Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/506

 486 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

like the merchant ships : she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her house- hold, and their task to her maidens. She considereth a field and buyeth it ; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. .... She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable : her lamp goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She spreadeth out her hand to the poor ; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household ; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry ; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh linen garments and selleth them ; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant."'

There must come a time in the history of every group when wild game becomes scarce. This time is put off by successive migrations to wilder regions ; but the rapid increase of population makes any continent inadequate to the supply of food through the chase indefinitely. Morgan estimates that the state of New York, with its 47,000 square miles, never contained at any one time more than 25,000 Indians.^ Sooner or later the man must either fall back on the process represented by the woman, taking up and developing her industries, or he must change his attitude toward animal life. In fact, he generally does both. He enters into a sort of alliance with animal life, or with certain of its forms, feeding them, and tending them, and breeding them ; and he applies his katabolic energies to the pursuits of woman, organizing and advancing them. Whether the animal or the plant life receives in the end more attention is a matter turning on environment and other circumstances. When the destructive male propensities have exhausted or diminished the food stores on the animal side, and man is forced to fall back on the con- structive female process, we find that he brings greater and bet- ter organizing force to bear on the industries. Male enterprises have demanded concerted action. In order to surround a buffalo herd, or to make a successful assault, or even to row a large boat, organization and leadership are necessary. To attack under

'Prov. 31: 10-24. "Morgan, Ancient Society, p. iii.