"In one way
you might say that we have more than we used to--that is, our
standard of perfection seems to get farther and farther away. But
we are not discouraged, because our records do show gain--
considerable gain.
"When we began--even with the start of one particularly
noble mother--we inherited the characteristics of a long race-
record behind her. And they cropped out from time to time--
alarmingly. But it is--yes, quite six hundred years since we have
had what you call a `criminal.'
"We have, of course, made it our first business to train out,
to breed out, when possible, the lowest types."
"Breed out?" I asked. "How could you--with parthenogenesis?"
"If the girl showing the bad qualities had still the power to
appreciate social duty, we appealed to her, by that, to renounce
motherhood. Some of the few worst types were, fortunately,
unable to reproduce. But if the fault was in a disproportionate
egotism--then the girl was sure she had the right to have children,
even that hers would be better than others.
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