may be taken from their decisions
and also from the decisions of the supreme courts of the states to the
supreme court of the United States consisting of nine judges. An
appeal does not lie in every case decided by a state court or by the
federal courts of appeal; only such cases as the highest court shall
decide after application, made in proper form, may be appealed and
heard by that tribunal.

We have already explained the term equity. Formerly there were courts
to try and decide equity cases. England still maintains such courts
and a few exist in the United States; New Jersey and Delaware are two
of these states. The chief official of the court is called a
chancellor, the others vice chancellors. Instead of an action, as in a
court of law, the preliminary proceeding is called a petition or bill,
and while in substance it is similar to an action or complaint, used
in a court of law, the form is quite different. The modern tendency of
the law, considered in the most general way, is to fuse law and
equity, and to endow law judges with equity powers. For further
explanation see _Legal Remedies and Equitable Remedies_.

=Adopted Child.=--Children are sometimes adopted. By doing so the
natural parents lose all personal rights and are relieved from all
legal duties. The adopted parents acquire the right to the adopted
child's custody and control, to his services and earnings, and they
must maintain and educate him. In some states he becomes the heir of
the adopted parent like a natural child, with some limitations. Who
can inherit an adopted child's property is not clearly settled. He can
also inherit from his natural parent and kindred as if he had not been
adopted. In Massachusetts the courts hold that an adopted child will
take like a natural child under a residuary clause in an adopted
father's will giving all the property not otherwise devised to his
child or children. See _Parent and Child_.

=Agency.=--Much of the business of our day is done by agents or
persons who represent others. The most general division is into
general and special agents. A general agent is one who has authority
to act for his principal or person he represents in all matters, quite
as the principal himself could do; or in some of his matters. Thus if
a principal had a farm he might have a general agent to act as his
farmer; if he owned a mill, another general agent who had charge of
it. If he had two mills, he might have a general agen