only about three to each family. This curious fact was found in one of those towns: that from 1660 to 1760, when the place contained over fifteen hundred inhabitants, and many marriages occurred every year, the rec

entered but what was productive of more or less children. What a contrast in this respect does such a fact present to the record of the present day!

The whole population of the State of New York is composed, in its descent, of such mixed races that it is impossible to draw the exact line between what may be considered American and what foreign; but the compiler of the census-Dr. Franklin B. Hough-became convinced that there is at the present time no nat-ords show that there was not a single marriage ural increase in population among the families descended from the early settlers of the State. From an examination of the tables in the Census Report this general fact is very evident throughout the State, namely, that the married women of foreign origin have much the largest families. For instance, in the County of New York, reporting almost one-half of its population as foreign, we find this statement: while nine hundred and sixty-five American women have each ten children and upward, there were twenty-eight hundred and fifty foreign women having each ten children and upward, making three times as many.

It surprises us, living in this "fast age," to learn how many large families were once found in these old towns of Massachusetts. In the small town of Billerica, settled in 1665, may be found in its early records these facts: there are recorded twenty-six families having 10 children each; twenty, 11 each; twenty-four, 12 each; thirteen, 13 each; five, 14 each; one, 15; and one, 21. Here were ninety families having 1043 children-equal to a regiment! In the New England States there has been Nothing like this, not even an approximation less mixing up of the foreign element with the to it, for fifty years past can be found in the native than in New York; and though no cen- history of any town in New England! Why, sus has ever been taken by families, thereby as- it is rare that any American family can now certaining the exact number of children or births be found any where having 10 children; but in a family, many facts can be gathered to show here were ninety families having that number that the increase of the descendants of the orig- and upward. Indeed, is it not a prevalent inal settlers is very questionable. So great has fact at the present day-and that not with the been the increase of children of the foreign fashionable only, but also among the most inclass, together with emigration from abroad, telligent and cultivated, and even among the that the population, as a whole, has steadily religious classes-that where there is a large gained for a long series of years in all the New family of children reflections arise at once, and England States; but by a careful analysis and remarks are made calling in question the recomparison it will appear that this gain is large-finement, the delicacy, and good-breeding, if ly made up from a foreign source. The amount not the good-manners, of the parents of such a of this increase, and its proportion between the family? Once such fathers and mothers were two classes, American and foreign, will vary considered by the wise, the good, and the great much in the different States, as well as in dif- as public benefactors; but now their conduct is ferent parts of the same State. not only questioned and censured, but by some

they are regarded almost as human monsters. | 1851 and 1852, and in 1860 it only exceeds that How unlike such a spirit to the practices and of 1850 by 183, while the births reported of forprinciples of the first settlers in this country, and how much at variance with the teachings of Divine revelation!

In view of the foregoing statements the inquiry naturally arises in every thoughtful mind, what can be the causes of such changes changes so radical in their nature and so im

find now children enough to make in numbers | these facts prove that there is no increase at a respectable school, where once those same all with the native stock in New England, or neighborhoods thronged with children. On the that it must run out, but that there is not by other hand, in large towns and villages, where any means such a rate of increase as once the foreign population abounds, we find an existed, nor seemingly as might naturally be abundance of children: the regular schools are looked for at the present time. crowded, and new schools every now and then have to be opened. To such an extent has this foreign element increased that in some of the large towns and cities of the State it actually comprises full one-half of all the school-chil-portant in their effects? Writers upon the laws dren in those places. If a majority of all the youth and children under fifteen years of age in a place is made up from those of a foreign parentage, and is relatively increasing in numbers every year, how long will it be before such a power will be felt in the management, if not in the control, of the municipal government of those towns and cities?

of population have generally regarded the following as the principal causes in preventing its increase, namely, climate, famine, pestilence, war, government, want of marriages, and prudential considerations. It can not be alleged that the first five causes here enumerated could have had much influence in producing these changes, and certainly war could not prior to 1860, whatever may have been its effects since that period. While the number of marriages has, relatively for the same population, slight

years, still the marriage-rate has fallen off so little, and even now is so little below that of most European nations and their representatives in this country, that the difference from this source could not be very material or appreciable. But connected with this institution there is one cause which may affect somewhat the increase of population, namely, postponing marriage till a later age. It has been found by a series of statistics that the period from twenty to thirty years of age is far more prolific than that from thirty to forty; and on account of the increased expenses of supporting a family, together with a prevalent desire to live in a certain style, there is a growing tendency with large numbers to put off marriage till a later period in life than formerly. It is found in modern times that it is not so much the number of marriages that increases population as the fruitfulness of this relation.

In Connecticut, where the proportion of the foreign class is much less than in Massachusetts, the School Report for 1866 states "that the relative number of children had been steadily de-ly diminished during the last twenty or thirty creasing for the last forty years," and the Report for 1867 states that the number was less even than in the previous year. The State of Vermont, in which there is still less of the foreign element, reports relatively a less proportion of children than either of the New England States. In the Registration Report of Vermont for 1858 is found this remarkable comparison. It states "that while the producing part of the population, say from fifteen to fifty, was almost in precisely the same proportion to the whole population as that in England, the birth-rate in Vermont was 1 in 49, and in England (the same year) it was 1 in 31;" and should the foreign element, as small as it is, be separated, the birthrate would be still lower-in fact, only about one-half as large as that of England. Considering that this comparison is made between a people engaged in agricultural pursuits, and somewhat scattered in settlement, with a population situated as that of England is, living mostly in cities and thickly settled places, and composed largely of the extremes in society, the result is surprising.

As no registration reports have ever been made in New Hampshire and Maine, not much information on this subject can be obtained in these States, though there is reason to believe that in them is a more regular increase of native population. In the State of Rhode Island the census returns and registration reports have for many years been carefully made out, discriminating between the foreign and American, and show that, while the former class are increasing most rapidly, there is a fair increase with the latter, still not so rapid an increase as obtained in this same State fifty or one hundred years ago.

In stating the facts on this subject our aim has been to make a correct presentation of the matter-not partial nor one-sided, but to look the facts fairly in the face, whatever lessons they might teach. It is not supposed that

Some statistics have been collected in Great Britain which go to show that, in what would be considered a healthy state of society, taking a thousand marriages as they come, not more than eight or ten in a hundred would be found ́ but what had been more or less prolific. A much larger per cent.-if not double the number-of this class of marriages may now be found in many parts of New England, and a very large class also where only one or two children are the result. In communities where the foreign class is found living side by side with the American, a surprising difference is witnessed between the two classes in the number of children or size of families. It is found that the former class average for the same number of marriages two or three times as many children as the latter.

It has been alleged that society in many places is abnormal on account of so many young persons leaving New England to find homes in the newer and less populous sections of our country. It is true that this change,