Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/847

 HILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER 333

began to teach social science or sociology of the Spencerian type, becoming the pioneer in America of sociological instruction. But the demands upon him of his large and enthusiastic classes in political economy, and the exigencies of tariff-controversy, kept Professor Sumner from the studies he was coming to prefer, and it was only after a severe breakdown in the early nineties that he definitely retired from the teaching of political economy and gave himself over entirely to the science of society. There ensued those years of quiet, incessant study, part of the results of which are to be seen in the Folkways; it was this period of retirement from the eye of the public and even of scholars which caused some to think that Sumner's career closed in the middle nineties and others to regret his withdrawal from political econ- omy. The publication of the Folkways somewhat startled the ad- herents of these views. I do not need to speak of this volume to sociologists, but it is clear that it disposed of both theories con- cerning Sumner's latter years; the awe-inspiring bibliography revealed to the scholar long hours of herculean toil, and the freshness and strength and originality of the theoretic part showed the old-time vigorous mind in characteristic action. And it must be understood that during these latter years since the breakdown before referred to, Sumner had never been a thor- oughly well man; many is the time he has moaned to me about having to "go to bed with the chickens," and the like.

In the preface to the Folkways a certain amount of bio- graphical matter occurs — this I may, perhaps, somewhat amplify. Sumner wrote along on his projected Science of Society for several years till he came to the topic of the "Mores." Here he grounded for some time, finally working out what he called "a chapter of two hundred thousand words." But by this time he had convinced himself that the idea of the folkways was entirely fundamental to his conception of any science of society ; after telling me from time to time of his perplexities, he said one day: "That chapter is too long for a chapter; guess I'll make a book of it." Such was the genesis of the Folkzvays.

Professor Sumner felt that this would be his last book ; the labors of composition expended upon it tired him excessively.