,,heart ,,and ,,soul ,,by ,,maveric ,,post ,illustration ,,new ,,york ,,the ,,century ,,co4 #aiba ,copyright1 #aiba1 by ,,the ,,century ,,co4 ,,apology ,this book was not written with any idea of being published1 but simply because ,i could not help it4 ,i got thinking about various things1 in the lives of people about me1 and in my own life1 and1 after a while1 ,i found that my thoughts would not let me alone4 ,they kept coming back1 to trouble and haunt me1 until finally ,i realized that the only way ,i could be rid of them and have a little peace1 was to set them down on paper4 ,after that1 ,i had the indiscretion to read parts of them to one or two who are near to me4 ,these seemed to think that they might prove helpful to others who felt the same way and urged me to publish them4 ,i cannot be blamed very much for conceiving a hope that this might prove true4 ,and1 in that hope1 ,i have followed their advice4 ,m4,p4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i ,,diagnosis #c ,,ii ,,the ,,up-,,to-,,date ,,principle #dc ,,iii ,,reason ,,and ,,experience #ei ,,iv ,,affection #hc ,v ,,faith #aji ,,vi ,,science ,,and ,,the ,,intellect #afg ,,vii ,,hope #bba ,,viii ,,heart ,,and ,,soul #bcd ,,appendix #cag ,,heart ,,and ,,soul ,,heart ,,and ,,soul ,i ,,diagnosis ,many of us1 to-day1 are disturbed and alarmed by the point of view and the behavior of people about us--especially the younger generation4 ,girls of good family are seen on all sides1 who smoke and gamble and drink and paint their faces and laugh with scorn at the traditions and conventions which their grand-parents regarded with almost sacred reverence4 ,the young men are worse1 if anything1 and as for the married people of the new era1 what they are doing to the sanctity of the home and the bonds of matrimony might seem like a weird travesty of the teachings of the past4 ,what is the world coming to8 ,are things going on indefinitely1 this way1--or more so8 ,if not1 who1 or what1 is to stop the movement and turn it in another direction8 ,what is the meaning of it all8 ,what is to be done about it8 ,before attempting to speculate on these questions1 it might be a good idea to consider for a moment the main1 fundamental influences which have always been at work1 to a greater or less extent1 in determining the conduct of human beings4 ,first come the material instincts4 ,each individual is born with a large number of desires1 appetites1 feelings1 impulses1 tastes4 ,there is also a natural wish to gratify these and the process of doing so brings with it a sense of satisfaction and pleasure4 ,so that if these natural instincts were the only things to be considered1 the problem of humanity in a general way would resolve itself into preserving life and getting as much pleasure out of it as possible4 ,why not follow the lead of our instincts1 accept all opportunities as they come1 and make the most of them8 ,is not this point of view1 however briefly and crudely expressed1 the first principle of existence as it confronts each individual to-day1 as it has confronted them in the past1 and as it will continue to confront them always8 ,is it not1 in its essence1 the starting point--the ever-present raw material--which must be recognized and dealt with somehow in any scheme of philosophy or morality8 ,the next consideration1 which follows closely after1 is that certain wishes cannot be gratified1 certain pleasures are forbidden1 certain instincts must be repressed or controlled4 ,why8 ,for various reasons4 ,the first being force and might4 ,some one stronger interferes and prevents4 ,every child comes in contact with this principle at an early stage4 ,it cannot have what it wants1 it cannot do as it wills--because the nurse or the mother says no4 ,a little later1 if it undertakes to gratify a certain wish which has been forbidden1 if it gives free play to an instinct for pleasure1 against orders1 it is slapped and scolded4 ,it is made to feel that it has done wrong4 ,and when one does wrong1 punishment follows--one must learn to expect that4 ,this same principle confronts the individual in later years1--all through life4 ,first the nurse and mother2 then the father and other members of the family2 then the neighbors and people at large2 the police and the laws4 ,all these embody the same principle1 they represent greater force1 without the individual1 which interferes with its instincts1 its pleasures1 its wishes1 which forbids certain things--declares they are wrong--and punishes1 if they are done4 ,on top of this comes the church and religion4 ,in a more exalted way1 appealing to the imagination and the inner spirit1 they nevertheless apply the same principle4 ,certain things are sinful and wicked1 certain instincts and desires are temptations1 contrived by an evil spirit4 ,if temptations are yielded to1 if evil is committed1 punishment is sure to follow1 if not in this world1 then in another1 a world beyond4 ,in this connection1 it is not a question of any particular church1 or creed1 or any particular religion1 but simply of the fundamental idea of all churches and all religions1--the idea that somewhere1 somehow1 in a spiritual world of some sort1 good will be rewarded and evil punished4 ,crudely and briefly stated1 it is the same fundamental principle that begins with the child and nursemaid1 and runs up through the highest forms of church and religious appeal4 ,this is good1 you are allowed and urged to do it1 and it will bring reward2 that is bad1 you are commanded to resist it1 and if you yield1 it will bring punishment4 ,this1 then1 is what we have called the second consideration in the problem of life4 ,there is another consideration1 of a different order1 which exerts an influence on the acts of an individual2 which causes it to repress certain appetites and desires1 on the one hand1 and urges it1 on the other hand1 to do certain things against its instincts and inclination4 ,this third consideration is the influence of reason and experience4 ,a crude example will suffice to illustrate the principle4 ,a certain individual eats a plate of sliced cucumbers4 ,their taste is delicious and the sensation most enjoyable4 ,an acute indigestion follows1 however1 with great discomfort and distress4 ,on a later occasion1 another plate of fresh cucumbers is so tempting that the experiment is tried again1 with the same results4 ,before long1 this individual will refuse to eat a cucumber1 no matter how fresh and tempting it looks4 ,there is no question of right or wrong here involved4 ,there is no outside force or command1 to restrain him4 ,it is his own reason1 based on experience1 which determines him to give up a present pleasure for the sake of avoiding a future pain4 ,in a reverse way1 a certain individual who is tired and sleepy and yearns to go to bed1 will force himself to sit up and work over annoying papers1 in order to be free for a game of golf1 the following day4 ,he deliberately denies his desires and accepts present discomfort for the sake of future enjoyment4 ,this principle1 if we look into it carefully and follow it through its ramifications and side lights1 is an active and important factor in the conduct of nearly everybody4 ,in its essence1 it is personal1 its force springs from within the individual--and in that respect1 at least1 it is quite different from the orders of parents1 or the commandments of religion1 which are issued from without and which the individual is called upon to accept and obey1 irrespective of his own notions or preferences4 ,there is still another main consideration in this question of conduct4 ,it is a very great factor in the lives of many people1 and in some cases its force and influence are overwhelming4 ,and it is totally different in its very essence and tendency from the other principles we have noted4 ,this is the influence of love and affection4 ,a mother will give up any pleasure1 she will accept any pain for the sake of her sick child4 ,she does not do it because any one has ordered her1 or because of any commandment of any religion1 or because of any reward or punishment in this world1 or another4 ,there is no selfish motive of any kind involved in her thought4 ,any sacrifice of self1 she is ready to make without the slightest hesitation4 ,what she does1 and what she is willing to do is for her child alone--because she loves it and1 for the time being1 its little life seems of more importance than everything else in the world put together4 ,now1 if we pause right here a moment and reflect we can hardly fail to realize that we are in the presence of something strange and wonderful4 ,it appears to be the very contrary and contradiction of all that has gone before4 ,the life of the individual1 as it unfolds from the first principle1 is a question of self-preservation1 self-gratification1 appetites1 desires1 pleasures1 as full a measure of enjoyment as it is possible to obtain4 ,this is interfered with by outside force and considerations of reason and experience2 certain desires have to be controlled by the idea of good and bad1 reward and punishment2 certain pleasures and pains have to be balanced against each other to determine a choice4 ,but from beginning to end1 it is all concerned in considerations of advantage--what is best for self1 at the time being1 or in the long run--in this world or the next4 ,why do this1 that1 or the other8 because you will gain most by it1 in the end4 ,at bottom1 the motive is taken for granted1 whether openly admitted or more or less thinly disguised--self1 self-interest1 selfishness4 ,then we turn and look upon a mother and her child--and we find that all thought of personal advantage can be transferred to another4 ,self-interest can be controlled and obliterated by a new and mysterious principle--the principle of love4 ,there are various kinds and degrees of feeling that go under the name of love and nothing in life is more interesting or more vitally important to study and understand4 ,but in this preliminary summary it is enough to signal its existence as one of the factors in the problem of life4 ,it may be just as well to note1 in passing1 that mothers are to be found whose love for their children is not so completely unselfish4 ,mothers are to be found who care very little about their children4 ,mothers are to be found who regard children as a nuisance and a disadvantage and prefer to be without them4 ,that will be found to be one of the curious side-lights of the problem when time comes to discuss it4 ,it does not alter the fact1 however1 that love exists1 that the true mother's love of her child is the most complete and universal illustration of it4 ,also in many other forms of love and affection1 it is easy to recognize this same tendency toward unselfishness--a readiness to sacrifice one's personal pleasures and inclinations for the joy of another4 ,a father may have this feeling for his son1 or his brother1 just as he may have it for his wife1 or his mother4 ,a man1 or a woman1 may have it for a dear and intimate friend1 and be willing to make real sacrifices in order to benefit them4 ,this1 then1 is the fourth consideration--a fourth factor in the problem of life--and to avoid misunderstanding and confusion of ideas1 we will call it affection--the influence of affection4 ,there remains one more consideration--one further class and kind of influence--which has its bearing on conduct4 ,this may be summed up1 in a general way1 as love of an ideal1 or an idea4 ,although it is less wide-spread and less potent in most lives than affection for fellow beings1 yet it is1 in varying degrees1 a real factor that cannot be left out4 ,a sense of duty exists1 to greater or less extent1 in nearly all people4 ,in people of breeding and good family it may become pride of race--noblesse oblige4 ,a certain individual may have a strong affection for his home town1 the little community with which he has been identified as a boy and man4 ,another is devoted to a cause1 a political party1 a ,red ,cross movement2 while others have a strong feeling of patriotism1 they love their country1 their flag1 and they are ready1 at any time1 to give up something for the good cause4 ,broadly speaking1 and for lack of a better name1 we may call this fifth principle in the problem of life--devotion to an ideal4 ,as a result of these influences1 the character of an individual is formed1 his conduct is determined4 ,at any given time1 in the presence of any given question as to what he will1 or will not do1 the answer will depend on the relative force1 or sway1 of the conflicting considerations4 ,this is merely stating an application of a general law--that all effects must have their causes4 ,only in the conduct of an individual1 the causes at work are often very subtle and complicated4 ,if the average individual at the present time is behaving differently from the way he used to act1 it is obviously because of some change in the influences4 ,certain motives and considerations which used to be decisive have now ceased to dominate4 ,other considerations have superseded them4 ,so much is fairly obvious1 and very little reflection is needed to locate these in a general way4 ,they lie in the second group of our summary--the control of desires from without1 enforced by rewards and punishments4 ,in the life of the average individual1 this influence has become weaker all along the line4 ,it is probably less dominating and decisive to-day1 than it has ever been before in any period of civilization1 ancient or modern4 ,and the weakening of the influence begins in the earliest childhood1 with the punishments of nurse and parents and extends right on to the end1 through neighbors and public opinion1 the police and the laws1 and finally to the church and religion1 with their everlasting retribution1 heaven and hell4 ,there has been no great apparent change in the other considerations of our summary4 ,people are still influenced by experience and reason1 as heretofore4 ,they still are moved by their affections2 and there are the same class of people who will fight for their country and make sacrifices for an ideal4 ,it may be that the change of character which results from the weakening influences under our second heading1 has an appreciable effect on the force of other influences1 also4 ,but that is a delicate and subtle subject1 which will be discussed later on4 ,for the time being1 we may stop at this point3 that the startling changes which have occurred recently in moral standards and point-of-view are directly traceable to a corresponding weakening of an influence that has been one of the strongest in human lives4 ,the nature and extent of this process are worth considering in detail1 because it is at the very root of the problem and the consequences are far-reaching4 ,and before we begin to analyze it1 let us be careful to avoid a hasty and easy conclusion4 ,because the changes in people's views and behavior seem startling and alarming to those of the old school--that does not necessarily mean that the new tendency is bad and wrong4 ,any change in fundamentals is apt to be upsetting1 for the time being4 ,the new way1 in the end1 may really be better than the old1 and represent progress4 ,or it may mean deterioration and decline4 ,it will be time enough to discuss that phase of the question1 after we have made sure that we thoroughly understand what it is1 that has been going on4 ,let us take one thing at a time and start with the simplest and most obvious4 ,a human life begins1 with possibilities of development in all sorts of different directions4 ,the child is taken care of from the cradle--guided1 educated4 ,in due time1 it reaches an age where it is left to decide for itself and its actions are determined by its nature and what it has been taught4 ,as the twig is bent1 the tree's inclined4 ,this is an old adage of the ,english language and the principle it expresses has been generally accepted throughout the world4 ,spare the rod and spoil the child--is another old adage which has been almost as universally accepted4 ,still another adage1 expresses a fundamental principle3 ,children should be seen1 not heard4 ,these adages are sufficient to indicate the basic theory that governed the bringing up of children for countless generations4 ,what do they imply8 ,obedience1 discipline1 respect--respect for parents1 respect for others1 respect for traditions and laws--and with it a reverence and fear of ,god4 ,the aim was to turn out law-abiding1 ,god-fearing citizens2 and the method1 as expressed in the adages1 was unquestioned for centuries and generally adhered to4 ,it has always been usual and natural among various peoples at various times1 to inculcate in children from an early age those qualities which are considered worthy and admirable4 ,among the ,american ,indians1 a true brave was he who presented an unflinching countenance to the enemy1 even in torture4 ,consequently1 boy children were pricked and burned by their parents1 until they were schooled to accept any kind of pain without a whimper4 ,in ,china1 tiny feet were considered desirable in a woman--so girl children's feet were tightly bound and kept so1 for long periods1 with great suffering1 in order to attain the worthy object4 ,in these and similar cases in ,european civilization1 the stern methods employed cannot be taken to mean that parents loved their children any the less--rather the contrary4 ,because they loved them1 they did not hesitate to do what was necessary1 according to their lights1 to make them grow up as fine specimens as possible4 ,that was the old school4 ,what1 now1 of the new8 ,it is obvious that1 in recent years1 there has been a vast change in the attitude of parents toward children1 and perhaps an even greater change in the attitude of children toward parents4 ,the rod is used very sparingly1 nowadays4 ,in ,america1 at least1 it may be said to be no longer used at all4 ,among families of education and refinement1 a child may still be spanked by the mother or father1 but not very often4 ,the significance of the proceeding is not very great1 and half the time the spanking is occasioned by the irritable nervous condition of the parent rather than the act of the child4 ,a child may sometimes be slapped by a nurse1 usually when the nurse is cross and ill-humored4 ,but in nearly all cases1 if a nurse dared to whip a child1 or cause it real pain1 the child would only have to tell its parents and the nurse would be discharged4 ,and such trifling chastisements as do occur to-day1 are confined to a very early age of the child4 ,a boy or girl of twelve or fifteen has no fear of a beating from father1 or mother1 or governess1 or school-teacher4 ,school-masters are no longer allowed to whip their pupils1 or even to cuff them4 ,the old adage is no longer in force--it has been thrown into the discard4 ,spare the rod-- yes1 the rod is spared1 but it remains to be seen whether on that account the child is necessarily spoiled4 ,children should be seen1 not heard--that idea1 is also in the discard4 ,boys and girls have as much right to their say as anybody else4 ,at the family table1 in the home circle1 the tendency is rather for their ideas and their affairs to usurp the conversation4 ,their impressions are fresher and more animated1 and they are more abreast of the latest up-to-date topics4 ,an attitude of respect and reverence for the opinions and notions of their parents1 or grand-parents1 would hardly be expected of them4 ,so many of the things to be talked about--motors1 wireless1 airplanes1 new wrinkles and changed conditions--are better understood by them than the old people4 ,it is easy for them to get the feeling that the old people's ideas are rather moth-eaten and of not much account4 ,it is for the rising generation to tell and explain what's doing now and for the setting generation to listen and make the most of it4 ,of course1 this is not meant to imply that children have ceased to have any respect for their parents4 ,in any particular case1 it is a question of degree1 depending upon the quality of the children1 the quality of the parents1 the various conditions and influences of the family life4 ,it is the general tendency we are looking for--the underlying principle--which makes itself felt to a greater or less extent1 according to circumstances4 ,it is unquestionably true that the average child to-day is less often and less severely punished than the child of the past4 ,if it disobeys1 it has less fear of the consequences1 so the importance of obedience becomes a dwindling factor in its mental attitude and its behavior4 ,it learns to take orders with a grain of salt and as often as may be1 it disregards them1 because they are not what it likes4 ,that is the beginning of a tendency--the first bending of a twig4 ,as the twig goes on growing with this slant1 and the horizon of the boy and girl opens out beyond the family circle to a larger world1 existing conditions are such as to encourage a continuation of the same tendency4 ,the selfish instincts and desires of the individual are opposed by the same kind of influences and restraints that have been in force since the beginning of civilization1 but less effectively4 ,and let us bear clearly in mind that1 for the time being1 we are confining our attention to the forces which act on the individual from without4 ,that is the thread we are following--the second consideration in our summary4 ,the influences and restraints which act on the boy or girl1 as they go forth from the home circle1 are of various forms and kinds1 but they may be grouped in a few simple classes4 ,first3 ,the school with its teachers and teachings4 ,second3 ,the influence of example and imitation--what others of their age and kind are doing4 ,third3 ,the influence of public opinion1 of tradition and customs--what everybody seems to think is all right and approves1 on the one hand1 and what is considered wrong and unworthy1 on the other4 ,fourth3 ,laws and regulations of constituted authorities4 ,fifth3 ,sunday school and church--the religious influence with its standards of wickedness and goodness4 ,if we consider these in order1 we are not impressed by any striking change in the school influence4 ,in many respects1 no doubt1 schools are better planned and more intelligently managed than they ever were before4 ,more attention is paid to ventilation1 hygiene1 recreation1 on the one hand2 and on the other the methods employed in imparting book knowledge are probably more enlightened4 ,as regards the question we are discussing--obedience1 discipline1 respect for authority--on the whole1 there has probably been no great change4 ,in the class-room and throughout the school rgime1 strict obedience is still maintained as an essential requisite1 just as it has always been4 ,the punishments and penalties for disobedience are perhaps a little less severe and drastic1 but without any real difference in effect4 ,the only question worth raising in this connection is how far school-teachers and school-rules are taken to heart by the average boy or girl--how far they are made to apply to their notions and motives1 when school is left behind4 ,school-books1 school-teachers and school-discipline are so apt to be bunched together and relegated to a special corner of the mind4 ,our second group--the influence of example and imitation--has probably always been a more important factor in shaping conduct and character4 ,what the older boys1 just above you1 do and believe1 makes a lot of difference to you1 if you are a boy4 ,it is no question here of old-fashioned precepts or theories1 handed down by parents1 grandmothers or school-teachers1 to be taken with a grain of salt4 ,it is something living and vital1 which concerns you directly4 ,you look up to the older boys3 you want to be like them2 and approved of by them4 ,what they think and do may be at variance with the ideas of nurse1 mother and school-master1 but if it is good enough for them1 it is good enough for you4 ,it is a practical standard which you can't help being judged by4 ,if you fail to live up to it1 or refuse to accept it and try to act differently1 there is a sure penalty4 ,you will be sneered at1 disliked1 looked down upon1 or laughed at4 ,if you are a girl1 the same principle applies4 ,there is nothing new about the principle4 ,it is as old as the hills and universal4 ,is the effect of it to-day on the forming character any different from what it has been1 in the past8 ,undoubtedly4 ,a moment's reflection will show why and how this must be so4 ,whatever the nature and influence of the family bringing-up may have been1 in any particular case1 the general tendency toward lack of discipline and disregard for authority can hardly fail to be reflected in the prevailing standards of the boys and girls to be found at any school4 ,they have no connection with school regulations or school penalties4 ,it is the fundamental question of instincts1 desires1 and notions--the attitude toward themselves and toward life outside the school-room which they are going to take with them where-ever they go4 ,the tendency begun at home finds reinforcement and further development in the boy or girl by example and contact with others1 who are headed the same way4 ,next comes the third group3 ,the influence of public opinion--of tradition and customs4 ,there is no mistaking the fact that in the present generation there have been many striking changes in the prevailing customs1 as they apply to the behavior and conduct of individuals4 ,the growing boys and girls see these changes taking place on every hand4 ,when mother and father were young1 ,sunday was a day set aside for church-going and dull and decorous behavior4 ,games and fun of all kinds were laid away1 everybody put on their best clothes and sat around and talked1 or took quiet walks with an overhanging air of seemly propriety4 ,to-day there are tennis and golf and baseball games and dinner-parties and gambling at the bridge-table1 in which mother and father participate along with the rest4 ,it used to be considered improper for a girl of good family to go out at night to any kind of party without being accompanied by a chaperon4 ,nowadays1 the girl who is obliged to take a chaperon with her wherever she goes1 is liable to be laughed at by her up-to-date friends4 ,it was not so long ago that in any respectable community1 a woman who painted her face1 smoked cigarettes1 drank cocktails and gambled with the men1 would have been considered a shocking spectacle of depravity that no self-respecting wife1 or mother1 could accept or tolerate4 ,nowadays1 the growing boy and girl have only to open their eyes to see women doing such things everywhere--as likely as not their aunts and cousins1 or their own mothers4 ,examples of this nature could be given in great variety1 but enough has been suggested to show the trend4 ,in another connection it will be interesting to discuss these manifestations in greater detail and reflect on their cause and meaning4 ,for the present1 it is sufficient to indicate that the social customs have changed and are changing very materially4 ,under such conditions1 it would not be natural for young people to be unduly impressed by them4 ,such standards are so unstable and they differ so much to-day from what they were yesterday1 and they differ so much in different circles and even in different families1 that their force and importance are not very compelling4 ,the authority of past customs has undergone a process of confusion and weakening1 much the same as parental authority4 ,there is less respect for it on the part of the new generation4 ,the same thing is true of traditions and public opinion4 ,traditions have been modified and lost sight of in the new movement1 and public opinion on many questions is to-day so confused and indefinite as hardly to exist4 ,some people still think that divorce and re-marriage is shocking4 ,other people thoroughly approve of divorce1 and believe that when a marriage has proved unsatisfactory and objectionable1 it is right and best to call it off and look for something better4 ,some people think it wrong for young people to run to the picture-shows and see baby vampires and demoralizing examples of licence and misconduct2 others are enthusiastic about the educational value of the movies and encourage their children to go as often as they like4 ,some people disapprove violently of the way young people dance together and of the present attitude of girls and boys toward one another2 while others accept it as a part of the new era of emancipation and enlightenment which is all in the way of progress4 ,there is practically no real public opinion to-day on these1 and many other similar questions4 ,a diversity of individual opinions and notions has taken its place1 which young people are more or less free to follow or ignore1 as circumstances may determine4 ,yet it is not so long ago that public opinion in most communities was a firmly established1 vital force4 ,it was generally recognized and carefully respected by anybody1 who wished to be considered respectable4 ,certain acts1 certain kinds of conduct1 were considered immoral1 or shocking1 or in bad taste and those who defied public opinion were made to pay the penalty4 ,they were given the cold shoulder1 cut off the visiting-list and made to feel the stigma of disapproval4 ,if a girl sneaked off alone with boys in the dark1 or was caught smoking cigarettes--if a married man was seen consorting with a divorcee--if a woman drank highballs and gambled and broke up a happy home--if any member of the community did any one of a number of things which were considered improper1 or unworthy1 or immoral1 or dishonorable1 public opinion was sternly in evidence1 unquestioned and unquestionable1 to judge and to sentence4 ,young people learned to take account of this consideration1 just as their mothers and fathers did4 ,they grew up with respect for it4 ,in the new generation the thing itself has lost greatly in consistency and force1 and the young people see no reason to be much concerned about it4 ,in the fourth group1 are included the laws and regulations of constituted authorities4 ,for the most part these find their chief representative in the policeman1 with the jail and law-court1 as a background behind him4 ,about the only change in this influence lies in the mental attitude of the average individual4 ,a generation ago1 people who got arrested were usually thieves1 or drunkards1 or crooks and criminals of some kind4 ,to be a law-breaker and in the clutches of the police was something that a reputable citizen shuddered at4 ,the police were the guardians of all good people1 majestic1 respected and a little awe-inspiring4 ,nowadays1 people of all sorts and kinds are constantly getting into trouble with the police1 and getting arrested1 and being hauled to court and fined before the same bar of justice as the crooks and drunkards4 ,it is usually in connection with automobile driving4 ,they are law-breakers--they know it and are caught at it4 ,and since the prohibition laws have gone into effect1 another crop of law-breakers has sprung up on every hand4 ,deliberately and defiantly they disregard the law and scoff at it4 ,in addition to this matter of the police1 there is a growing tendency on the part of the average person to question the worthiness and integrity of officials and representatives of government1 all along the line4 ,aldermen1 commissioners1 mayors of cities--even senators of the ,united ,states--are frequent objects of mistrust1 of sneering disrespect4 ,political scandals and corrupt deals in high places are commonplace topics in any community4 ,so young people1 looking about and absorbing ideas1 under these conditions1 are inclined to have a lessened respect for constituted authorities and the laws4 ,above and beyond this1 having a deeper significance and effects that are more intimate and constant and far-reaching1 is the change which has been taking place in the influences of the fifth and last group--,sunday school and church--the force of religion4 ,this is such a delicate subject1 so close to the hearts of so many people and having so many variations and degrees in different individuals1 in different families1 in different communities1 in different churches1 that it is extremely difficult to discuss4 ,it is largely a matter of private sentiment1 of vague personal feelings for which the average person is unable to find adequate expression4 ,no sooner is the subject broached than the individual mind takes refuge in a defensive attitude4 ,as it does not intend to be disturbed in its own spiritual attitude and beliefs1 it is ready to seize the first opportunity to raise objections4 ,let me reassure such minds by saying that ,i am quite willing to agree with them concerning the good that is in their minister1 or their church1 or any other church1 or religion they may be interested in4 ,to the best of my knowledge and belief1 the purpose and influence of all churches and all religions has always been in the direction of higher thoughts and more exalted motives of conduct4 ,this is no less so to-day than it has been in the past4 ,the change that has occurred is in the attitude of the new generation toward the teachings of the church and the consequent weakening of its influence4 ,not much reflection or observation is required to arrive at a general idea of the nature and extent of this tendency4 ,in most ,christian homes it has been the custom to teach children to say their prayers every night before going to bed4 ,and in teaching them to pray1 the idea has been instilled in their minds that the all-wise ,lord is listening to them and watching over them4 ,mothers and ,fathers have accustomed them to the belief that no act of theirs--no matter how carefully they may conceal it from the human beings about them--can ever escape the all-seeing eye of the ,lord4 ,children have believed this from time immemorial and the ,sunday school and church have encouraged and strengthened this belief1 at all stages of their growth4 ,and along with this1 as we have observed1 went the idea of divine1 everlasting justice and retribution--the punishment of evil and the regard of good1 if not in this world1 then surely in the greater world beyond4 ,heaven and hell have for centuries been pictured as awe-inspiring realities1 established by the ,bible1 expounded and thundered from pulpits4 ,children found1 as they grew up1 that the idea was accepted and shared by mothers1 fathers1 neighbors--everybody in the community entitled to respect or consideration4 ,in trouble or sickness1 they turned to the ,lord for comfort and help and those who yielded to temptation and ignored ,his commandments were in danger of eternal damnation4 ,when people believe such a doctrine1 when it is a living conviction in their hearts and souls1 no greater influence could be imagined for controlling their material instincts and desires4 ,we have only to refer back to the days of the martyrs and saints to realize what the principle is capable of when it is fully applied4 ,as compared to eternal salvation and everlasting bliss--how petty and unimportant are the temporary experiences of the body4 ,the great mass of normal human beings1 while accepting and believing the doctrine1 have never deemed it necessary1 or practical1 to carry it too far4 ,but always in the past1 so far as we know1 the average individual has been influenced to a very considerable extent by his religious beliefs4 ,the more deeply and intensely he believed in the teachings1 the greater their influence in controlling his acts4 ,if we turn to the present generation1 we find on all sides1 evidences of a growing notion that many of the statements contained in the ,bible will no longer hold water1 when put to the test of scientific enlightenment4 ,a minister of the gospel in this church1 and another in that1 announces from the pulpit that it is no longer possible for him to accept the doctrines of hell's fire and eternal damnation4 ,others follow their example and preach sermons1 accordingly1 to justify this stand4 ,next the question of heaven is brought into question by a conscientious divine1 who expounds the conviction that it should be accepted in an allegorical meaning1 not literally--that instead of being a paradise inhabited by the souls of the elect1 it should be considered rather a state of mind of living mortals who behave rightly4 ,heaven and hell1 a jealous and all-mighty ,being1 seated on a majestic throne1 watching and judging each act of mortal man1 punishing and rewarding1 through all eternity--these and many other biblical teachings1 which for centuries awed the imagination and possessed the souls of humble men and women1 have gradually been brought into question4 ,some people are inclined to lay blame for this on the churches and the ministers4 ,but that is superficial thinking4 ,the causes for the change were not within the churches1 but outside1 and the ministers of the gospel1 though human beings like the rest of us1 were among the very last to take cognizance of them4 ,the doubts and questions and misgivings evidently began1 some time ago1 among practical1 thoughtful minds of scientific training4 ,certain statements in the ,bible1 in the light of modern investigation1 were found to be inaccurate4 ,if parts of it were founded on the ignorance of men of more or less primitive instruction1 it is easy to see where this line of reasoning was bound to lead4 ,in addition to the statements of fact1 many of the ideas and assumptions set forth in the ,bible seemed crude1 narrow1 cruel--as primitive as the lives of those early peoples among whom it came into existence4 ,the moral code contained in it--the essence of its religious significance--was undoubtedly sound and eternally true and very possibly inspired from on high1 but the details1 the images1 the formal conceptions were decidedly antiquated and unimpressive to the enlightened spirit of our advanced civilization4 ,this growing point-of-view began to express itself quite noticeably in the past generation1 at least in ,america4 ,thoughtful men1 when they arrived at it1 were inclined to keep it to themselves4 ,they did not care to disturb the simple1 whole-souled faith of their wives and mothers and children4 ,but when these men went to church with the family1 and had to listen to the literal1 orthodox expoundings of antiquated dogmas1 they were apt to feel mildly bored and annoyed4 ,they began to beg off from going to church4 ,then1 little by little1 in the various church congregations1 there was a disquieting falling off in the attendance of men-folk4 ,then some of these men began to exchange their views quietly with others1 who felt the same way4 ,articles were written1 here and there1 calling certain dogmas into question--and women were sometimes led to take part in the discussions and face the conclusions4 ,women1 as has been observed from time immemorial1 are by nature more conservative than men1 more inclined to accept existing conventions and be governed by traditions4 ,they are also more impressionable and the outward forms of church service mean more to them4 ,religious stimulant can come to them through their feelings and imagination without greatly involving the intellect4 ,the same is true of children4 ,so it has happened that while the men questioned1 lost faith and balked at church-going1 the women and children kept on dutifully1 for the most part content to accept things as they had always been4 ,but the contagion of advanced thought was in the air1 spreading among progressive men1 reacting to a certain extent among women1 and it was probably not until this had been going on for some time that it began to be taken into account by the clergy4 ,sooner or later it had to be1 if the church was to preserve any harmony with the thoughts of its congregation4 ,at the present time1 things have reached a point where if you ask any of the younger women1 of average intelligence and education1 her sentiments concerning hell's fire and heaven's glories1 and the jealous on-looking ,god who demands to be worshipped1 the chances are she will answer with a shrug that those things are no longer preached by progressive ministers4 ,she believes in the ,bible1 certainly1 and considers herself a good ,christian1 but certain portions of the divine word1 certain conceptions of the past1 are no longer acceptable--they have gone into the discard4 ,and these women1 holding such a view1 have no hesitancy in expressing it in the presence of their children1 if it so happens that they are old enough to be sitting by1 listening to the conversation4 ,in the light of all this1 when we come to consider the force of religion as a restraining influence in the growing lives of the new generation1 the nature and extent of the changes is fairly obvious4 ,let us suppose that to-day the average little children still have the beginnings of their religious training in much the same way as it has always been4 ,and a large proportion of them undoubtedly do1 because that is one of the family traditions which almost any mother would be loath to change4 ,the children1 then1 are taught to say their daily prayer--they are told that ,god hears them and sees them--that ,god is all-wise and all-powerful--that ,he loves good people and rewards them1 while people1 who do wrong1 anger ,him and cannot escape ,his punishment4 ,and this teaching is continued and developed in the ,sunday school1 as soon as the children are old enough to go there4 ,the child mind absorbs all this1 accepts it with the same simple faith with which it has accepted ,santa ,claus4 ,if we consider the period of early childhood carefully1 we find that these two beliefs1 so to speak1 go hand in hand--and there is much similarity between them4 ,most children are also taught about ,santa ,claus from the earliest days4 ,he becomes very real and wonderfully important in the child imagination4 ,he1 too1 has a mysterious way of knowing whether people are good or bad2 he1 too1 loves the good ones and rewards them by bringing them beautiful presents--and if the bad ones are too bad1 he is liable to punish them by giving them no presents at all4 ,instead of praying to him at night1 you can write him letters which he has a way of getting from the chimney1 so that he1 too1 can understand the innermost wishes of your heart4 ,sooner or later1 however1 the time must come when the existence of ,santa ,claus is called into doubt4 ,the doubt usually begins with some remark made by an older boy or girl4 ,but even if older boys and girls kept their mouths shut1 the time would surely come when a growing mind would begin puzzling1 reasoning1 doubting1 and by putting two and two together1 would be forced to the conclusion that this pretty idea was only a make-believe1 a myth1 a humbug4 ,a little further reflection might tell it that the myth must have been invented by some one1 long ago1 and was kept alive and carried on by people1 generation after generation1 on account of the value and influence it was found to have in bringing up children4 ,even after a child has become too wise to believe any longer in ,santa ,claus1 when the first reaction of feeling fooled and cheated is over1 it is perfectly willing to go on pretending for the sake of little brother and sister1 and when it grows up and has children of its own1 it will go on pretending for them4 ,in the present generation1 what is happening in the case of many people with regard to religious beliefs1 is only one step removed4 ,at a little later period of development1 no doubt1 but almost as inevitably1 the moment arrives when the childhood teachings and conceptions begin to be called into question4 ,is there really an all-wise ,lord1 looking on and listening when you say your evening prayers8 ,how many ears and eyes ,he must have1 when so many people are doing the same thing at the same time--hundreds1 thousands1 millions--all talking to ,him at once--in different languages and about different things6 ,it was the same way about ,santa ,claus4 ,how could he be bringing so many presents to so many people1 all over the world1 and delivering them personally1 on the same ,christmas eve8 ,it would have taken him years to get through with all the houses in ,new ,york ,city alone--without thinking of ,london and ,paris and all the other places4 ,in the past1 when such a question came to mind and found expression1 the answer was comparatively simple and direct4 ,religion is a matter of faith1 not argument2 the ways of the ,lord surpass the human understanding3 the ,bible and the church are the authority1 what they teach and ordain is to be accepted and obeyed4 ,to doubt1 or question1 or disbelieve is the beginning of sin1 and the consequences may be terrible4 ,when the individual was trained to the habit of obedience--when the attitude of the spirit within was one of respect and reverence for established authority and established traditions--that was one thing4 ,if mothers and fathers and neighbors and wiser heads everywhere accepted this great mystery unqualifiedly1 on faith1 as the guiding light of their lives1 was it not enough for their sons and daughters to follow their example and do likewise8 ,but in the new generation1 as we have seen1 the twig has already been bent in a different direction4 ,before the time comes for the young person to be bothered with thoughts about religion1 he or she has already acquired the notion that the example of mother and father does not need to be followed in many things4 ,some of their ideas and traditions have become antiquated and more or less ridiculous in the light of the new movement4 ,when one begins to make enquiries about this question of the ,bible1 enough has been said and heard to indicate that certain of its assumptions1 at least1 will no longer hold water and have been discarded by the ministers1 themselves4 ,so1 say many of the new generation1 when you come down to it1 what is there to prove that these religious beliefs may not1 after all1 be only a legend1 something like the one about ,santa ,claus1 evolved in the distant past1 kept alive and adhered to1 generation after generation1 for the same sort of reason8 ,a far greater number find it more convenient to refrain from expressing themselves4 ,they may even go to church1 occasionally1 and they observe a superficial deference for the established forms of religion4 ,but they are very little concerned in the sayings of the ,bible1 or the sermons of the ministers2 they don't ask1 or expect1 any help from the ,lord--nor do they live in fear of ,his punishment4 ,it is not to be inferred that any large proportion of the new generation have consciously or definitely followed out the chain of reasoning which we have indicated4 ,most of them don't bother their heads to think very far about such a serious subject4 ,their attitude1 on this question1 as on many others1 is apt to be arrived at1 in a more or less subconscious way4 ,if a growing nature has not been schooled to obedience2 if it has learned to question and often disregard the ideas of its parents and elders and has formed the habit of laughing at old-fashioned traditions and conventions1 there is nothing to be wondered at1 if1 when the time comes1 it is prepared to take a more or less similar view of ,bible and church4 ,that1 undoubtedly1 is the present tendency4 ,now it is more than likely that such thoughts as these seem objectionable to many good ,christians1 because they consider that every well-intentioned person should strive to uphold the church and to refrain from the expression of ideas that might tend to unsettle faith4 ,let me assure such people that my intentions are really of the best and ,i am as deeply concerned as they can be about the influences which appear to be undermining the spiritual welfare of my fellow beings4 ,but for the present1 my aim is to look facts in the face1 and to endeavor1 patiently and simply1 to understand and explain4 ,when we have done our best in this direction1 it will be time enough to hazard opinions and offer suggestions4 ,also1 let us bear in mind that in this question of religion1 as in the other questions we have touched upon1 it is only a tendency which we have been considering--a fairly general tendency1 to be sure1 but still only a tendency4 ,in some communities1 in some families1 in some sects1 it may be hardly noticeable4 ,at the moment ,i write these lines1 the newspapers are full of a new movement undertaken by leading church societies of various denominations to have laws enacted1 enforcing the observance of the ,sabbath4 ,they aim to bring about by this means1 a return to the habits of church-going and ,bible reading1 as they were in the days of our forefathers4 ,the very existence of such a movement is sufficient evidence of the tendency they seek to combat4 ,whether any law could be counted on to accomplish their purpose is another question1 which need not concern us for the time being4 ,if we go back to our main thread of enquiry and draw together the results of our observations1 they seem to offer a comparatively simple diagnosis of this supposedly mysterious disease which has gotten hold of our young people4 ,we have located the seat of the trouble and indicated the nature of the developments which have1 so to speak1 thrown the motives of conduct out of their accustomed balance4 ,obedience1 discipline1 respect for authority and traditions1 consideration for others1 fear of punishment1 fear of consequences1 fear of ,god1--these great check-weights to self-interest1 self-seeking1 have lost in weight and substance to such an extent that they no longer turn the scales and point the way4 ,if our diagnosis is on the whole correct1 we have finished with the first part of the problem4 ,n4,y4 ,times1 ,july #e1 #aiba4--,says lax parents make boy felons4 ,judge ,talley analyzes youthful crime4 ,defiance begins at home4 ,judge ,alfred ,j4 ,talley of the ,court of ,general ,sessions told several thousand persons gathered in the ,mall in ,central ,park for an ,independence ,day celebration by the ,knights of ,columbus yesterday afternoon that modern ,american children are not brought up with the proper respect for their parents1 law and order1 or constituted authority1 and that the fault lies with their elders4 ,judge ,talley described the situation as a cancer on the body politic4 ,he drew a distinction between liberty and license and said that his experience in the criminal courts of ,new ,york had brought one great ,american failing very strongly home to him4 ,the one thing the ,american people lack to-day1 he said1 is a proper method for bringing up their children4 ,i see the results of this every day4 ,the hardened criminals turn out to be youths of #ai and #bj years who first thrust themselves against law and order at #af and #ag years1 and who at #ad told their fathers that they were leaving school--and left4 ,behind this hardened criminal stands the sullen drab figure of a girl who tries to show how loyal she is to the vagabond in the hands of the law4 ,it all began with a misguided idea of liberty4 ,the youth is the one who told his father he had had all the education he needed and promptly became a street corner type1 and the girl1 she who silenced her mother when bound for a dance by tossing aside criticism of the indecent dress she wore4 ,in our schools to-day the child stands defiant and the teacher is unable to use the only kind of discipline that would do any good4 ,the parent at home fails to understand disciplinary methods1 and so we have the picture of the father obeying the son instead of the son the father2 and the mother obeys the daughter4 ,to support his contention1 ,judge ,talley said that statistics supplied a few weeks ago by the ,new ,york ,state ,prison ,commission showed the average age of penitentiary inmates to be #ai years4 ,this means that they began their criminal careers at #af and #ag1 an age at which no ,judge sends them to ,state prison4 ,what is to be done to stem this tide of youthful depravity8 ,there is only one way--we must encourage morality in public and in private1 which means that we must bring back to our ,american life high standards and high ideals4 ,,ii ,,the ,,up-,,to-,,date ,,principle ,in the eyes of some good folks1 the behavior of the girls and boys and young married people to-day appears totally unprincipled2 and the good folks throw up their hands and declare they can't understand it4 ,as a matter of fact1 they haven't tried to understand it and most of them are very far from understanding it4 ,there are nearly always two sides to a question--to any question--and no matter how strongly your personal views may incline you to take one side1 before passing judgment1 it is no more than common fairness to give the other side a chance to explain and justify its attitude4 ,there is certainly very little chance of convincing your opponents that they are wrong1 unless you have a fairly clear notion of what it is they have in mind4 ,it is quite natural for a grandmother to regard as unprincipled1 the conduct of this new generation4 ,it is obviously not controlled by the same principles that she has lived by4 ,she is impressed and disturbed by the disappearance of her principles and the shocking effects4 ,the impossible notions that have apparently taken their place are beyond her comprehension1 but she certainly would not dignify them by the name of principles4 ,but if these impossible notions are all that the new generation has to go by1 and if they represent its spirit and attitude toward the problem of life1 it makes little difference whether they be called principles or not1 a principle of some sort is involved in them4 ,the first thing to do1 therefore1 is to arrive at as clear an understanding as possible as to what this principle is and what it implies4 ,very little observation is needed to arrive at the conclusion that the essence of this new principle is the right of the individual nature to its fullest expression1 to its most untrammelled development4 ,a large proportion of the new generation may not be consciously aware of this doctrine1 or of their adhesion to it4 ,but it is in the air and they absorb it2 it grows up within them1 as an unconscious product of other influences2 it is present in those about them1 and the herd instinct causes them to adopt it4 ,there are also a number who have given thought to the subject and are convinced of the soundness and progress of the new principle4 ,they are prepared to defend it and proclaim it with a touch of superiority4 ,here and there1 in magazine articles and newspapers1 it is finding more or less authoritative expression and endorsement4 ,the following quotations1 for instance1 are from an article which appeared recently on the editorial page of the ,hearst ,newspapers4 ,they represent some views on education by a leading exponent of advanced thought4 ,one great end of education that ought forever to be in mind is that the greatest enemy of attainment1 as it is indeed of life itself1 is ,fear4 ,no man or woman can ever do good work1 in the world1 whatever be the task1 until he has stricken from his hands and head and his heart the chains of ,fear4 ,the very first lesson to teach a baby is to be unafraid4 ,instead of that1 fear is constantly resorted to in the family and in the school-room4 ,we bribe1 we threaten1 we wheedle1 we bull-doze4 ,and by every such act1 we do the child irreparable harm4 ,you ought to be much more thankful to ,god that your child defies you1 than that he cringes before you4 ,it should always be kept in mind that what you are after with your child is not that he should learn obedience1 but that he should learn how to govern himself4 ,the road to obedience is short1 easy and nasty4 ,all you need is a big stick4 ,if you can be cruel and brutal enough1 the little one will quickly learn to jump when you speak to him4 ,this is a part of the new principle1 forcibly and typically expressed4 ,is it any wonder that grandmother1 brought up under the ,spare the rod1 and spoil the child and ,children should be seen1 not heard convictions1 should find herself bewildered by such notions--that she should deem them impossible4 ,another article of a somewhat different kind which appeared recently in the ,atlantic ,monthly1 was written by an ,englishman1 a moralist of the modern school4 ,his lesson is addressed to women and the main point of it1 developed in a most interesting and reassuring way1 is that they are too much afraid of conventional ideas1 of public opinion4 ,they should not permit their aspirations and inclinations to be stifled by such considerations1 but have the courage to give freer rein to their inner longings4 ,he refers1 in his article1 to the fact that ,american women are said to be far more advanced in this respect than their ,english cousins and approves of their example4 ,these1 of course1 are only scattered specimens of the many articles which have appeared and will continue to appear in support of the new principle4 ,and in this connection a rather curious side-light has come to my attention repeatedly1 within the past few years4 ,among a certain class of people1 especially those who pride themselves on superior intelligence and advanced thought1 there has been a pronounced revival of interest and admiration for the free verse and freer morals of ,walt ,whitman4 ,he has been1 so to speak1 re-discovered and embraced as a guide and a prophet4 ,his creed of life1 so exuberantly and defiantly expressed1 was the exalted importance of his own ego4 ,wherever his desires led him1 wherever joy for himself was to be found1 there would he go1 unabashed and inconsiderate4 ,with these indications in mind1 we may proceed to consider some actual examples which will serve to illustrate4 ,a certain young woman is well-born and well-bred1 occupying a prominent social position1 decidedly intelligent--and good-looking1 to boot4 ,she has a husband of her own class and kind1 who has always been devoted to her1 and three lovely children1 two boys and a girl4 ,she has apparently given considerable thought to the problem of life1 and the point-of-view she arrived at finally would seem to be a typical product of modern ideas4 ,she believes first and foremost in the absolute right of the individual soul to recognize no master but itself--to follow out its desires and aspirations to the fullest extent4 ,she has a feeling of scorn and contempt for conventions and conventional people4 ,if you pay any attention to them1 or their narrow1 sheep-like opinions1 or allow them to interfere in any way with your freedom of action1 you are belittling yourself and your self-respect4 ,you must never be afraid to obey your own impulses4 ,they come from within you1 they are a part of your nature--your self--and that is where your true duty lies4 ,it is better that you should be true to yourself1 even at the expense of others1 than that you should be afraid and cowardly4 ,the very fact that a desire1 or an impulse1 makes itself felt within you is the main point4 ,it is not really the things you do that matter so much1 as your wish to do them4 ,if you wish to do a thing1 and hold back out of cowardice1 or fear of the consequences1 that doesn't make you any better--only weaker and worse4 ,you can't deny that the wish was there--without lying to yourself--so what's the use8 ,it is finer and braver to go on with it and attain at least the satisfaction of a wish fulfilled4 ,but1 some one objects1 how about your obligations to others8 ,suppose by doing the thing you wish1 you will harm them8 ,this little lady's answer to such an objection is usually accompanied by a shrug and a mildly condescending expression4 ,if you are going to keep bothering your head about the effect of your actions on other people1 might as well give up at the start and be a nice little sheep4 ,the game isn't worth the candle4 ,besides1 there's more humbug in that than any of the other bromides1 weak natures prate about4 ,most people in this world have got to look out for themselves4 ,you can't hope to be anything1 or do anything worth while without occasionally treading on some one's toes4 ,it has always been that way and if you're honest with yourself1 you may as well recognize the fact and accept it philosophically4 ,in most cases the harm that you do is much less than you imagine4 ,that usually takes care of itself1 somehow4 ,if people bore her1 she doesn't believe in pretending that they interest her4 ,she will not invite them to her house1 or accept their invitations4 ,if she has agreed to go somewhere1 where she expects to amuse herself and then1 at the last moment1 no longer feels in the mood for it1 she calls it off4 ,or if in the meantime1 something else turns up that she would prefer to do1 she does not hesitate to switch to the thing she prefers4 ,if people don't like that1 it is their affair4 ,she has no intention of cramping her freedom1 denying her desires1 on their account4 ,what she does means more to her than it does to anybody else4 ,there is no good reason for her to pretend to be any different from what she is4 ,moreover1 in this particular case1 there can be very little doubt1 among those who know her1 that she practices what she preaches4 ,this1 too1 is something which occurs more frequently in the new generation than it did in the past4 ,there is no great trouble in accommodating practice to theory--or rather the theory accommodates itself very readily to the kind of conduct which persons of this kind are ready to practice4 ,for instance1 the lady in question wanted to visit ,chinatown in one of the large cities and arranged with a professional guide to be taken there at night1 alone with a girl friend4 ,among other things1 they saw a ,chinaman smoking opium and this gave rise to a desire on her part to experience the sensation for herself4 ,the guide was prevailed upon1 for a consideration1 to procure her an outfit and a supply of opium2 and that very night in her room she took a try at an opium dream4 ,why not8 ,at another time1 at a cabaret party1 she was introduced to a somewhat notorious young man of the ,bohemian world4 ,he was obviously dissolute1 but talented and interesting4 ,she danced with him1 gave him encouragement1 invited him to her home and was not afraid to be seen going about with him frequently on terms of intimacy4 ,among other things1 he was addicted to the cocaine habit--he sniffed the powder from the back of his hand--and in due time he talked to her about it4 ,he presented her with a bottle of the drug and after that1 she always had a supply in reserve which she used when the impulse came4 ,why not8 ,if her husband had any objection to things that she did1 he soon learned to keep them to himself4 ,she could not and would not tolerate any interference with the rights of an individual soul4 ,she must have the same freedom that she conceded to him4 ,the kind of thing he chose to do1 apart from her1 was a matter for him to decide in accordance with his nature4 ,the same rule must apply to her4 ,the days of slavery had passed4 ,marriage was an arrangement between equals4 ,in due course of time1 the husband had to leave her and the children for war service4 ,while he was away1 she fell in with another talented and dissipated ,bohemian--a romantic-looking musician very much in the public eye4 ,very quickly their infatuation for each other was a matter of open comment on the part of the veriest on-looker4 ,as he had the same idea that she had about the rights of the individual1 and the same contempt for conventions and conventional people1 there was no pretense of concealment1 no need of observing the proprieties4 ,when the husband returned from overseas1 she informed him1 with the utmost candor of what had taken place4 ,there was no shame and no remorse4 ,why should there be8 ,a simple statement of fact--the forces of human nature in operation4 ,she had found some one who appealed to her impulses more strongly than he4 ,that was a truth which had to be accepted4 ,the simplest way was to allow her to get a divorce4 ,but what of the children8 ,a very simple answer4 ,whether they went with their father or stayed with their mother--or were taken by the grandparents--anything was really better for children than being brought up in an atmosphere where all was pretense and whence love had flown4 ,of course she loved her children and always would1 but if they grew up to be the right sort1 they would understand her motives and admire her the more for being true to herself4 ,this case embodies the practical working of the new principle1 carried to an extreme4 ,here is another example of a different order3 ,two pretty girls of eighteen or twenty were talking together in the seat in front of me1 in a trolley car4 ,they turned out to be telephone operators at central switchboards4 ,they were talking over their plans1 which contemplated a visit to the movies with two young men--a supper and dance afterwards4 ,the young men were still to be heard from and as the girls were going to separate places of employment the question was how to let each other know about final arrangements4 ,for reasons best known to themselves1 it wouldn't be wise to attempt that over the 'phone--they had better meet somewhere4 ,whereupon one of the girls suggested a place convenient to them both1 where they could slip out and meet each other--at four o'clock4 ,she would plug in all the terminals on her switchboard1 so that all the lines in that central would be reported busy when people called up1 and the other girl could do the same4 ,then they could talk things over quietly4 ,nothing to be afraid of4 ,and so they agreed4 ,why not8 ,here is another symptom3 ,a married woman of my acquaintance is decidedly old-fashioned in her respect for conventions and moral standards4 ,she has a sweet and rather shy daughter1 who has been brought up closely under the mother's wing1 and has never lost the habit of asking and telling her mother everything4 ,she is seventeen4 ,one summer evening1 recently1 the daughter was called up on the 'phone by one of her girl friends and asked to make one of the party1 who were arranging an impromptu dance at a private house4 ,the girl friend and her brother would stop for her in their car and bring her home afterwards4 ,when the invitation was referred to mother1 after a moment of hesitation and worry about the propriety of the proceeding1 she gave her consent4 ,shortly after1 the friend and her brother stopped at the house and took the daughter with them4 ,when she got back home1 after midnight1 she went to her mother's room and told her1 at her bed-side1 what had happened4 ,after they got to the house where the dance was to be and the others had all gathered there1 it was decided for some reason to adjourn to another house4 ,to get to this other house1 the daughter was put into an automobile with a girl and two young men4 ,she sat in front1 beside the young man who was driving4 ,she knew him only slightly1 had danced with him a few times and thought him rather nice4 ,on the way1 after chatting and joking1 this young man stopped the car1 then suddenly kissed her and took her in his arms4 ,she didn't know what to do4 ,when she looked around1 she found that the same thing was going on in the back seat between the other boy and girl4 ,the young man beside her wouldn't listen to her objections4 ,they seemed to take it for granted4 ,if you liked each other1 why shouldn't you8 ,he said he liked her4 ,the occurrence is fairly typical of up-to-date standards--except in one particular4 ,most girls refrain from mentioning it to mother4 ,here is another symptom1 of slightly different complexion which applies to married life and suggests the extent to which the new principle is bearing fruit1 in society circles4 ,it was brought to my notice1 last summer1 that in one colony on ,long ,island where ,i happened to be1 there were fourteen different houses where the wife had deserted the family and the husband was keeping house alone with the children4 ,this was among members of the fashionable set4 ,in each of these cases1 of course1 the wife had come across some man who1 for the time being at least1 appealed to her more than her husband and a divorce had been obtained in some convenient way1 or was in the process of obtaining4 ,it usually happens when a discussion takes place concerning the immorality of the present day1 that some member of the party will advance the opinion in a more or less authoritative way that the tendency in question is confined almost entirely to the so-called upper crust of society and is consequently not entitled to the significance which is being attributed to it4 ,the great mass of the people1 in their simple homes and simple communities1 are not in the least contaminated or disturbed by it4 ,they are just as moral and clean-minded as they ever were1 probably more so4 ,among the rich and idle upper classes1 there has always been a lot of dissipation and immorality in all countries1 at all times4 ,if ,america is getting a little more than usual of it1 at present1 that is nothing to get excited about4 ,in the face of such sentiments1 cheerily and forcibly expressed1 the average gossip and fault-finder is usually willing to acquiesce with a shrug4 ,and so the discussion ends with a feeling that an attempt has been made to exaggerate the importance of a restricted and unrepresentative class4 ,as a matter of fact1 this kind of talk would appear to be founded on neither accurate information nor sound reasoning4 ,as regards the lower and middle classes--including those in small communities--especially those in small communities--it has been called to my attention repeatedly by those in a position to know that the change in standards1 the so-called demoralization1 has been quite as extreme as among the upper crust4 ,and this view is in accord with my own notion4 ,two important agents of the new movement are the automobile and the moving picture show4 ,the mechanic's daughter1 the store-keeper's daughter1 the farmer's daughter like to go to the movies4 ,it may be at first the mother1 or father1 took care to find out who the daughter was going with and how4 ,a girl friend and her brother4 ,how are they going8 ,in the friend's automobile4 ,another time the father runs the daughter over to the friend's house in the ,ford car4 ,another time the daughter runs herself over to the friend's house in the ,ford car4 ,it is only a short way4 ,or again1 it is the friend's brother who stops for her1 on his way to get the sister4 ,after a while1 this going to the movies has become such a frequent occurrence1 that it is accepted as a matter of course1 without bother or comment4 ,if perchance the daughter comes home1 some night1 later than usual and the mother feels uneasy1 the explanation is very simple4 ,instead of going to the nearby theatre1 the daughter and her friend went over to a neighboring town where a more interesting picture was showing4 ,in the end the daughter goes off about when she pleases and comes back in the same way4 ,very often the stories she sees on the screen are largely seasoned with material that stirs the imagination and emotions in a hectic sexual way4 ,if the girl and a young man get into a ,ford car together to go home by moonlight1 is it to be wondered at that the car comes to a stop on the lonely road and they forget old-fashioned proprieties8 ,the extent to which this sort of thing has been going on in many of the small town communities1 according to the information ,i have received1 is far too serious to be glossed over with easy optimism4 ,in one relatively small and primitive district ,i happened to know of1 more than one-half of the families with marriageable daughters have within the last three years had to bear the shame of illegitimate off-spring4 ,in the cities and larger towns1 the same tendency appears to be in full swing among the shop-girls1 stenographers1 and daughters in the humbler walks of life4 ,,iii ,,reason ,,and ,,experience ,in any case1 from the examples and indications which we have cited and countless others of a similar kind which come within the experience of almost every one1 nowadays1 there can be little room for doubt that the new principle of conduct is very much in evidence throughout the length and breadth of our land4 ,consciously or unconsciously1 it is affecting the character and determining the point-of-view of vast numbers in the new generation4 ,if you attempt to reason with them and they are willing and intelligent enough to express themselves frankly1 their answer and justification for the way they are going sums up about as follows3 ,why shouldn't ,i think of myself and do what ,i like and want1 as often as ,i get the chance8 ,as long as ,i steer clear of the law and avoid breaking my neck1 what other consequences are there that ,i need to keep worrying about8 ,why shouldn't ,i be a pleasure-seeker and a pleasure-lover8 ,why shouldn't ,i follow my inclinations and do what ,i like1 whenever and wherever ,i get the chance8 ,why not8 ,if you expect them to act contrary to their inclinations1 to deny themselves the pleasures that they want1 and to do things they do not feel like doing1 there ought to be a good and sufficient reason4 ,it ought to be so clear and convincing that it can be accepted with a whole heart and a settled resolve to abide by it4 ,the young people of to-day are made of exactly the same stuff as the young people of any other day4 ,they have the same sort of instincts and the same underlying aspiration to get the most and the best out of life4 ,owing to altered conditions1 for reasons which we have outlined1 they are being left to go about it very largely in their own way1 with less coercion from without1 than young people have probably ever known before in the history of civilization4 ,how far will you get by telling them that the way they are going is immoral and sinful8 ,they can answer by saying ,if ,i choose to be immoral and satisfy myself1 why shouldn't ,i8 ,i'm not afraid of being sinful1 or any of those old-fashioned scare-crows4 ,how far will you get by advising that the rod be taken out again and that they be beaten into submission to forms of authority which they no longer believe in or respect8 ,this might result in teaching them duplicity and cunning and resentment1 but probably nothing more beneficial to their spiritual health4 ,it seems to me more sensible to be patient with them and talk matters over with them and try to answer their question in exactly the same spirit in which it is asked4 ,the question is ,why shouldn't ,i go ahead and gratify my inclinations in any way that suits myself4 ,there are many reasons1 some of which ought not to be very difficult for any one to understand4 ,broadly speaking1 they are of three different kinds--,first1 experience2 second1 affection2 third1 faith4 ,let us examine them in order1 in a simple1 leisurely way1 and try to make clear the essence of each4 ,what does the question of experience lead to and imply8 ,first1 there is one's own experience2 then there is the experience of other people4 ,our own experience teaches us very quickly that we often have impulses which it would be a mistake to obey4 ,if you feel like pulling a strange dog's tail and the dog turns on you and bites your hand and the wound has to be cauterized1 and you have to go through a lot of pain and trouble and fear of hydrophobia1 one lesson will probably be enough for you4 ,suppose you are overheated and feel like sitting in a draft and letting the cool air blow on you1 and this is followed by a heavy cold which lays you up for a week or two8 ,or suppose you are on top of a tall building and feel a strong impulse to jump out and go sailing through the air8 ,many people have this impulse1 but they have previously had enough experience to know what happens to people who fall from high places4 ,the number of such examples might be multiplied indefinitely1 but enough has been suggested to indicate the principle4 ,it is quite obvious and childishly simple--the lessons taught to each and every one of us by our own experience4 ,now let us follow this path a step further4 ,it is quite possible for you to have impulses and inclinations to do things which might cause you irreparable harm4 ,the consequences of these things are not something that you can remember and foresee1 because in your own experience they have not occurred before4 ,if you stick to your idea of obeying no one but yourself and of being unafraid to do what you want1 the lesson in store for you may come too late4 ,certain impulses of yours1 if followed1 may cause death4 ,others may cause permanent injury to yourself1 or irreparable harm to others4 ,a little boy seeing an automobile coming along the road sometimes has an impulse to run across the road in front of the automobile1 for the fun and excitement of it4 ,if you are a boy and feel like it1 why shouldn't you8 ,you have never tripped and fallen in front of an automobile--you have never misjudged the speed of it and been struck and killed that way4 ,you have never seen any other boy killed that way4 ,there is nothing in your own experience to deter you4 ,if the automobile happens to hit you1 you will have acquired experience that might be useful to you1 but the cost is too great4 ,if you are not dead1 you may be crippled for life4 ,if you are convalescing from typhoid fever1 you are likely to have a ravenous appetite4 ,you feel very well and you derive considerable pleasure from the milk-toast and soft-boiled eggs you have been getting1 but they do not begin to satisfy you4 ,every instinct within you calls for a big piece of juicy beef-steak and fried potatoes4 ,there is no reason in your experience why you should not gratify your desire--you may have been told by the doctor that it isn't time for that yet and you must be content with what is ordered for you4 ,but if you believe in doing what you feel like and the doctor is out of the way1 why not have your beef-steak8 ,i happen to know of two separate cases where this occurred--friends of mine4 ,the doctor in each case apparently took too much for granted and failed to impress upon their minds forcibly enough the need of obeying his orders rather than their own inclinations4 ,the experience came too late--because it brought death with it4 ,or suppose you are in some out-of-the-way place and are hot and tired and very thirsty and the only water available comes from a supply which is not fit to drink8 ,you may have been told this by some one who knows more about it than you do1 but if you believe in ignoring other people's opinions and thinking only of yourself--and the water is cool and clear and you feel like drinking it1 why shouldn't you8 ,suppose it turns out that clear1 cool water may be polluted with cholera1 or yellow fever1 or other deadly germs8 ,you may never recover from the effects of it4 ,these are crude1 haphazard illustrations of a principle which is constantly at work in human lives in a great variety of ways4 ,the obvious meaning of it is that your experience1 or your own lack of experience1 in many questions and emergencies may not be enough for you to go by1 or depend upon4 ,most young people have had very little experience of many things that are liable to have a vital bearing on their own lives1 their own selves1 their own hope of happiness4 ,as a matter of fact it must be evident to any one who will reflect a moment1 that no one individual1 however long he may have lived1 or however full and varied his life may have been1 can possibly have had in his own personal experience more than a small fraction of the things that may occur and do keep occurring in the world of humanity4 ,if he has led a clean1 healthy1 vigorous life1 he cannot have experienced the feelings and problems of a drunkard and dope-fiend slowly submerging in dissipation and vice4 ,if he married young and has known the joy of entire devotion to a loyal and loving helpmate1 he cannot have had the experience of a profligate who has been divorced four times and is about to take another chance with a dashing grass-widow4 ,hundreds and thousands of situations that other human beings are called upon to face1 he cannot have gone through on his own account4 ,but if we are able to find out and bear in mind the experience of other people1 we can make use of it1 as a warning and a guide1 in much the same way as if it had happened to ourselves4 ,if ,i have seen a boy try to run across the road in front of an automobile and stumble and get killed1 it is not necessary for me to get killed in order to appreciate the danger of the experiment4 ,you may never have seen this happen1 but if ,i have and ,i tell you about it1 you can use the information you get from me and still save yourself the necessity of risking your neck4 ,this principle is not at all difficult to understand4 ,it has always been applied1 to greater or less extent1 in the lives of all human beings1 everywhere4 ,it is no more than common sense to profit by the experiences of others1 and try to avoid their mistakes4 ,it seems strange that such a universal principle should be overlooked by the up-to-date minds of the new generation4 ,yet the least little glimmer of light from it would in itself seem to be a sufficient answer to their question4 ,why shouldn't ,i go ahead and gratify all my impulses8 ,because although your own limited experience may be insufficient to warn you and guide you1 the experience of other people has shown repeatedly that such and such impulses usually lead to such and such consequences which would be very harmful to you4 ,in the long run the results of others' experience are a better guide to follow than your selfish impulses4 ,you wish to be intelligent and reasonable1 don't you8 ,well1 if you lack experience and understanding1 it is neither intelligent nor reasonable to imagine that you are the best judge of the consequences4 ,of course1 the examples we have cited so far--the strange dog that bites1 the boy and the automobile1 typhoid fever and polluted water--are very elementary4 ,also the questions they involve--the harmful consequences of certain impulses--are direct and immediate and entirely material4 ,they serve well enough to answer a question and illustrate a principle and that is all they were intended for4 ,the principle is worth bearing in mind1 because its application extends to all sorts of complicated questions of conduct4 ,one reason that the young people of to-day are so confused in their moral ideas is just because they have been allowed to overlook this simple1 fundamental principle4 ,it frequently happens that the most important consequences of the thing you do1 or fail to do1 are not direct and immediate but fairly remote and obscure4 ,an individual without much experience or knowledge of the world may easily neglect to consider them4 ,for instance1 ,i have known several cases where young men of good family forged their fathers' names4 ,they were up-to-date young men1 of course4 ,but even so1 how could they come to do such a thing8 ,by gratifying their inclinations1 in the first place1 in accordance with the up-to-date idea4 ,one natural consequence of this is that1 in order to gratify a new inclination1 or as a result of having gratified the last one1 it becomes necessary to have more money4 ,that is one of the annoyances of civilization1 which even the most advanced of the new generation haven't yet been able to change4 ,many of their pet impulses cannot be indulged without money4 ,it is an old-fashioned convention and very irksome1 but for the time being1 at least1 it has to be made the best of4 ,the young men in question eventually found themselves faced with this problem4 ,they had to have money4 ,how could they get it8 ,not by asking their mother1 or father1 for it4 ,that source of supply had been used up to the last drop1 with the help of all sorts of pretexts1 subterfuges and broken promises4 ,there was no longer any available friend or relative to borrow from4 ,that resource had also been used up4 ,they had no jewelry left to pawn--that had been used up1 too4 ,so finally1 for the want of a better way1 they arrived at this scheme of signing their fathers' names to checks4 ,after all1 looking at it from their point-of-view1 and bearing in mind the freedom of the individual1 why shouldn't they8 ,it would do no great harm to their fathers--no real harm at all4 ,they had plenty of money in the bank4 ,but it would constitute forgery--a serious offense1 against the law4 ,what of that8 ,so is speeding an automobile against the law4 ,who's afraid of breaking the law--if you have the nerve8 ,is there no such thing as right and wrong8 ,don't you know in your heart that this would be wrong--very wrong8 ,i've been fed up with that kind of talk all my life4 ,what other people think about such things is their affair4 ,i believe in deciding for myself and doing as ,i like4 ,the main thing ,i've got to consider is my chance of getting away with it and what is liable to happen if ,i don't4 ,i am sure ,i can make a good enough imitation of my father's signature to get the check cashed at one of the stores the family deals with4 ,if it goes to the bank along with other checks and the amount is not large1 there is small chance of any attention being paid to it4 ,if it once gets into father's account at the bank1 as likely as not it will never be discovered4 ,and even if it should be1 at some future date1 no father would bring a charge against his own son4 ,so the worst that can happen is another one of those family scenes which ,i have gone through before4 ,the most important thing of all is that ,i need the money--,i've got to have it--and this is the least objectionable way ,i can think of to get it4 ,this is presumably the process of reasoning the young men in question went through4 ,in each case the immediate consequence of the act was apparently harmless and quite satisfactory to them4 ,they got the money they wanted1 the checks were taken in at the bank1 time passed and no one knew the difference4 ,the indirect and remote consequences of this kind of conduct1 however1 came eventually4 ,they nearly always do4 ,the forgeries in each case were repeated--why shouldn't they be8 ,and the day finally arrived when they were brought to light4 ,in each of the cases the suffering and heart-break of the mothers and fathers was pitiful and beyond recovery in this world4 ,that was one of the indirect consequences4 ,one of the young men1 whom ,i had known as a bright1 attractive collegian1 was sent to prison1 eventually1 in spite of all his family could do4 ,another died in an institution for incurables4 ,all forfeited their birthright of home1 family1 decent associations and ended up in degradation and wreckage4 ,that was one of the remote consequences4 ,let us take a more usual example1 much less extreme--the young man who steps on the throttle of his automobile because he feels like going fast4 ,as far as his own experience is concerned1 where is the reason for him to deny his impulse8 ,if a traffic cop happens to see him1 he might get pinched and fined4 ,that's about the only thing worth considering4 ,but if he keeps his eyes open and his companions in the back seat watch out behind1 there's not much chance of that4 ,and after all1 suppose he does happen to get pinched1 what of it8 ,there are plenty of others4 ,his father will have to pay a fine and there will be a little scolding and unpleasantness in the family1 at the worst4 ,as for the danger1 who's afraid of that8 ,it only makes it more exciting and more fun4 ,the result is logical enough1 if you start with the premise that each individual is free to follow his inclinations and decide for himself4 ,very few young men have sufficient experience of their own1 or sufficient reflection and wisdom1 to give due weight to the indirect and remote consequences which may come from such conduct4 ,let us pause and imagine a few of them4 ,in the first place1 an automobile skimming along the road at the rate of sixty or seventy miles an hour has in it elements of danger which are entitled to some consideration4 ,the danger is not only for those who are in the car1 but also for others who may wish to use the same road4 ,an accumulated mass of experience has amply demonstrated this4 ,that is the underlying reason for the speed laws--not that young men may be pinched by traffic cops and fathers be made to pay fines4 ,if the young man driving the car were the only one concerned in the danger1 it might be different4 ,he could claim the right to risk his own neck when he felt like it1 and it might be conceded to him4 ,but such is not the case--such is never the case--other people cannot help being affected by his conduct4 ,his companions in the car1 their families1 his own family1 other people on the road and all their families1 may be very much concerned in a possible accident caused by his recklessness4 ,if he kills a little girl1 or a boy on a bicycle1 or a lady coming out of a cross-road1 or if the damage is merely the injury of a few people and the wrecking of a car1 there are sure to be unpleasant consequences for the young man himself4 ,so much for the question of accident or danger of accident1 but there is another question of another sort involved4 ,suppose the young man has promised his mother and father that he would not drive fast--never above thirty miles an hour--suppose it was on this distinct understanding that their anxiety was allayed and he was trusted to take the car by himself wherever he liked8 ,does it make any difference to him whether he breaks a promise--to his mother and father8 ,he can say to himself that it is only a natural fussiness on their part1 and as they are not in the car1 they won't know anything about it4 ,but sooner or later they do know about it2 such things nearly always have a way of coming to light4 ,it is an old saying which has been very generally confirmed that1 in the long run1 the truth will out4 ,one of the girls in the car tells somebody how fast they went and that somebody refers to it before others until it gets to the boy's mother and father4 ,what harm to the boy8 ,a little scolding1 perhaps1 and a repetition of the warning and the promise8 ,that's only the superficial consequence4 ,there is a deeper and more remote one4 ,the parents' confidence in their boy receives a shock4 ,the boy can't always be trusted to keep his word4 ,also he is inclined to be reckless and irresponsible4 ,the parents have always idolized the boy2 the father has never ceased looking forward to the day when he could turn over to his son a big share of his responsibilities and see him carry on the name and prestige of the family4 ,it is the most natural and fondest hope that fathers have4 ,this hope begins to be undermined when the boy does something which shows that he cannot be trusted4 ,if he will break his word and take a reckless chance1 merely for the sake of gratifying a trivial inclination1 what is to keep him from doing so1 on other occasions for the same reason8 ,the same spirit and the same point-of-view are certain to find repeated opportunities for the same sort of irresponsible conduct4 ,when1 in the course of time1 the realization of this finally comes home to the mother and father1 the consequences1 although remote1 are apt to be extremely serious for all concerned--including the boy4 ,his character is irresponsible and untrustworthy4 ,his word1 or promise1 is of no account--he cannot be counted on to keep it4 ,that has been proved by his conduct--unmistakably4 ,what the harm is to an individual of developing a character of this kind--or a lack of character--is a big and fairly complicated subject which is apparently not much considered by up-to-date young people1 who are satisfied to judge things from the point-of-view of selfishness and personal experience4 ,it may be left for discussion later on4 ,the harm to mother and father and members of the family is also a matter which they incline to imagine is no concern of theirs4 ,according to the new principle1 the main consideration is one's own ego and its right to freedom4 ,this question1 too1 may be left for later discussion4 ,but there still remains a harm and a loss of a practical1 material kind1 which in due course is pretty sure to come to the young man1 himself4 ,as it has a direct bearing on his pleasures and inclinations1 even the most selfish individual should find it worth considering4 ,if you do things that are reckless and irresponsible1 if you break your word and fail to keep your promise1 the people who cease to trust you1 those who have most to do with you1 will treat you accordingly4 ,those who have it in their power to contribute largely to your enjoyment1 and to your opportunities1 will refrain from doing so4 ,invitations1 friendships1 relationships of various kinds that might have been at your disposal1 will be withheld from you4 ,to get the most out of life1 even from an entirely material and selfish point-of-view1 you need a lot of help from other people4 ,first and foremost you need it from your own family1 in countless ways4 ,suppose your own father1 as a result of your irresponsibility1 refuses to let you have an automobile to break the speed laws with8 ,suppose he is forced by experience to realize that you can't be trusted with money1 any more than you can be trusted with an automobile8 ,this realization is sure to be a source of great disappointment and sorrow to him1 but he has to accept it4 ,he must abandon his hope of turning over his responsibilities to you4 ,if money is placed at your disposal1 you may be expected to gamble with it on the stock exchange1 or the race-track1 or to squander it in gratifications of an unworthy and demoralizing kind4 ,a young man who thinks only of gratifying his inclinations1 who is not afraid to be reckless and inconsiderate of others1 and who fails to keep his word1 is hardly a fit person to be placed in control of money4 ,it frequently happens that a father feels it a duty1 when he makes his will1 to tie up the family inheritance in such a way that it will be beyond the reach of an untrustworthy son4 ,so that the remote and indirect consequences of this kind of conduct may be more harmful to a young man than his lack of experience and understanding makes him aware of1 at the time being4 ,how about the young woman of superior intellect and breeding1 who had an inclination to smoke opium1 on one occasion1 and to sniff cocaine1 on another8 ,suppose she had been better informed on the subject than she apparently was4 ,suppose she happened to have a friend1 who had been connected with one of the state institutions for drug addicts1 and this friend had told her about the inmates--how hopeless and pitiful their degradation was--how abject their slavery to the drug sensation for which they continually yearned4 ,no way has been found to cure them1 because they have no will to be cured4 ,and the beginnings of the habit are so often accidental and trivial--curiosity1 or bravado1 or carelessness on the part of a practitioner4 ,a ,harvard college student1 of good family1 for instance1 was on a spree in ,boston1 with some friends--they went to an opium joint and thought it would be fun to try the sensation4 ,this particular boy remained in the den twenty-four hours1 under the influence4 ,that was the beginning--and the end4 ,he went there again--he got himself a lay-out--and is now a hopeless wreck in the state institution1 twenty-one years old4 ,another is a society woman who was given a dose of heroin and that one dose proved sufficient for her undoing4 ,the craving for it came and she wanted more and more4 ,or suppose some one had told her about a very remarkable case which came to my attention1 a number of years ago4 ,four young physicians were associates on the staff of one of our leading medical institutions4 ,a considerable part of their time was devoted to research work and among other things they started experimenting with the effects of cocaine1 which was a comparatively recent discovery4 ,they were brilliant young men of unusual character and promise1 but all four succumbed to the cocaine habit4 ,the last of them died in pitiful degradation1 within five years of their first experiment4 ,experience has shown that just as there are certain poisons which the bodily functions are unable to resist1 so there are certain drugs which have the effect of sapping the will and distorting the judgment4 ,the craving which they leave in their wake may very easily become so compelling that human nature cannot resist it4 ,so that if any society woman has sufficient understanding of the subject1 there is plenty of reason why she should dismiss an inclination to try opium-smoking1 or cocaine sniffing4 ,the impulse is mere whim1 silly curiosity--the consequences may be degrading1 terrible4 ,but if she believes in paying no heed to the conventional ideas of other people1 and is lacking in experience and knowledge of her own1 she may be very well pleased with herself for her daring4 ,fools rush in where angels fear to tread--that is an old saying which suggests that ignorant people1 defying the counsels of experience1 were known to exist before now--only in the past they were called fools1 whereas to-day they prefer to be considered exponents of advanced thought1 with a superior point-of-view1 inaugurating a new era of emancipation4 ,it is not my purpose here to go on multiplying examples4 ,i merely wished to indicate as simply and clearly as possible an underlying1 fundamental principle4 ,it is at work in countless ways1 in everybody's life1 nearly all the time4 ,personal impulses and inclinations may be very short-sighted1 very unlovely1 very unworthy4 ,greed1 murder1 arson1 lust1 theft1 lying1 betrayal--are only a few samples of the variety of impulses which may come and do come frequently to various individuals upon occasion4 ,our own limited experience and a little reason may be a sufficient guide in many cases4 ,they teach us to overrule certain inclinations1 whose consequences we understand and which we deem contrary to our interests4 ,in many other cases1 the consequences may be just as contrary to our interests1 though they lie beyond our own experience and present understanding4 ,for that reason people have been taught throughout the centuries to accept and be guided by the accumulated experience and wisdom of those who have gone before4 ,this accumulated experience has been preserved and made available to each new generation1 in many ways--traditions1 conventions1 customs1 familiar quotations1 standard books1 the schools and the ,bible4 ,most of all1 it has been the special care and function of parents to instill it into their children4 ,for the first ten or fifteen years of life1 children are constantly being told what to do and what not to do1 in all sorts of contingencies4 ,and what they are told is the result of accumulated experience in crystallized practical form4 ,in the days of obedience1 discipline and fear of punishment1 children accepted and respected this guidance1 as authoritative4 ,they formed the habit of doing not what they felt like1 but what was considered right and best for them4 ,very often the true reasons1 the complicated motives and remote consequences1 involved in a question of conduct were not comprehended by the young people1 and only vaguely sensed by their parents4 ,they were traditional ideas1 generally approved by right-minded people and passed along4 ,their origin1 in nearly all cases1 was the accumulated experience and wisdom of people who did comprehend4 ,so it happens that a young woman1 or a young man1 of the new school1 without respect for old-fashioned teachings1 and with insufficient experience1 or knowledge of their own1 can fall into the error of imagining that their selfish interests are best served by gratifying each passing inclination4 ,their first shallow mistake1 as ,i have tried to show1 is in overlooking the lessons of others' experience4 ,this whole point-of-view1 of course1 is absolutely selfish and for the time being1 ,i have been content to meet them on their own ground and answer them in terms of absolute selfishness4 ,even on the assumption that a human being is a kind of animal1 which feels no need of consideration for others' welfare1 and is devoid of any higher aspirations than a full measure of selfish enjoyment--even then1 purely as a question of intelligence1 a matter of policy1 there are excellent reasons why various impulses and inclinations should be resisted and denied4 ,the nature of these reasons ,i have attempted to suggest and make clear by some haphazard examples and as previously noted1 the basis of them all is ,experience4 ,,iv ,,affection ,there remain two other sets of reasons why our selfish inclinations should often be denied--affection and faith4 ,they are of a higher and finer order4 ,we will take them one at a time4 ,the conscious life of a human being is by no means limited to the perception of sensations and the exercise of reason4 ,these are important functions1 but they are not all4 ,a human being is also provided with a heart1 which is capable of feeling sympathy for other human beings--for all living things4 ,this sympathetic feeling may cover a wide range--pity1 commiseration1 friendship1 admiration1 devotion1 adoration4 ,it is not the nature of mankind to live an isolated existence1 in loneliness4 ,boys and girls1 men and women1 from the beginning of life to the end1 yearn for the companionship of others with whom they can share their thoughts and feelings1 their pleasures and their pains4 ,through association with others come affectionate feelings for certain ones4 ,we attach ourselves to them with bonds of sympathy1 understanding1 love4 ,the feeling of affection is such a normal and essential part of human life that it seeks to find expression at every opportunity4 ,a warm-hearted child will lavish it on a kitten1 or a rag doll2 or will show it for a mongrel dog4 ,if the kitten1 or the dog is hurt1 or sick1 or even hungry1 the girl or boy will be distressed by its trouble and want to help it4 ,this is a primitive form of the feeling2 carried to its full development in the heart of a sensitive1 noble nature it becomes one of the most beautiful and vital of human attributes4 ,as we share our thoughts and feelings with another and are allowed to share his in return1 our centre of interest expands1 as it were1 and the essence of life within us enriches itself by this sympathetic mingling with the essence of the other4 ,his thoughts1 his feelings1 his welfare are no longer a matter of indifference to us4 ,as our sympathy and attachment grow1 we become more and more concerned in this other's interests2 they become a part of our existence1 in a strange and lovely way1 just as real and just as dear to us as if they were our own4 ,any pleasure1 or good fortune1 becomes doubly grateful1 if we may share it with him2 no pleasure is worth considering1 if in order to obtain it1 we would be obliged to cause him a deprivation4 ,we cannot forget his welfare1 or his happiness1 we do not wish to forget his welfare or his happiness1 because through our sympathy and affection1 the essence of another life has become inexpressively near and dear to us4 ,to a greater or less degree1 this capacity for affection is inherent in human kind1 from the lowest to the highest4 ,it is a most precious human quality and it opens the gates of life to a sort of satisfaction that is infinitely bigger and finer and more lasting than anything that can be obtained from the mere gratification of selfish and material impulses4 ,now1 while it is true that practically everybody is aware of this feeling and has a need for affection and sympathy1 not all people by any means have big enough hearts1 or fine enough natures1 to respond to the need very deeply4 ,cold1 superficial1 self-centered people may go through life giving a very small modicum of sympathy or affection to anybody and receiving very little in return4 ,many a man is incapable and unworthy of being a real true friend to anybody4 ,he may have brains and breeding and plenty of animal desires1 but in his heart there is no understanding of what it means to be devoted to a welfare not his own4 ,the same is true no doubt of a great many women1 those whose characters are too fickle and unstable to permit of any deep and lasting attachment4 ,fortunately1 even in the case of such men and women1 if they marry and have children1 some of the joy and meaning of this heart-life is still vouchsafed them4 ,they feel it for their sons and daughters4 ,if they have no children and are unmarried1 there are mothers and fathers1 brothers and sisters to keep alive some measure of sympathy and endearment4 ,a human being who is totally bereft of such attachments1 without any feeling that comes from the heart for any one1 is such a rare exception that he need not be considered4 ,such lives1 if they do exist1 would appear to normal beings as very pitiful4 ,as a usual thing1 for most of us1 the affections are constantly in operation4 ,certain people who are near and dear to us are never really out of our lives at all4 ,consciously or subconsciously1 we carry them with us wherever we go1 tucked away in our hearts1 ready to rise up at the slightest provocation and take a vital part in our innermost deliberations4 ,a little boy or girl of the right sort1 with the right kind of loving parents1 grows up naturally with this feeling for them4 ,in all sorts of new experiences and questions of conduct1 the thought comes spontaneously3 ,what will mother think about this8 ,she'll be terribly surprised when ,i tell her that4 ,father will be pleased and proud when he knows what ,i've done4 ,i don't think she'd approve of that4 ,he'll laugh at me1 when he hears this4 ,and so forth and so on1 countless times1 in countless connections4 ,mothers and fathers carry around a similar feeling with regard to their children4 ,things that they see1 things that they hear1 things that they read1 plans and projects of all kinds1 are spontaneously colored by the consideration of their effect on the son or daughter--surprise1 pleasure1 disappointment1 good or ill4 ,the same thing takes place to a remarkable extent between a man and a woman who love each other deeply4 ,nothing of importance can happen to one1 without an immediate reflection of the effect and bearing it will have on the other4 ,a frequent result of this is that1 in order to give pleasure to the other1 one will act contrary to his own selfish inclination4 ,and the anticipation of this pleasure to be given to the other can be strong enough to transform this denial and deprivation of self into a sweeter and finer form of satisfaction4 ,this same order of feeling1 based on sympathy and affection1 springing from the heart1 extends and ramifies and attaches itself in a great variety of ways1 in the life of a human being1 as we have already suggested4 ,while instances of complete devotion of one nature to another are comparatively rare1 in any walk of life1 and while most individuals are lacking in the bigness of heart and depth of feeling to be capable of it1 under any circumstances1 the importance of affection comes home to nearly everybody1 to greater or less extent1 and is treasured up as one of the essentials of life4 ,as a result of this human sympathy and affection1 it would seem only natural and obvious that there should come to everyone a realization of the fact that in many of the things we do1 for our own good or ill1 other people besides ourselves can't help being concerned4 ,we may1 by thinking only of our own inclinations and seeking to gain our selfish ends1 be doing great harm and injustice to them4 ,if other people are affected by what we do1 and they have feelings of the same sort as ours1 are not they1 too1 entitled to some consideration8 ,this idea seems so simple and evident that any thinking person might be expected to admit it and understand it4 ,yet1 as we have seen repeatedly in discussing the attitude of the new generation1 it is one of the questions about which there prevails the greatest misconception and confusion of mind4 ,up-to-date young people1 absorbed in the habit of doing what they like and deciding for themselves1 very easily fall into the way of overlooking this consideration almost entirely4 ,they fail to grasp the importance of the part that sympathy and affection have been assigned to play in their own natures2 and at the same time they lose sight of the feelings and interests of others who must be affected by the consequences of their acts4 ,lack of consideration for others has come to be spoken of currently as one of the marked characteristics of this new generation4 ,for this reason1 if for no other1 it may be just as well to linger on the subject and make explanations doubly plain1 rather than leave any possible ground for a continuation of the confusion and misunderstanding4 ,suppose you were walking along a country road and you came upon a nice little boy1 named ,harry1 one of your neighbor's sons1 and ,harry was sitting hunched up on a stump1 sniffling and sobbing1 with tears streaming down his cheeks4 ,upon enquiring the cause of his trouble1 you learn that a bigger boy1 ,jake1 had taken away ,harry's apple4 ,strictly speaking1 the apple didn't belong to either of them1 but ,harry had spied it on the tree and after a great deal of determined effort had managed to climb out on the branch and shake it down4 ,then ,jake came along and took it4 ,now1 to see a little fellow sobbing with disappointment1 deprived of something his heart was set on and which he had worked hard to get1 is enough to arouse a feeling of sympathy in any normal and kindly person4 ,you feel sorry for ,harry and you'd like to do something for him4 ,suppose you happen to look along the road1 just then1 and you spy ,jake seated on a fence rail with an air of contentment1 proceeding to eat the apple--what would you feel like doing and saying to him8 ,suppose you controlled yourself and asked him quietly why he took that apple away from ,harry1 and he replied1 with a defiant grin ,because ,i wanted it4 ,i like apples1 and this is a fine big one6 ,if you continue to talk quietly to ,jake1 and show him ,harry sobbing on the stump1 and make him realize the situation1 as like as not it will end up by ,jake's saying3 ,all right--if he feels as bad as that1 let him have it4 ,i didn't know he was that kind of a cry baby4 ,and he will pass up his own inclination1 rather than cause that much harm to another4 ,that is a very primitive example which illustrates the principle in its simplest form4 ,in the first place you are moved by sympathy and consideration for another1 when you feel sorry for ,harry and want to help him1 and so is ,jake when he is willing to forego his own desire for ,harry's sake--although he lacked consideration in the first place1 in taking something on which another's heart was set4 ,here is another example3 ,a boy1 ,george1 is an only son and very dear to his parents1 who have watched over him always with loving care4 ,during the summer vacation1 ,george has been invited to make a week's visit at the home of a school-mate which is in another state4 ,the trip is a longer and more complicated one than ,george has ever undertaken by himself1 and his mother cannot help feeling apprehensive and anxious at the thought of possible accidents and emergencies which may occur4 ,it involves a night run on a steamboat1 a railroad journey and a long automobile ride through mountainous country4 ,the mother1 not wishing to stand in the way of her boy's pleasure1 gives a reluctant consent4 ,she makes no attempt to disguise the anxiety she will feel while he is on the way1 and impresses on his mind the importance of sending her a telegram1 as soon as he has arrived safely at his destination4 ,george laughs at her fears1 boy-fashion1 and promises to do as she wishes4 ,no sooner has he started on his way1 than the mother's heart enters upon a period of increasing perturbation4 ,suppose something should happen to the steamer--that it should break down1 or catch fire1 or run on a reef--or that there should be a railroad accident--or that ,george should lose his ticket1 or be robbed of his money and find himself in some far-away spot1 not knowing what to do with no one to go to8 ,then that long motor ride through deserted country--suppose it should be raining and the roads slippery and they should try to make it too fast8 ,so many things are among the possibilities1 and one can never be sure until it is over4 ,some people might feel inclined to smile at this account of a mother's apprehension1 but it is only a natural attribute of devoted love1 ineffably sweet and beautiful4 ,while the precious child is exposed to possible dangers1 she cannot help feeling thus4 ,she talks to the father about it1 wanting the comfort of his reassurance2 and she lies awake that night imagining things and counting the hours that must separate her from the telegram announcing ,george's safety4 ,at last the time comes when1 according to schedule1 she may expect the message4 ,she waits about1 in momentary suspense1 for the telephone ring from ,western ,union4 ,now suppose the minutes pass and then the hours1 until the mother's apprehension grows into feverish and unreasoning alarm4 ,she gets word to her husband and communicates her alarm to him4 ,as more time passes1 the conviction comes that something has happened to their son1 and something must be done4 ,they attempt to get a long distance telephone connection with the home of ,george's friend1 but after a long delay and various appeals1 the report comes that there is a break-down on the line somewhere1 in the mountain section4 ,they get in communication with the steamboat offices and the railroad station1 and after interminable efforts finally ascertain that there has been no accident on either line4 ,there remains the motor trip--or the possibility of a personal mishap to ,george at some stage of the journey--and no way of telling4 ,in the end1 they send a telegram to the mother of ,george's friend1 and resign themselves to wait1 in an agony of suspense for the answer4 ,individuals who are phlegmatic1 matter-of-fact1 and not very intense in their feelings might be inclined to ridicule this anxiety and suffering on the part of the parents1 for so slight a cause2 they would fail to understand it4 ,but any mother with children of her own would understand perfectly and be moved to genuine and heart-felt sympathy4 ,the condition of ,george's mother would naturally evoke the same sort of compassion as the spectacle of ,harry on the tree stump1 sobbing for his apple4 ,but what of the ,jake1 in this case--the prime factor of the problem8 ,the ,jake in this case1 of course1 is no other than our only son1 ,george4 ,no trouble of any sort was experienced by him in the various stages of his journey4 ,upon his arrival1 there were a number of new people to meet and various elements of interest in the new surroundings to occupy his attention4 ,for the time being1 he forgot to think of the mother he had left behind4 ,hours later1 as they are starting a game of tennis1 it suddenly occurs to him that he has not yet sent his telegram home1 but as it would be a bother to go back to the house now and he feels like going ahead with the tennis game1 he makes a mental note and puts it off4 ,it is not until dinner time that he thinks of it again and when he finds that the telephone is out of order and he would have to motor in to the telegraph office1 its doesn't seem worth the trouble4 ,he has allowed so much time to go by already that he decides the most satisfactory way out of it is to wait until he finds time to write a letter and explain1 as an excuse for not keeping his promise1 that the telephone wasn't working4 ,before he has an opportunity to write his letter1 the telegram arrives from home disclosing his mother's anxiety--whereupon he feels ashamed and sorry1 and hurries to the telegraph office to send a reply4 ,this is a more or less typical example of a great many cases where lack of consideration for others is not necessarily due to a lack of affection or sympathy1 but comes from a lack of thoughtfulness and understanding4 ,george may love his mother very much and he would not voluntarily hurt her feelings1 or be the cause of her suffering4 ,the sight of his mother in tears would cause him unhappiness and he would gladly make a real sacrifice in order to comfort her4 ,but the sight of his mother's suffering1 or the thought of his mother's suffering1 is not before him--it does not enter into his calculations or motives of conduct4 ,in order for this to take place1 a certain amount of reflection and imagination is required on his part4 ,in the case of ,harry and ,jake and the apple1 we assumed that some one came along and called ,jake's attention to the unhappiness of ,harry4 ,when ,jake was made to see and realize1 he responded with a feeling of consideration4 ,but in the case of ,george and the vast majority of cases where this question is involved1 no one comes along to explain to you4 ,if the pleasure or pain of others is involved in what you do1 the thought of that must come from yourself4 ,very often those others are not present at the time and the consequences may not be immediately and superficially apparent4 ,imagination1 reflection1 and a habit of mind1 may be needed to realize the effect upon them4 ,suppose you have a friend named ,brown whom you have known many years and have a good deal of affection for4 ,an unexpected opportunity offers for you to get a week's hunting in the ,south and you think how fine it would be1 if you can get the right sort of companion to share it with you4 ,you see ,brown1 tell him about it1 invite him and he accepts4 ,you immediately start in making plans and arrangements--dogs1 guns1 food1 drinks--leaving nothing undone to make it a bang-up affair and give ,brown and yourself the time of your lives4 ,now suppose when you have fixed up everything and are waiting in joyful anticipation for the hour to arrive1 you receive word from ,brown1 with apologies and a lame excuse1 that he must deprive himself of the pleasure of going with you8 ,and suppose you discover later1 in an accidental way1 that the real reason ,brown left you flat was because something else turned up that appealed to him more and he was thinking only of himself8 ,suppose1 now1 you are a society lady1 or a society man1 and you have accepted an invitation from a woman friend to motor out to her country place and dine and spend the night--and suppose when the day arrives1 you are offered a box at the opera1 that night1 to hear ,caruso8 ,as this appeals to you much more than the other1 you send a wire to the country at the last minute1 pretending an indisposition1 and go to the opera4 ,what of the woman friend--who had made special efforts and invited certain people on your account1 and had counted on you as a main consideration in her whole affair8 ,your absence upsets her completely1 spoils her party1 and robs her of something on which she had spent a good deal of time and effort and on which her heart was set4 ,if she ever discovers or suspects the true reason for your desertion1 you will have inflicted a wound in her feelings that few friendships can survive and the loss of a friend in this world is hardly to be regarded as a trifling matter4 ,these few examples which we have cited and a countless multitude of others1 of a more or less similar nature1 which might be drawn from the everyday experiences of any human being1 tend to make plain the palpable truth--that very often other people besides ourselves are concerned in our actions and we do violence to our better feelings and theirs1 if we leave them out of consideration4 ,even up-to-date young people of the most selfish order can hardly fail to recognize that and admit it1 in certain instances--when the others are before their eyes1 or the effect upon them is so direct and immediate that it cannot escape their attention4 ,in such instances they respond instinctively to the finer side of their natures1 where sympathy and affection are found4 ,but just as soon as an effort of reflection and imagination is required to realize this same effect on others1 there is no longer the same response4 ,the will and the faculty to do this appear1 somehow1 to be lacking2 so that they lose sight of this consideration very easily1 and leave it out of account as a controlling influence4 ,some one else has to direct their attention1 do the thinking for them and appeal to their feelings1 in order to restore the equilibrium4 ,this difficulty of voluntary reflection and understanding on their part is still greater when it comes to another phase of the question1 which is one degree more complicated1 but no less vital in its bearing on the affections4 ,you cannot do evil things1 or act in such a way as will bring harmful consequences upon yourself1 without causing suffering to those who love you4 ,if your mother is very sweet and gentle and loves you devotedly and you have a good deal of tender affection for her1 you would not think of striking her a blow on the face with your clenched fist4 ,no impulse within you1 however selfish1 could make you do that4 ,yet the pain from such a blow would be as nothing compared to the suffering you might cause her by smoking opium or sniffing cocaine or doing something dishonorable1 like forging your father's signature4 ,none of these things affect her directly or personally1 but sympathetically1 through her love for you4 ,so it is in the case of the boy who1 after promising not to drive over thirty miles an hour1 goes speeding on the highway and gets arrested4 ,the fine which has to be paid by father is an infinitesimal part of the harm and hurt which is caused the parents4 ,you cannot sit in a draft and catch a heavy cold1 without causing a certain amount of anxiety and distress to your sister1 or your wife1 who are devoted to you--if it runs into pneumonia1 the hurt to them is greater2 and if you happen to die of it1 that may release you from further suffering1 only to make theirs heaviest of all4 ,i went to a dance1 last summer1 at the home of a young married couple in a fashionable community4 ,the hostess was rather an extreme example of the up-to-date school1 with the well formed habit of looking at things from the point-of-view of her own inclinations4 ,after the dancing had been going on a short while1 she found she was not in the humor for it2 the men who asked her to dance didn't interest her1 and she felt like going to bed4 ,being a firm believer in individualism and thinking only of herself1 she quietly withdrew and went to bed4 ,a number of her guests had not yet arrived4 ,when they did and sought to greet their hostess1 inquiries were made and in the end everybody was apprised of her behavior4 ,she imagined that it concerned only herself1 whereas the sympathy1 affection1 the kindly attitude which all those people were disposed to have for her suffered a shock4 ,a touch of resentment and antipathy was left behind which would make itself felt in future relations4 ,the sympathy and affection of those about us is a part of life too precious and necessary to our well-being to be lightly cast aside4 ,the loss to us and to them1 however trifling in any one instance1 may in the course of time involve lasting consequences4 ,in the various examples we have cited so far1 it has been a question of hurting or depriving others1 through lack of consideration4 ,a similar motive comes into play in prompting us to bestow pleasure upon others4 ,human sympathy causes us to delight in the joy of those we love1 just as their sorrow saddens us4 ,we like to give them presents1 prepare surprises for them1 devise ways and means of adding to their happiness4 ,such acts on our part are usually accompanied by a very sweet and lovely feeling of sentiment4 ,our hearts are warmed by the thought and sight of this good that is coming to those we love4 ,some cynical and shallow reasoners like to argue that such acts are only a disguised form of selfishness because1 as we have a sympathetic share in the pleasure1 we benefit by it1 ourselves4 ,any such argument is usually found to be no more than a quibble on words and a pretense of cleverness4 ,nevertheless1 as this sort of talk is liable to crop up at any time1 in connection with human motives1 and cause a confusion of idea1 it may be just as well to pause for a moment and dispose of it4 ,if you find our little friend ,harry sobbing on a tree stump because he has lost his apple1 you feel sorry for him--because you understand and sympathize4 ,if you had an apple in your pocket1 you would give it to him4 ,you are not thinking of yourself--you are thinking of him4 ,if ,jake comes along and restores the apple and ,harry stops crying and offers ,jake half1 the feeling of gladness that comes to you has nothing selfish in it at all4 ,there is no motive or calculation of self-gratification in the sentiments you have experienced4 ,they are inspired1 not by the thought of your own welfare1 but the welfare of another4 ,the essence of them is sympathy and affection4 ,so it is with countless acts of kindness which frequently involve the need of denying our selfish inclinations--depriving ourselves of personal gratifications--for the sake of helping others who are in trouble1 or bringing pleasure to those we love4 ,the first consideration--the true determining motive--is not any thought of the benefit to ourselves1 but the benefit to them4 ,in every-day language the word used to characterize such acts and feelings is generosity--and this is properly and popularly considered the exact opposite of selfishness4 ,now because it has been observed by thoughtful people that acts of generosity are frequently accompanied by a feeling of satisfaction and gladness1 this fact has been seized upon by a certain order of cold-blooded individuals as a pretext for distorting the truth4 ,they argue that this feeling of satisfaction with yourself which comes from generosity is such a desirable thing in your eyes that you want it for yourself--consequently when you show kindness and sympathy for others you are obeying the same motive as the cynic1 himself1 who having small sympathy for others1 prefers the frank gratification of his own ego4 ,this1 of course1 is pure sophistry4 ,but if any mind is so kinked that it must reason that way1 there is a simple answer which will suffice to bring it through the question to the main point4 ,whenever the pleasure to be derived by an individual comes to him through sympathy and affection and consideration for the feelings of another--that sort of pleasure is so different in its origin and its essence from the pleasure which comes from the gratification of personal appetites and desires that the mass of mankind has recognized the difference since the beginning of civilization4 ,one kind of pleasure flows from acts of sentiment for others' sake2 the other kind is rooted in the indulgence of personal desires4 ,the essence of one is usually characterized as generosity2 the other1 selfishness4 ,if the cynic will promise to keep the distinction clear in his head and stop confusing himself with quibbles or words1 he may call the motives any names he likes4 ,this question of consideration for others is so important and far-reaching in its effect on human lives that no pains should be spared to keep it from being lost sight of or misunderstood4 ,and yet1 as we have observed1 at the present time1 among up-to-date individuals1 it is apparently being lost sight of1 more and more4 ,in a general way1 it is being bunched with those other old-fashioned notions and conventions that were wont to interfere with the freedom of the individual4 ,why should an emancipated ego1 brought up in the modern way1 be constantly bothered by the thought of others8 ,if we pause and examine this attitude of mind1 dispassionately1 from another angle1 a possible explanation suggests itself4 ,there may be two reasons1 of a distinct and different sort why any given person might fail to feel the significance of so vital a part of life4 ,in the first place1 some natures may be rather lacking in the qualities of affection and sympathy4 ,all people are not alike1 in this respect1 by any means4 ,some are instinctively warm-hearted and intense in their feelings--others are naturally inclined to coldness and indifference4 ,to a cold nature1 the woes or pleasures of others are of comparatively minor consequence4 ,there is no rush of heart-felt sympathy1 if the supply is so thin and weak that it hardly suffices for the needs of self4 ,that is one explanation of how certain natures1 if left to their own resources1 can be lacking in consideration4 ,but if we are right in assuming that the general run of human nature is much the same to-day as it has always been1 there ought to be the same instincts of sympathy and affection1 the same kind of warm-hearts among our new generation1 as there were in the time of our grandmothers4 ,as consideration for others is founded on these1 there must be some other explanation for the lack of consideration which is a growing tendency1 obvious to all4 ,the truth of the matter seems to be that consideration for others is not a primitive instinct like hunger or thirst2 nor is it a simple1 inborn quality or impulse1 like affection or sympathy4 ,it requires a certain amount of thoughtfulness1 reflection and control of self1 in order to transfer one's attention from one's own inclination and interest to the welfare of another1 especially when that other is not at hand to offer a reminder or make an appeal4 ,but under proper guidance1 through enlightenment and constant exercise1 this faculty is susceptible of such development that it may in time permeate the mind1 become an essential part of the character1 a sort of second nature1 just as real and solid1 and infinitely more lovely than the instincts which it dominates4 ,the capacity and capability necessary for this development are present to a greater or less extent in all human natures4 ,but through neglect and mismanagement and lack of enlightenment and exercise1 they may shrivel and fade and contribute very little to beauty of character1 or the joy of living4 ,in the light of the foregoing observations1 there is nothing in the attitude of the new generation toward this whole question which remains incomprehensible1 or even very puzzling4 ,their advanced ideas1 when sifted down1 would seem to signify no more than insufficient development of the finer and better side of their natures1 and a lack of understanding concerning the important rle which affection and sympathy are capable of playing in the search for happiness4 ,this part of their training and education has been neglected1 somehow1 in the confusion arising from lost traditions and standards4 ,an essential and beautiful part of their humanity has been allowed to shrivel away until it has been lost sight of in their calculations4 ,in all the past periods of our civilization1 when obedience and discipline held sway1 no such over-sight was likely to occur4 ,one of the first lessons repeatedly and forcibly impressed upon every growing individual was the necessity of considering other people's wishes4 ,there were three people at least1 who had always to be considered--mother1 father and ,god4 ,consideration of these would be rewarded and lack of consideration1 sooner or later1 was sure to bring punishment4 ,in this old-fashioned way--crudely1 if you will1 but nevertheless with relative effectiveness--a habit of mind1 was established1 involving self-control1 which readily became second nature4 ,it became almost instinctive to pause in the presence of temptation or selfish inclination1 and consider the effect upon others4 ,once this habit was formed1 the teachings of mother and father1 of ,sunday school1 church and ,bible all tended to develop it and extend its application--love your fellows1 let your sympathy and affection flow out to them1 consider their welfare1 in all that you do1 and you will be blessed and happy4 ,how is that habit of mind--that second nature--being acquired to-day and how will it be acquired in the future1 among people who have ceased to respect the traditions of the past and are pleased to accept the idea of the freedom of the individual1 the right to gratify yourself and every inclination1 without fear or favor8 ,must there be a return to the old-fashioned methods and beliefs8 ,nothing is more unlikely4 ,as a reaction against the present tendency1 there may be efforts on the part of some well-intentioned people to return to the rgime of obedience1 discipline and the fear of ,god4 ,but such reactions do not usually last very long4 ,the next step that will help toward the real solution of the problem must be forward1 not backward4 ,the underlying reason why the old formulas have been losing their prestige is probably because there were fallacies and crudities contained in them which humanity has outgrown4 ,you might look back with longing to the happy state you were in when you believed in ,santa ,claus1 but after you have reached a certain age1 all the king's horses and all the king's men cannot bring ,santa ,claus back to you again4 ,v ,,faith ,if the life of man were confined to the exercise of his senses and material instincts1 there would be no problems of conduct4 ,there would be perceptions and sensations1--some pleasant1 others disagreeable4 ,appetites and desires would make themselves felt and he would seek to satisfy them4 ,the underlying motive of all his acts would be to prolong life1 go toward pleasure and away from pain4 ,all about us are living things--plants1 fish1 animals--whose existence1 as far as we know1 seems limited to these simple considerations4 ,they form part of man's life--one side of his nature--the animal side4 ,if1 in addition to this life of the senses1 we concede to man a brain1 a thinking apparatus1 which enables him to remember1 compare1 calculate1 the question of his conduct at any given time is apt to become more complicated1 through considerations of reason4 ,as we have seen in our previous discussions1 his brain may decide him to forego a present pleasure1 in order to escape a future pain2 or to endure a present pain1 for the sake of a future pleasure4 ,still1 the mere addition of a reasoning mind1 would in no way alter the nature of the underlying motive4 ,the considerations would still remain purely animal--prolonging life1 getting the greatest sum of pleasure1 avoiding the greatest sum of pain4 ,it is not until we begin to take note of the sympathies1 affections1 generous emotions of which man is capable1 that we recognize another and inner nature1 which may be concerned and moved by considerations that don't depend upon sensations1 or selfish instincts and are not1 in their very essence1 animal at all4 ,in every day language1 this is the heart and the heart-life of man4 ,it is as far removed from the brain1 as it is from the senses4 ,the brainiest people may be the least affectionate and the least generous--just as the most sensual people may so be4 ,we have seen1 in discussing this side of human nature1 the bearing it has on the conduct of the individual4 ,more delicate and more complicated motives and considerations are introduced into the problem through its influence4 ,its essence is sweeter1 finer1 less obvious and more elevating than the instincts which the brute beasts share with us4 ,but sensations1 calculations and sympathetic emotions are still not enough to explain some of the most important questions and decisions that enter into the life of man4 ,above and beyond all these1 deeper1 vaguer1 more complicated and more inspiring1 is another function or quality--another side of his nature--which distinguishes him completely from all the other earthly creatures4 ,this is the spiritual side1 the soul1--the home of conscience1 honor1 responsibility1 idealism4 ,let us begin with some simple examples3 ,if a big bully kicks a little boy2 or a man deserts his friend in the hour of need2 or an innocent person is sent to prison2--a feeling of protest arises within me4 ,it tells me such things ought not to be4 ,they are not right1 they are wrong4 ,my self-interest has nothing to do with it4 ,as far as ,i am personally concerned1 none of these things makes the slightest difference4 ,if ,i turn to my intellect1 that offers me no explanation4 ,it tells me that the bully is only obeying his natural instincts1 in the same way a cat does when it springs on a mouse4 ,it is logical and proper for each and every living thing to act in accordance with its impulses4 ,as for the man who deserts his friend1 he is merely looking out for himself--a perfectly reasonable thing for any one to do4 ,when we come to the third case1 my intellect tells me that the person sent to prison was given a fair trial in accordance with the laws--the evidence was against him--and he was adjudged guilty4 ,because ,i happen to know that he was innocent1 does that make the occurrence any less reasonable8 ,as ,i was not concerned in it1 ,i cannot be held accountable1 so what difference does it make to me8 ,my affections give me the same negative response as my self-interest and my reason4 ,the bully1 the small boy2 the man and his friend2 the innocent person--they are strangers to me2 no personal attachment applies to any of them4 ,and yet the feeling within me is unmistakable4 ,where does it come from8 ,that other side of my nature1 where dwells the sense of right and wrong4 ,it is just as vague and mysterious1 but just as real as another kind of sense to which it may be compared4 ,this other sense also baffles the intellect1 but it is none the less generally recognized and accepted4 ,certain kinds of music1 sunsets1 moonlight nights1 paintings1 arouse in me a delicate feeling of pleasure1 mixed with admiration4 ,it is not only my physical sensations which are involved--my eyes and my ears--but something deeper within me which seems to be quite apart from reason or intellect4 ,also my interest and attention are by no means confined to the sensations which ,i am experiencing2 ,i consider the things themselves and call them beautiful4 ,certain other sounds and sights strike me as discordant1 or unpleasant1 and ,i call them ugly4 ,and the faculty within me which determines this1 ,i call a sense of ,beauty4 ,in the same way1 this other sense within me is appealed to by certain deeds and qualities of men4 ,that which is fine1 just1 generous1 noble1 ,i call right2 another sort of thing1 of a contrary tendency1 ,i call wrong4 ,and the faculty1 itself1 ,i call a sense of right and wrong4 ,suppose an individual walking along a road1 wondering how he is going to raise fifty dollars which he needs very badly1 comes upon an automobile standing in a lonely spot2 and then sees a lady who has been picking wild-flowers1 get into the automobile and after fussing with her flowers1 her wrap1 her hand-bag and handkerchief1 let drop some small object to the ground1 before driving away4 ,he strolls up to the spot and picks up the object1 which proves to be a purse containing eighty dollars in bank-notes4 ,there is no one in sight1 and after a moment's hesitation1 obeying an impulse of self-interest1 he pockets the money1 throws the purse into the bushes and turns his steps another way4 ,as far as his self-interest and his intellect are concerned1 they agree in telling him he is very lucky4 ,he has obtained the money which he wanted1 he has broken no law1 and there is not the slightest risk or danger of any sort involved in his conduct4 ,he can pay his debt and have money to spare1 with every reason to feel happy over his good fortune4 ,but if the spiritual side of his nature is at all developed1 he is apt to be tormented by a vague1 persistent feeling of another kind4 ,it tells him he has done something unworthy of his better self4 ,in every day language1 we say he is troubled by his conscience4 ,it not infrequently happens that individuals who have done wrong are so affected by this feeling that they make restitution and confession when they are safely beyond the reach of detection4 ,neither the intellect nor self-interest plays any part in such conduct1 which is contrary to the advice of both4 ,it is inspired uniquely by this soul-feeling1 called conscience4 ,slightly different from this1 but belonging to the same family1 is the sentiment of honor4 ,a number of years ago1 a young man whom ,i knew1 happened to go to a notorious gambling house in ,new ,york1 with a couple of companions4 ,one of these young men was a member of a wealthy family and had been frequently to this place1 where he was always most welcome4 ,my friend held a clerical position in a financial institution1 was making his own living1 and at the time had about fifteen hundred dollars in the bank1 which represented his entire worldly assets4 ,it was late at night1 the young men had been to a party and were in rather a hilarious and reckless mood when they started playing roulette4 ,after they used up the money they had with them1 they were allowed to continue playing on credit1 chips being supplied to them as called for4 ,my friend1 after losing more than he could afford1 was urged by desperation to keep on trying to recoup1 and when he finally left the house1 in the early hours of the morning1 he had lost ten thousand dollars4 ,that was the situation which faced him in his sober senses1 the next day4 ,a gambling debt has no standing in law4 ,no legal claim of any kind could be made against him and he was perfectly aware of the fact4 ,the proprietor of the establishment was a thoroughly unscrupulous individual with a shady record1 and the games played there were open to a suspicion of crookedness4 ,my friend had previously been told that4 ,he had only to let the loss go unpaid and ignore the whole incident1 without the slightest fear of consequences1 so far as honest people were concerned4 ,but this young man felt that such conduct would not be honorable4 ,so he went to the place again1 explained to the proprietor his financial situation and promised to pay off as much as he could1 year by year1 until the debt was cancelled4 ,it took him five years to accomplish this1 and during that time1 he stuck faithfully to a resolve not to touch a card or gamble in any way4 ,later on the young man became vice-president of one of the largest financial institutions in ,america1 a position which he still holds4 ,he had then1 and still has a sense of honor4 ,many a gentleman of good breeding and fine feelings has told deliberate lies and perjured himself under oath1 in order to shield the reputation of a lady4 ,even though he may be under no personal obligation to the lady in question1 but merely an accidental witness of some occurrence1 a certain kind of man feels compelled by his sense of honor to protect her4 ,it is not honest to tell a lie1 it is a legal offense to perjure one's self2 there is no reason of the intellect to make you bear false witness and defeat the ends of justice for the sake of an individual1 who may have done wrong and be deserving of punishment4 ,yet so it is and among those who share this sense there is a beauty and nobility about such conduct which is akin to that of a sunset or moonlit night4 ,let us take an example of a more commonplace kind in the business world4 ,suppose a certain individual1 ,jones1 living in a small community has a coal yard4 ,when the autumn comes1 ,jones's bins are piled high and in addition to this1 ,jones has several carloads of coal on a siding1 and numerous other carloads in transit4 ,jones's brother1 who is interested in a coal mine1 has advised ,jones that as there is prospect of a miner's strike1 he had better get his full winter's supply in advance1 with a little extra and this has been so arranged4 ,the strike takes place as predicted and then owing to war conditions in ,europe1 there comes a coal shortage throughout the land4 ,with the arrival of the first touch of winter various people in the community begin sending orders to ,jones4 ,in the meantime1 he has been doing a little thinking4 ,his customers have got to have coal and they've got to buy it from him4 ,under existing conditions1 there is no other way for them to procure it1 at any price4 ,so to speak1 he holds them in the hollow of his hand4 ,his entire supply has cost him five dollars a ton and he had figured to sell it at six1 which would allow him his usual satisfactory profit4 ,but now it dawns upon him that if he refuses to sell a single ton of it for less than twenty dollars1 his people will have to pay that1 or freeze1 and he will make more profit in this one winter than all the rest of the years put together4 ,so he makes up his mind to put up his price to twenty dollars and to meet all complaints by replying with a shrug that he is not asking any one to buy--they are free to get their coal elsewhere4 ,is not ,jones perfectly honest8 ,would any business man of the present day blame him8 ,is he not entitled to make all the money he can1 in accordance with the laws8 ,is there not every reason for his intellect to approve of his shrewdness in taking advantage of his opportunity8 ,but suppose ,jones's mother is a sweet1 old-fashioned lady whom he has always loved and revered2 and suppose upon learning of the situation1 she calls her son to her side1 takes his hand in hers and talks to him in this wise3 ,my son1 these people are all dependent upon you1 to keep from freezing4 ,they are entirely at your mercy4 ,to take advantage of helpless people and fleece them of their savings1 because unexpected circumstances have placed them in your power1 is not the kind of thing ,i could bear to see you do4 ,it does not seem to me quite worthy or honorable4 ,i have imagined it to be ,jones's mother speaking thus2 but if ,jones's father happened to be an old-fashioned gentleman of a certain type1 or an artist1 a poet1 a musician1 he might be moved by the same feeling--a matter1 not of honesty1 but of honor4 ,jones1 however1 being a typical business man of the present day1 is not conscious of any such feeling4 ,if by chance1 an idea of this kind did creep into his head1 he would dismiss it as quixotic1 not practical4 ,he believes that business is business4 ,if you ask him whether ,shylock was right and justified in demanding his pound of flesh1 he might hesitate a moment1 but after thinking it over1 he would probably reply3 ,if ,shylock had a proper contract calling for such a penalty and had lent his money on those conditions1 he was entirely within his rights4 ,if the other parties weren't prepared to live up to the terms of the agreement1 they had no business to sign their names to it4 ,that was their lookout4 ,their only recourse is to show something irregular or illegal in the way it was drawn up and quash it on that count1 or else settle up in accordance with its stipulations4 ,shylock had performed his part of the agreement and he demanded that the other party should do the same4 ,if you questioned ,jones further about himself1 you might learn that he had always believed and practiced the principle that ,honesty is the best policy1 and nothing could swerve him from it4 ,this has nothing to do with that inner feeling called a sentiment of honor4 ,it is of a different essence entirely4 ,when sifted down1 it is found to consist of reason1 experience and a matter-of-fact calculation of self-interest4 ,if you don't cheat1 or break the laws1 and establish a reputation for honest dealing1 you will gain more by it in the long run than you lose4 ,nothing very inspired or inspiring about that1 or very different in kind from the principle of the crook who says3 ,if ,i take care to avoid detection1 but pay no attention to right and wrong1 ,i will gain more in the long run than ,i lose4 ,the detail of the calculation is different1 but the motive and object are the same--self-interest and self-advantage4 ,the soul1 the conscience1 the sentiment of honor are not involved in either4 ,during the late war1 tens of thousands of individuals and corporations followed ,jones's example and chuckled with glee as the undreamed-of profits rolled in4 ,they took advantage of the situation and became what is known as profiteers4 ,the brain and self-interest were acting over time1 but the spiritual nature was slumbering4 ,suppose you are making a visit to a business friend and he leaves you alone in his office for a few minutes1 while he is called out by some emergency--and suppose he has left on his desk an envelope containing business secrets which you could profit by--and suppose you take advantage of your opportunity1 open the envelope1 glance at the papers1 get the information and later on make good use of it8 ,an individual who is capable of doing that must be rather lacking in the sense of honor4 ,if a business man happened to tell his wife something of a confidential nature1 as some husbands do1 and the wife were indiscreet enough to mention it to your wife1 without realizing its full import1 and your wife repeated it to you1 and you thereupon proceeded to communicate it to the business man's competitor--you might not break any law1 or do anything dishonest1 and your intellect might tell you there was profit for yourself to be gained by it--and many another person in your place might jump at the chance--but for all that1 there ought to be a feeling within you to prevent you doing it1 because it would not be honorable4 ,in the world of politics1 some people might feel that it is not honorable to use a position of public trust for private ends4 ,suppose you have it in your power to make an appointment which might prove very lucrative to a certain type of individual who has no scruples about graft4 ,among your political henchmen there is just such an individual and he wants the appointment4 ,there is another man whom you might appoint1 if you chose to1 a high-minded1 public-spirited man1 fitter and better for it in every way2 but the political henchman was an important factor in obtaining for you the office which you now occupy2 his good will and influence may be very helpful in your future campaigns1 whereas the other man has done nothing for you and is without political influence4 ,if you gave him the appointment1 you would make an enemy of your henchman and his followers4 ,your self-interest and your intellect combine in showing you what a mistake that would be4 ,usually a politician1 by the time he has been selected by other politicians as a candidate for office1 has become amenable to reason and may be counted on to avoid such a mistake4 ,but occasionally a gentleman of another sort finds himself in this position and he refuses to do the usual thing1 because it goes counter to an inner feeling--his sense of honor4 ,so it is with countless other questions of conduct1 which at various times1 in various communities1 with various individuals1 involve this feeling4 ,in some people it is highly developed and frequently determines the motive of conduct1 in a fine1 noble1 compelling way which is directly opposed to material considerations of self-interest4 ,in other people1 it is so feeble1 and crude that its wee small voice is seldom heeded or heard in the calculations and decisions of their practical lives4 ,in addition to the sentiments of honor and conscience and right and wrong1 there are various other fine and noble feelings to which the soul of man is susceptible1 to a greater or less extent1 according to the individual nature4 ,self-respect1 loyalty1 gratitude1 responsibility1 self-sacrifice may be cited1 by way of suggestion4 ,now1 while there can be no doubt that human nature is capable of all these feelings and that individuals have been found to possess them1 in different communities1 at different times1 it is equally obvious that among vast numbers of other individuals they find little or no expression4 ,there have been periods in the history of certain peoples when nearly all the nobler sentiments seem to have shrivelled up4 ,the ,roman ,empire1 when it was in its decay2 the upper classes of ,england1 after the ,restoration2 ,france1 during the period which preceded the ,revolution--are examples of such a condition4 ,the leading citizens appear to have thrown conscience to the winds and let themselves go1 without restraint1 to a life of dissipation1 corruption1 and the indulgence of the senses4 ,also in our country1 among certain classes1 in certain communities1 it is quite apparent that the finer feelings1 the moral standards1 of the average individual are at a lower ebb1 than they seem to be in certain other sections4 ,in view of these observations1 it is fairly safe to conclude that the spiritual feelings of man are subject to alteration1 through an influence or influences of some sort4 ,the same sort of influence that shows its general effect in a given class or community may be presumed to be at work on the nature or character of the individuals who compose that community4 ,if the sentiment of honor1 for instance1 is a vital compelling force in one individual1 and is so weak or deficient in another as to be a negligible quantity1 what is the explanation of this difference8 ,what influence has developed the sentiment in one1 and retarded or eliminated it in the other8 ,on what does it depend8 ,what causes it to come to life in the human soul8 ,what good is it1 when it does come8 ,the same questions apply to conscience1 loyalty1 responsibility1 right and wrong4 ,whence do they come--and what are they good for8 ,these questions are simple to ask--but when one attempts to answer them in a simple1 convincing way1 they are found to be full of hidden depths and complexities4 ,down below them1 is another question which is included in them all and which sooner or later must be faced by each and every one of us3 ,why am ,i here on earth8 ,has my life any purpose in the great1 everlasting scheme of things8 ,what is that purpose8 ,until we have arrived at some sort of an answer to that question1 we cannot make much headway in answering the others4 ,if there were no purpose at all to an individual life1 what difference would it make whether he had a conscience or not8 ,if his purpose is to get as much satisfaction out of life as he can1 between his birth and his death1 why shouldn't he go about it in any old way that suits himself8 ,what real difference does it make whether he chooses to indulge in alcohol1 opium1 and other dissipations for a short while1 or prefers to prolong his span by sticking to wheat1 potatoes and sobriety8 ,purely a matter of personal taste1 to be decided by each individual for himself4 ,suppose on account of his affections and sympathies for other individuals1 the idea occurs to him that he was meant to serve them1 also8 ,what real difference would that make if their lives had no other purpose1 either8 ,they will all be dead very soon1 anyhow1 whether you join with them in a mutual serving society1 or not4 ,if there is no other end in view for each and every one1 but to live and die1 what boots it8 ,but suppose it might be that after death their spirits could live on1 in an unknown world8 ,even so1 any service you happened to do for them1 here1 would hardly be counted in their favor1 over there4 ,but mightn't it be counted in your favor--over there8 ,isn't it possible that every kind and helpful thing you do for your fellow men in your life on earth might be to the advantage of your spirit in the other world8 ,suppose it could be proved that this were the true purpose of life--to win benefit and glory for your spirit in the world beyond8 ,well1 you might reply1 --if that is the way things stand1 it would be putting a big premium on canny foresight4 ,a cold-blooded1 utterly selfish individual could make his calculations accordingly and feather his future nest at every opportunity1 while the rest of us poor devils who couldn't calculate so well would be piling up future trouble4 ,is that what is meant by soul and conscience and honor8 ,does the 'spiritual side of man's nature1' when stripped of its camouflage1 mean a shrewd calculation which seeks to gain a lasting reward for the spirit1 after the body is used up8 ,in the face of such a question1 of such a line of thought1 there is something within us which revolts4 ,if we can find words to express the cause and nature of this revolt1 so much the better2 but even if we cannot1 a vague but unshakable feeling persists within us that any views of this sort are superficial1 inadequate and uncomprehending4 ,just as we found1 in connection with human sympathy and affection1 that cold reason might make the mistake of trying to explain them in terms of selfishness1 so we find that when reason undertakes to penetrate into the human soul1 it is apt to emerge with a distortion which lacks the essence of the whole thing4 ,in the first place1 so far as reason goes1 after countless generations of man on earth1 what evidence has yet been discovered to prove conclusively that when a man dies1 the spirit of him disengages itself from the dead body and goes on to an unknown world to continue life there8 ,when a dog dies1 does the spirit of him do the same thing8 ,a bird8 ,a spider8 ,a germ8 ,a flower8 ,they all have the spirit of life within them--a wonderful complex life--and a struggle for existence on earth--of much the same sort as man's4 ,i was talking to a charming lady1 the other day1 who said she firmly believes that the spirits of them all go on to a better world1 along with man's4 ,but whether they do1 or whether they don't1 what means has any intellect been able to find in all these centuries to settle the question and prove it scientifically1 without fear of contradiction8 ,even if the intellect were satisfied to take so much for granted1 at a guess1 for the sake of having something to go by1 there still remains the same element of uncertainty surrounding the question3 ,why am ,i here8 ,if my spirit is the only part of me that is destined to live on1 what was the need of chaining it for this short space of time to animal instincts and a perishable body8 ,all sorts of theories have been advanced1 in the search for a plausible explanation1 but again1 in all the ages of civilization1 no conclusive proof has been found that any one of them is the right one4 ,in ancient times the theory seemed to be that the purpose of life was to develop the body to its highest state of prowess and beauty and to make liberal sacrifices to the gods1 in order to gain and retain their favor4 ,the idea seems to have been current for many centuries that when the spirit mounted to another world1 it somehow carried the shape and characteristics of the earthly body along with it4 ,reason enough to make the body strong and beautiful1 if the spirit were to continue tied up to it eternally4 ,even in ,shakespeare's time and all through the ,middle ,ages1 whenever departed spirits were supposed to come back to earth to communicate with mortals1 they always appeared in the same bodily form they had had on earth4 ,on this assumption1 if one individual happened to die when his body was young and strong and handsome1 his spirit would have an advantage over another individual1 who lasted on earth until his body was old1 decrepit and ugly4 ,it may be that the unfairness of this thought had something to do with the eventual discarding of the belief4 ,it may also be that in the course of time and accumulated experience1 the more advanced intellects arrived at the conclusion that sacrifices made to the gods had little perceptible effect on the course of events4 ,in any case ,european civilization appears to have arrived at a stage where it was ripe and ready for another sort of conception4 ,this other conception was the unimportance and unworthiness of the body and all material things4 ,the spirit was the only thing that signified and that was to be dedicated to the service of the ,lord1 as announced in divine commandments4 ,sacrifices on the altar or gifts to the priests would avail nothing1 if the spirit were undutiful4 ,the ,lord was to be worshipped and addressed in prayer--and ,he was at all times prepared to mete out rewards and punishments in strict accordance to the deserts of the spirit4 ,good and worshipful spirits would be blessed with everlasting life in paradise1 while those who disobeyed the commandments1 or neglected to be baptized and worship in the ordained way would be consigned to eternal torture and damnation4 ,this theory was accepted by many millions of people and for a long time held an awe-inspiring sway over their imaginations4 ,at the same time1 in different parts of the world1 ,india1 ,china1 ,mexico1 ,egypt and various countries1 a number of other theories concerning the spirit and the body were advanced as the basis of religious beliefs2 and these were accepted by countless other millions of people with the same awe-inspiring credulity4 ,one feature of these various religions which appears to apply to them all1 is worth noting4 ,each professed the belief that their ,god or gods ruled in supreme control of the entire universe1 eternally1 and that all other so-called gods and so-called religions of other peoples which interfered with this idea must necessarily be false and spurious4 ,in this respect1 our own ,christian view is like the others4 ,in pursuance of it1 immense sums of money1 untiring effort and many lives have been spent by devout believers to convince remote peoples of the error of their doctrines and the truth of ours4 ,but if an unbiased and impartial intellect were permitted to go about among all the different religious sects on earth1 and found each and every one proclaiming with the same fervid conviction the unique and everlasting truth of their doctrine and the error of all others1 how far could it get in the way of a reasonable conclusion8 ,there is a sort of conclusion1 which appears fairly obvious4 ,if any one of the doctrines should in truth be all that is claimed for it--the divine revelation1 or the divine inspiration1 of an ,almighty ,providence--then all the other doctrines can be no more than theories1 more or less ingenious1 more or less erroneous1 mere products of man's imagination4 ,then countless millions of people for countless generations have been left to lead their lives without a right understanding of life or death1 the body or the soul1 or the real purpose or design for which they were created and by which they will be judged8 ,only the few lucky ones who happened to be born and brought up in the one true belief can have the advantage of grasping the situation4 ,to an impartial intellect1 there would seem to be something about such an arrangement hardly fair or just to all the other countless millions4 ,but even so1 and admitting what is apparently obvious1 how could any amount of reasoning arrive at a decision in the matter8 ,there is nothing to prove that all the theories and doctrines may be any more than guesses1 bolstered up with impressive formalities and imagery1 according to the needs and temperament1 of the races for whom they were made4 ,taken as a whole1 they suggest a great confusion of ideas and many curious contradictions concerning the purpose of man's earthly life and the destiny of his soul4 ,has man really a soul1 at all8 ,in what part of his body is it located8 ,what ground is there for imagining that it is any more immortal than his heart or his eye8 ,we can study the eye and dissect it and arrive at a fairly accurate idea of how it works4 ,we know that it can be blinded--put out2 also we know that if anything stops the heart from beating1 the eye1 the brain and our other functions cease to operate and become transfixed in death4 ,why should this not apply as well to the soul1 if there is a function in man which goes by that name8 ,enough has been said to indicate a few of the difficulties which stand in the way1 when we approach the consideration of man's spiritual nature4 ,a study of the various religions and spiritualistic beliefs which are current in the world to-day would be a tedious task for the average mind and would probably be of little practical use or help to any one4 ,the same may be said about the scientific theory of evolution4 ,that is essentially an effort of the intellect1 focusing the attention on details1 processes and stages of development in living things and arriving no nearer to a solution of the unexplainable than we were in the beginning4 ,suppose ,i happen to be impressed by the beauty and wonder of an orange tree1 with its golden1 luscious fruit1 its delicately tinted and deliciously scented blossoms1 its graceful leaves and branches1 its symmetrical trunk so firmly rooted in the ground8 ,merely as a piece of machinery1 as a little factory1 designed to manufacture a certain kind of edible product1 it is far more ingenious1 economical and generally marvellous than anything the combined brains of mankind have been able to design throughout the centuries4 ,it is automatic1 self-lubricating1 self-repairing and goes on1 year after year1 in fair weather or foul1 turning out its brand of juicy pulp1 done up charmingly in little yellow packages4 ,how does it operate8 ,how does it always manage to get the necessary raw materials from the earth and the air8 ,how do the roots and the leaves and the sap ever contrive to convert these into perfume and blossoms and pulp and pigment8 ,now suppose a scientific intellect comes along and1 after investigating1 dissecting1 analyzing1 eventually holds out before my eyes a tiny white seed which it has located in the centre of the yellow package--and says3 ,this is the explanation of the whole thing4 ,that orange tree is merely the result1 by a process of natural development and evolution1 of this seed4 ,we have studied it all out1 step by step4 ,if you will give us one of these seeds to start with and some ground to put it in1 there is no mystery about it at all4 ,we can show you how the whole thing happens4 ,of course1 it takes considerable time--but time is nothing to ,nature4 ,in this case1 only four or five years are required for the seed to become transformed into a fruit-bearing orange tree4 ,but1 say ,i1 your investigations and explanations only add to my amazement4 ,the design and formation of that little seed is even more wonderful and incomprehensible than the full-grown orange tree4 ,within its tiny compass1 it not only contains all the complicated miraculous processes which convert earth and air and water into fragrant blossoms1 juicy pulp and golden oranges1 but it contains in addition to that1 other miraculous powers which enable it to develop and transform itself into a special kind of beautiful tree1 with roots and branches and leaves4 ,as compared to this one little seed1 all the greatest inventions and achievements of man seem like the crudest bungling4 ,tut1 tut1 replies the scientific intellect1 this is only one sort of seed4 ,there are hundreds1 thousands of others1 some so small that they look like grains of dust4 ,each one of these is a complete manufacturing plant1 perfect in every detail1 each designed to turn out a special kind of product1 different from all the others4 ,one of the most remarkable points about them is that they require no special materials--each and every one of them makes use of the same common ingredients1 earth1 air1 light1 water4 ,from those ingredients1 this little machine1 for instance1 working automatically1 can turn out a giant red-wood tree1 which will last for centuries4 ,this other little one1 next to it1 working in the same way1 will produce thousands upon thousands of roses1 of a certain beautiful shade of color and a certain delicate fragrance4 ,and so it is with all these other little machines1 which we call seeds1--however amazing the difference in the kind of product1 it is due entirely to certain subtle differences in their design4 ,but1 say ,i1 what sublime intelligence conceived the plan of those machines1 and what kind of sublimely skilful craftsman was able to fashion them8 ,they were made automatically by the various trees and plants4 ,but who conceived the plan of the trees and plants8 ,the trees and plants were produced automatically by other little seeds1 like these4 ,but the first one of these seeds1 or the first one of these trees--who conceived and executed that8 ,oh1 that1 says the scientific intellect1 came about through a process of evolution1 which extends way back thousands of centuries4 ,we have studied it carefully and reasoned it all out to our entire satisfaction4 ,these plant seeds are only one part of it4 ,there are also all the animals and animalculae1 including man4 ,there are thousands of different kinds of living creatures and each kind has a distinct design from all the rest1 which appears to have been determined by the special purpose for which it was intended4 ,as a matter of fact1 they are nothing more or less than the results of evolution1 natural selection and the survival of the fittest4 ,all we require for the demonstration of our theory1 is a little bit of protoplasm at the beginning of things and a mass of elemental matter in an unformed state4 ,but1 say ,i1 are you sure you are not trying to befuddle me and befuddle yourself by the use of obscure words8 ,you use the word protoplasm--but if you mean by that a kind of machine1 like the orange pit or the red-wood seed1 your evolution theory and your scientific chain of reasoning and all your big words merely bring us back to the point where we started and really explain nothing at all4 ,the orange seed1 if left to itself in the midst of elemental matter will produce a certain kind of tree and countless oranges4 ,a bit of protoplasm1 if left to itself in the midst of elemental matter1 will not only produce an orange tree and a red-wood tree1 but an elephant1 a spider1 a human being--all the countless species of living things to be found in the universe4 ,it may take the protoplasm a longer time to turn all this out1 but it is a bigger job and time is of small account in such a consideration4 ,all ,i can say is that ,i prostrate myself in abject and bewildered admiration before that bit of protoplasm4 ,if anything could be more wonderful than the orange seed with which we started1 your protoplasm is certainly it4 ,it is a miracle of a million miracles4 ,but there is one thing you forgot to tell me--the only thing of any real interest or importance to the average mind in such a theory4 ,what sublime intelligence conceived the plan of that bit of protoplasm--and what kind of sublimely skilful craftsman was able to fashion it8 ,oh that1 says the scientific intellect--that just happens to be one point which our chain of reasoning has not yet been able to demonstrate in a logical and satisfactory way4 ,we have left that out of our theory4 ,well then1 say ,i1 here are trees and flowers and animals and mankind1 each perfectly adapted for the special function on earth for which they were apparently designed4 ,the plan of them appears to have been determined1 somewhere1 somehow1 by a sublime intelligence which surpasses understanding1 for some sublime purpose1 apparently1 which ,i am yearning to know4 ,all the details1 complications and assumptions of your theory when boiled down to simple terms seem more or less of a quibble on words and meanings4 ,your conclusions are of much the same sort as those of the intellectual cynic whom we quoted in connection with sympathy and affection4 ,he undertook to prove with a chain of reasoning that ,i obey only motives of selfishness when ,i shed tears of grief because my friend has lost his only son4 ,here we are living together on earth to-day1 and here were our fathers and forefathers living1 in the same general way with the same general instincts and feelings1 as far back as we have any record of2 and here presumably will our children and their descendants continue to be living1 as far as our imagination can carry us4 ,whether the process of our creation involved a bit of protoplasm in the midst of chaos1 or whether we were evolved from a thought and a breath of an ,almighty ,god1 is of very slight consequence as a human consideration4 ,in view of the wonderful harmony and fitness of the countless processes and things which we see everywhere about us in nature1 it is not strange that mankind seems always to have taken it for granted that a supremely wise and a supremely resourceful intelligence of some sort is responsible for it all4 ,the beginning1 the end1 the scheme and purpose of so many miracles1 extend into the beyond1 the unknown1 the incomprehensible4 ,what the ,supreme ,being is like--how or why ,he came into existence--where matter or life first came from--or even what the connection is between the creatures of this world and the countless stars and planets which may be other worlds--all this is shrouded in the mystery of mysteries4 ,if we get to thinking very much about it1 one of the effects is to make the affairs of man and the like of man seem tiny and unimportant in comparison to the whole--one kind of little creatures on one little globe1 when we know there are thousands upon thousands of bigger globes in the firmament and possibly millions and billions of larger and more exalted creatures on many of them4 ,but it is only man's intellect that gets tangled up and discouraged by that kind of reasoning4 ,another side of man's nature comes to the fore and disposes of this tangle with more inspiring sentiments4 ,these sentiments tell us that a marvellous scheme of life is at work in our world1 every detail of which from the lowest to the highest appears to have received exactly the same sort of sublime consideration--and that of this entire scheme1 the spirit of man has been constituted the leader and master4 ,on this earth at least man is a kind of divine lieutenant1 the captain1 the commander1 the generalissimo of all living things4 ,somehow1 somewhere1 there must be a sublime purpose to it all1 because it is dominated throughout by a sublime intelligence1 an apparently all-wise ,providence4 ,somehow1 somewhere1 the spirit of man has a never ending responsibility and an awe-inspiring1 exalted destiny4 ,whether this be true or not1 and however1 the scientific intellect may be inclined to quibble with arguments and conclusions1 there is something inside of each and every one of us to a greater or less extent1 which makes us feel that this is so4 ,this something within us1 which responds to such a feeling1 is a function quite apart from the intellect--the most highly developed intellects often have the least of it2 it is equally removed from the loves and hates1 sympathies and antipathies of our heart life2 and equally far away from the perceptions and appetites of our senses4 ,it is the side of man's nature which for the want of a better name1 we call the soul4 ,and the feeling of the soul that there is somewhere an all-wise ,providence1 sublime purpose in everything1 an exalted destiny for man--irrespective of proof1 or science1 or calculation or demonstrations of any sort--that feeling in its simplest essence is what we call faith4 ,in ,god ,we ,trust--that is the motto which appears on ,american coins4 ,without great exaggeration1 it might be called the motto of humanity1 everywhere1 at all times4 ,it is a soul feeling2 an expression of fundamental faith4 ,now as this feeling is not dependent on the reasoning faculty1 there should be nothing amazing in the fact that it has been found susceptible of being developed and led far afield in the direction of credulity4 ,all sorts of fairy-tales have been invented by man's imagination1 in different countries1 at different periods1 and imposed upon the simple faith of the masses in order that they might be guided and controlled in a manner that the leading spirits considered best for them4 ,idols1 divine revelations1 oracles1 prayers1 sacrifices1 confessionals1 priests1 prophets1 medicine men1 sacred dances and prostrations1 awe-inspiring rites and ceremonies of almost every conceivable kind have been resorted to1 in order to attain results which were considered beneficial4 ,in nearly every case1 it is safe to say the effort was inspired by an intense soul feeling on the part of an individual1 however much it may have been seasoned with shrewdness and calculation and understanding of the people for whose good it was intended4 ,it is generally admitted that the age in which we live is a scientific age4 ,scientific investigations1 scientific explanations1 scientific inventions1 scientific methods and theories1 are dominant factors in the progress to which modern civilization has been devoting so much of its energy4 ,in our schools1 and colleges and text-books1 the growing mind is being taught to approach all subjects and questions from a reasonable1 practical and scientific point-of-view4 ,one of the first principles of all science is to take as little as possible for granted1 but to investigate and prove everything1 without prejudice1 in strict accordance with the facts4 ,this is the typical attitude of to-day1 encouraged and absorbed on every side and becoming more wide-spread with each passing year4 ,suppose a young man or woman1 trained in this way1 in school and college1 by books of science1 magazine articles1 newspapers and discussions of one sort or another connected with modern progress1 is prompted one fine day to turn his attention to this question of religion and undertake an enquiry into that8 ,sooner or later1 this is very apt to happen to any one1 because the churches and ceremonies are all about2 and when an individual mind reaches a stage where it wants to think for itself1 it can hardly escape from arriving at some conclusion concerning them4 ,a modern person so trained1 is apt to perceive very quickly that many of the statements and assumptions made in the name of any particular religion are unscientific and inaccurate and not much more reasonable than ,aladdin and his wonderful lamp1 or ,jack and the ,beanstalk4 ,they pre-suppose an amount of childlike credulity and ignorance on the part of the worshipper1 which can only be explained to his mind by the primitive state of the people for whom they were originally intended4 ,in view of this1 the natural tendency for a practical scientific mind of the present generation is to regard the church question as a rather curious and perplexing survival which1 for family and personal reasons1 it might be just as well to leave alone4 ,as science cannot discover how the first protoplasm was created1 and as the preaching of the various religions is interwoven with fanciful and unsound assumptions1 the most logical solution is to cease bothering one's head about it4 ,one trouble with this is1 that the soul is an important part of man's life and it has need of faith of some sort4 ,to a great extent1 civilization depends upon it4 ,if all the people about us had no soul and no faith1 it is hard to imagine what the world would be like4 ,we can imagine1 in a way1 by turning our attention to the criminal classes4 ,consider for a moment the make-up of a typical crook--a thief1 a burglar1 a kidnapper1 a hold-up man--a so-called enemy of the law4 ,what is the underlying difference between him and a worthy citizen8 ,is it simply that one breaks the law1 while the other does not8 ,that is only an apparent1 superficial difference1 based on results4 ,a worthy man might break the law repeatedly1 without becoming in the least a crook2 a crook might stay within the law1 most carefully and cautiously1 without altering in the slightest degree1 the essence of his crookedness4 ,the real significant difference lies deeper down1 in his nature and attitude--attitude toward his fellow men1 toward himself1 toward the mystery of life4 ,a crook usually has the same sort of appetites and desires as anybody else4 ,he may have the keenest perceptions and excellent taste in matters of beauty and other pleasure-giving refinements4 ,as far as the sensations of life go1 and the development of the senses1 he may be far above the average1 and many of them undoubtedly are4 ,as for brains1 many crooks of the higher order are remarkably quick and resourceful1 while not a few have had superior education and book learning4 ,it is also undoubtedly true that they may have warm hearts and loving natures1 and be capable of an unusual amount of loyalty and devotion to their pals4 ,in addition to that1 they are frequently very patient1 self-controlled and fearless4 ,but there is just one quality1 one side of their natures1 that is deficient--the soul1 with its faith4 ,they have no feeling of responsibility within them toward an unknown but holy purpose1 toward an all-wise ,being1 who created the world and entrusted to man a spirit capable of leading it4 ,without this feeling1 there is no real meaning to the words right and wrong2 and that is the essential mark of a crook4 ,outside of a few intimates whom he is attached to1 the rest of mankind with its laws and aspirations1 represents nothing more than a hostile force to be preyed upon and gotten the best of4 ,provided he can avoid punishment1 a crook feels no objection to cheating1 stealing1 or cutting a throat4 ,this appears to be the natural principle of life among wild animals1 the fish in the sea1 the spider and the fly2 and it would presumably be the same among men1 if man were without a soul and devoid of faith4 ,there is no feeling of right and wrong among animals1 when left to themselves4 ,they merely try to get what they want1 by any means at their disposal4 ,in doing this1 their only concern is to save their own skins and to avoid a mix-up with another animal or animals stronger than themselves4 ,in the case of crooks and criminals1 these other animals which concern them are usually the representatives of the law4 ,certain kinds of animals--dogs1 horses1 pets--may be tamed and trained by man into an imitation notion of right and wrong4 ,but it is only a superficial imitation1 essentially different in composition from the genuine article4 ,a dog may learn in time that if he chases the pet cat1 his master will give him a beating4 ,after learning this lesson1 he may still occasionally give himself the satisfaction of chasing the cat up a tree1 but after he has done so1 he will show his training by looking guilty1 hanging his tail and sneaking off into the bushes4 ,he knows he has done wrong4 ,in this case1 however1 it simply means that he is anticipating and seeking to mitigate an expected beating4 ,the pain of a beating is bad2 a lump of sugar is good1 any animal can grasp that1 and some animals may be trained to connect the cause and effect4 ,but that is not at all the same kind of thing as the conception of right and wrong that grows up in man and finds its true explanation in a soul feeling4 ,this vague1 but fundamental1 feeling of faith in a divine purpose of some sort for the life of each individual is not dependent upon any particular religion1 or creed1 or doctrine4 ,it appears to have found expression at all stages of civilization in all countries of which we have any record4 ,it was found to exist among the savage ,american ,indians and the ,aztec ,mexicans1 as it existed in the earliest mummy age of ancient ,egypt1 and among the earlier warriors of ,europe1 as depicted by ,homer4 ,among the yellow races of ,china and ,japan1 the recognition of this same faith extends back to the farther-most records of time4 ,whether it evolved from a protoplasm1 or was implanted in man by the ,creator1 it may be regarded as an essential part of the all-wise scheme--which is1 which was1 and which presumably always will be4 ,by some such process of observation and reasoning as we have been going through1 it is possible to arrive at a relatively safe and satisfactory conclusion to the first soul question3 ,has my life any purpose in the great1 everlasting scheme of things8 ,the answer is3 ,undoubtedly4 ,a feeling to that effect is to be found universally among mankind4 ,the intention of the ,creator1 which surpasses understanding1 in this one respect1 at least1 appears to be unmistakable4 ,attached to this conclusion is the second part of the question1 to which an answer may be found by a similar process of observation and reasoning3 ,granted that ,i am assured by an inner feeling that my life has some purpose--what is that purpose8 ,it is not difficult to discern a general and practically uniform purpose in normal human beings4 ,first1 of course1 is the primal instinct of self-preservation1 a feeling that life itself is precious and must be held on to as long as possible4 ,along with this1 goes another primal instinct--to create new life and protect that--and thus continue your race and kind on earth indefinitely4 ,it is easy enough to see that if these two instincts were lacking1 or if any other considerations were allowed to impair their force1 the scheme of the world would come to an end4 ,whatever the purpose of a human life might be1 that purpose would be futile1 if there were no human lives to accomplish it4 ,so that these two instincts are necessary conditions of any other plan or design4 ,they are the first and foremost considerations in all life1 in all civilizations4 ,not only are they instinctive impulses of man's animal nature1 which he shares with brute beings1 but they also appeal to his innermost soul with the strongest feelings of which he is capable4 ,it is right for him to protect himself2 it is right for him to protect his wife and children2 it is right for him to protect his relatives and friends and fellows from any and all enemies4 ,in order to do this he will kill other human beings1 if necessary1 in case of war1 or attack2 and his conscience will not reproach him2 it will tell him he has done right4 ,this feeling has been implanted in all normal human beings--it has always been and presumably always will be4 ,it may be regarded as part of the divine intention4 ,it is also an unmistakable purpose for each individual--to preserve his own life and strive for its continuation in his off-spring4 ,that is the first and foremost thing for you to live for4 ,why8 ,because the strongest feelings of your whole nature1 in accord with your conscience1 tell you so4 ,if we consider woman as distinct from man1 we find her strongest instinct and deepest inner feelings impel her to care for and protect her off-spring2 but that instead of an impulse to go out and fight against the enemy1 she feels in her conscience that it is right and natural for her to rely upon the husband and father to do that4 ,it is for her to stick close to the babies and pray for his success4 ,that is the only difference--a fundamental difference in the innermost feeling of the male and the female--which appears to have existed always1 and may therefore be regarded as a part of the divine intention4 ,now1 after the continuation of life on earth is safeguarded in this way1 is there any other deep and general feeling of man's inner nature which might furnish an indication of a further purpose for his life8 ,is there not in each and every one of us a deep-rooted desire1 which is wholly in accord with conscience1 to make good in the rle which has been assigned to us in the mystery of creation8 ,does not each individual feel moved to accomplish something beyond the mere continuation of life8 ,is there not within us a vague aspiration to do well and be something good and fine1 according to our means and tastes8 ,do we not want to be a success rather than a failure1 both for our own sake and for the sake of those we love1 who also love us1 and cannot help being affected by what we do8 ,if by any chance you are deficient in this feeling yourself1 or confused about it1 you have only to look about any where1 at any time1 and you will find it in evidence among normal individuals from the days of early childhood4 ,a little girl likes to be pretty1 to dance well1 to sew neatly1 to be helpful to her mother1 to be petted1 loved1 approved4 ,a little boy wants to be a fast runner1 a fine swimmer1 a good fighter--he wants to be strong and brave and self-reliant and many other things1 besides4 ,he admires these qualities in other boys2 a feeling of his inner nature1 in accord with his conscience1 tells him he would like to be that kind of a boy1 himself4 ,he feels it is the kind that every one ought to want to be4 ,and if he is a normal1 healthy boy1 this feeling arises within him just as naturally and spontaneously as the feeling which comes to a sensitive soul in the presence of a sunset1 or musical harmonies and tells it they are beautiful4 ,it is quite apart from any far-sighted calculations of the intellect concerning the practical use which those qualities may1 or may not1 have in after life4 ,the same thing is true of the little girl and what she admires and aspires to4 ,as the youngsters grow up to be men and women1 they are still susceptible to the same sort of feeling1 in spite of the fact that many other more practical and material considerations are liable to creep in and confuse it1 alter it1 distort it4 ,somewhere1 in the inner nature of almost everybody1 there persists a feeling of admiration for the fine and noble qualities of mankind4 ,some of those qualities1 experience may have demonstrated1 are beyond our personal strength and reach--others may have practical disadvantages1 which our self-interest and our reason over-rule1 but as long as the feeling is there1 it keeps whispering to us1 however faintly1 that we ought to try to live up to the best that is in us and not be satisfied with less4 ,let us take care to note that this differs completely from another sort of feeling which cold-blooded cynics are apt to confuse it with4 ,this other feeling is inspired by greed and controlled by selfish calculation1 and tells certain individuals that by closing their eyes to what is beautiful and admirable in human nature1 and by taking advantage of any and every opportunity1 they may obtain a greater portion of worldly goods and material pleasures4 ,this latter feeling is not in touch with conscience and neither to ourselves1 nor to others1 does it inspire ennobling sentiments4 ,a proper name for it is ambition--a selfish quality1 whose essence bears no relation to the aspiration of boy and girl1 man and woman1 toward what is finest and best4 ,this feeling of aspiration1 which exists in the soul and appears to be innate in human beings everywhere1 offers a clear and indisputable revelation of a purpose for man's life1 above and beyond the mere continuation of it4 ,it is one very solid answer to the second part of the great question3 ,what is the purpose of my life8 ,to strive toward betterment and excellence1 in accordance with your lights and conscience4 ,why8 ,because1 just as a feeling within you tells you that a sunset is beautiful1 so there is this other feeling within you1 which tells you this is fine and right4 ,those are fundamental feelings1 planted in all mankind1 not accidental exceptions4 ,they are surely a part of the all-wise design1 an essential part of your purpose in being here4 ,the finest types of men1 the leading spirits of humanity1 in all ages and climes1 from the earliest savages to the most advanced civilization1 have always had that kind of feeling and responded to it4 ,it is a fundamental fact of the soul life1 which leaves no room for doubt4 ,is there any other feeling of this sort which appears to be so fundamental and world-wide that it may be regarded as an innate and essential part of human nature1 independent of climate1 or race1 or intellectual development8 ,is there not a sentiment deep down in all mothers and fathers1 to want their children to be finer1 better1 more nearly perfect than they themselves have been8 ,has not this sentiment something in it which is quite apart from self-interest1 or reason1 or the impulses of affection8 ,suppose a normal mother is on her death-bed1 with but an hour to live8 ,as far as she is concerned1 all considerations of self-interest in this world are at an end4 ,after one hour1 nothing that happens can make any difference to her1 personally4 ,her children are in an adjoining room and her thoughts and feelings are full of them4 ,that is only natural--almost inevitable4 ,what is the essence of her feelings8 ,love1 in the first place4 ,they are inexpressibly dear to her and she feels glad and thankful that all is well with them4 ,what next8 ,a prayerful hope that they will be happy and successful and live to a ripe old age4 ,for her sake8 ,no1 for theirs4 ,does she wish them to be liars and cheats and ingrates1 dissipated and corrupt1 if by so doing they can have most pleasure and satisfy themselves8 ,oh no--not that4 ,why not8 ,because there is something within her which wants them to be fine and good and worthy of their birthright4 ,she wants them to cling fast to the best that is in them1 not the worst2 to do right and be right1 whether it serves their pleasure or not4 ,if a mother would naturally feel this way on her death-bed1 so might a father1 or a grandmother or a grand-father1 in any country--in almost any state of civilization--irrespective of any particular creed or doctrine1 to which they might subscribe4 ,this is not to be taken as saying that all mothers or fathers would be conscious of this feeling--or would have this feeling in them to any appreciable extent--or that all individuals may be said to have any of the fundamental soul feelings to which we have referred4 ,throughout all nature1 and in human life as well1 there are to be found individual deficiencies and perversions4 ,since this is as true to-day1 as it has been always1 in all departments of creation1 we can be content to regard it as part of the all-wise but mysterious scheme4 ,to the best of our knowledge and belief1 in practically all communities of human beings of which there is any record1 these few self-same feelings of man's innermost nature have become plainly1 unmistakably1 evident4 ,they appear to be inborn fundamentals of the human soul4 ,as far as they go1 they may be safely and confidently accepted as indications of man's purpose here on earth3 the preservation of life1 the continuation of life1 an aspiration in one's own development toward what is admirable and right1 and an equally great aspiration to inculcate and develop in one's children the essence of what is best in oneself4 ,in the face of any such conclusion1 a question naturally arises1 which a cynical and selfish mind is not slow to make the most of4 ,if this is the palpable intention and design of an all-wise ,creator1 how does it happen that so many human beings fail to carry out the purpose8 ,how does it happen that so many are relatively deficient1 or totally unconscious of the feelings themselves8 ,if the general aim and aspiration is toward constant betterment and an ideal of perfection1 why1 after all these centuries of endeavor1 haven't we arrived somewhere near the goal8 ,why do we find among the individuals of to-day in our country less aspirations toward what is fine and right and honorable than were felt a hundred years ago8 ,why1 when these feelings reached so high a standard in the classic days of ,greece1 did they decline and shrivel and give way to barbarism8 ,why did the same thing happen in ,rome8 ,if the divine intention is toward progress and betterment and an ideal of right1 why has the intention failed so miserably and repeatedly to be carried out8 ,why haven't ,i just as much reason to assume that the divine intention1 if there be any1 is the gradual corruption1 decay and disintegration of the human being8 ,were the motives and behavior of the average man ever more corrupt1 immoral and baser than they are to-day--all over the world8 ,if we consider the results1 where is the evidence of a constant betterment in man's spiritual nature8 ,my observations and judgment tell me there are no grounds for any such assumption and there probably never was any such divine intention4 ,the answer to such objections is fairly simple3 ,you are attempting to pass judgment1 by means of the reasoning processes of the intellect1 on questions which man's intellect is incapable of understanding4 ,as we found to be the case when considering the affections1 the result of such an endeavor is a misconception and distortion4 ,although you are well aware that neither reason nor science can offer the faintest glimmer of an explanation as to how1 or why1 the first essence of life came into existence1 or the first elemental matter1 or as to what is the ultimate intention or end of a single thing in this world1 or any other1 yet you have the presumption to criticize the means and methods being employed for the attainment of those ends by an all-wise ,creator1 who presumably did know1 and does know1 what they are4 ,underlying your questions and comments is a complete misunderstanding4 ,in considering man's purpose in life1 ,i had no thought of determining ,god's purpose in creating man1 or in creating life1 or in creating the world in which the life of man is to be found4 ,that surpasses my understanding4 ,that there is an all-wise design and purpose of some sort1 behind and above it all1 ,i have no doubt4 ,this conviction comes principally from a feeling of my innermost nature1 which has been found among mankind1 in all ages--faith4 ,it is confirmed and strengthened by the evidence of my perceptions and intellect--the beauty and wonder and fitness in all the processes of creation4 ,but even in the simplest facts of nature all about us1 there are countless principles at work whose intention cannot be penetrated by human reason4 ,why were wolves permitted and urged by their instincts to devour innocent lambs8 ,why were the germs of disease and corruption created with the same bewildering perfection of design and the same mysterious1 vital force as the good and beautiful creatures which they infest8 ,why were exquisite flowers and fruit-bearing trees allowed to be overcome by foul fungus and poisonous weeds8 ,if our reason is unable to discern the underlying intention in such simple1 every-day occurrences as these1 by what right does it pretend to pass judgment on the great complexities and developments of human civilization8 ,what good is accomplished by the rise and fall of an empire8 ,or by the rise and fall of a human individual8 ,what all-wise intention is fulfilled in the deterioration and decay of any thing which has once seemed admirable and worthy8 ,the human intellect cannot tell4 ,as long as the intellect cannot grasp the beginning of creation1 or the end1 the original cause of man's existence1 or the final result--how can it presume to criticize and doubt1 without getting out of its element and beyond its depth8 ,god's purpose for man1 from the point-of-view of ,god1 is an entirely different thing from an individual's purpose in life1 from man's point-of-view4 ,as this difference is something which appears to give rise to a certain amount of confusion in some people's minds1 it is worth clearing up by a simple illustration4 ,suppose a commanding general1 in the midst of a campaign1 gives orders for a brigade to occupy a certain ridge and defend it at all costs8 ,suppose these orders are carried out and1 after a heroic defence lasting several days1 the entire brigade is wiped out by the enemy8 ,in such a case1 when an order comes1 what is1 and ought to be1 the purpose of each individual soldier composing the brigade8 ,to obey orders1 do his duty as well and bravely as he can1 and hope for the best--which may be victory1 glory and promotion4 ,what1 now1 was the purpose of the general1 in issuing the orders8 ,was it to enable those individual soldiers to win victory and gain promotion8 ,quite the contrary4 ,his purpose was to delay the enemy advance at that point for forty-eight hours1 for reasons of high strategy4 ,what was the purpose of ,god in designing mankind in such a way that millions of fine individuals should go forth to maim and exterminate each other1 to the accompaniment of untold suffering and misery8 ,because the private does not know the purpose of the general2 and because neither the private1 nor the general1 knows the purpose of ,god1 is that a reason to conclude1 or imagine1 that there is no purpose8 ,is that a reason to conclude1 or imagine1 that the private cannot have and know a purpose of his own--a fine and worthy purpose of which his conscience approves8 ,does not that same observation apply to the general and to all other individuals1 high or low8 ,because certain individuals are born blind or deaf1 does that imply that mankind was not designed to see or hear8 ,because certain individuals1 through the effects of disease or abuse1 lose their sight1 does that disprove a purpose for the eye8 ,because certain communities1 or certain civilizations1 decline and decay1 through corruption1 does that prove anything with regard to the intention and design of the ,creator--except that such happenings are apparently a part of the mysterious plan8 ,it may be that in that plan the soul life of a single individual has more lasting significance than the rise and fall of an empire4 ,such a conception is apt to strike a matter-of-fact intellect as the height of absurdity4 ,but even in the material world1 when it was first suggested that the earth was round1 that conception also struck the matter-of-fact intellect as the height of absurdity4 ,so did the idea of ,columbus--that he might set sail from ,spain1 going ,west1 and arrive back at ,spain1 coming from the ,east4 ,nearly all the great discoveries and conceptions of genius have struck the matter-of-fact intellect as the height of absurdity4 ,they dealt with an unknown principle which was different from accepted notions4 ,but the meaning of a human soul in the eternal plan1 or of a certain phase of civilization in the unknown plan1 are also unknown principles and the opinions of the intellect concerning them are purely guess-work4 ,if1 however1 we feel inclined to use our imaginations1 there is a line of thought which might seem to have a remote bearing on this part of the puzzle4 ,in the material world1 and the intellectual world1 and the esthetic world of art and beauty1 we may form a matter-of-fact opinion concerning things of which we do know something4 ,we can see the effects of certain occurrences and judge of their relative importance1 from man's point-of-view4 ,which was more significant and important for the good of civilization--that countless millions of men and women1 for countless generations1 in ,mexico and in ,persia1 talked and thought and exchanged ideas--or that one single individual1 named ,william ,shakespeare1 had some ideas which it occurred to him to put on paper8 ,the brain effort of a single individual more significant for future humanity than the rise and fall of an empire6 ,that kind of conception--dealing with something we know about--does not strike the matter-of-fact intellect as the height of absurdity4 ,was a single painting1 the ,mona ,lisa1 of a single individual1 ,leonardo da ,vinci1 less important than the millions of paintings made during countless generations throughout the entire empire of ,china8 ,do we measure the achievements of a ,napoleon1 an ,alexander1 a ,washington1 by the manner of their decline and death8 ,it seems simple enough to us that one short life may have more meaning for the rest of humanity in this world1 than millions of other lives4 ,we can see and understand and measure the effects of such occurrences as these1 with the intellect4 ,but in regard to man's inner feelings1 the soul life1 because the achievement may not be visible--because its record is not written on paper--because its true significance is entirely shrouded in the mysterious intention of creation1 how can the intellect know that the conscientious effort of one short life on earth1 however humble1 may not have a bigger meaning and a more lasting value in the divine scheme than the accomplishments--material1 intellectual1 artistic--of millions8 ,the spiritual side appears undoubtedly to be the highest and finest part of man's nature--why then is it not possible that the spiritual struggle of each and every single soul1 however inconspicuous in a worldly way1 may be the thing that counts most in the everlasting scheme8 ,this is a question1 we repeat1 which all the science of all the wise men of all the generations is completely incapable of deciding4 ,no amount of reasoning can disprove it1 any more than it can prove it4 ,that is the special point ,i have been trying to make clear4 ,because the cold processes of the intellect are inclined to dismiss as absurd all kinds of beliefs and conceptions which they cannot verify1 they need not be abandoned on that account4 ,,vi ,,science ,,and ,,the ,,intellect ,no amount of reasoning can alter the fact that certain spontaneous and fundamental feelings of man's inner nature inspire him to conscientious effort and1 as they presumably owe their origin to an all-wise ,creator1 they may be safely relied on to indicate his part and responsibility in the mysterious scheme4 ,it seems to me that nothing in the whole problem of life is more important than a thorough realization of this undoubted truth--that the big fundamental feelings of man's better nature are absolutely independent and apart from the working of his intellect1 or any calculation of self-interest1 conscious or implied1 just as they are independent of his material appetites and instincts4 ,a clear understanding of this truth will answer many of the questions which are so apt to confuse the reason and trouble the peace of mind of the average much instructed person4 ,if a scientific doubter asks us how we can be sure of this1 we can answer without hesitation that the evidence of our own inner feelings is unmistakable proof of it4 ,the only proof of a feeling is the feeling itself4 ,we have it--we are conscious of it--it is1 as far as we are concerned1 and it is futile for any outsider to deny it4 ,if any one is so constituted that he cannot get the force of this1 we may make the understanding of it easier by turning his attention to the feelings of man's esthetic nature1 which operate in a somewhat similar way4 ,we have already had occasion to refer to them1 but we may be permitted to do so again1 with added emphasis4 ,they are an illustration and a confirmation of the vitally important principle which we have just been stating4 ,if a setting sun1 or a harmony1 or musical notes1 appeal to my sense of beauty and give rise to a vague but delicious emotion of my inner nature1 all the arguments of all the intellects on earth are powerless to alter the essence and meaning of that feeling1 so far as my nature is concerned4 ,to me that feeling of beauty is a fact1 and it would remain just as much a fact1 even if no other person in the world shared it with me2 and every other person in the world undertook to deny its existence4 ,the only proof ,i have of it1 the only proof ,i need for it1 is that ,i feel it4 ,now when the intellect takes upon itself to meddle with such things1 a learned professor may explain that a certain musical note is composed of vibrations--so many thousand per second--which are communicated to particles of matter in suspension in the air and carried by them to the tympanum of the ear1 which acts thus-and-so upon the various components of the hearing apparatus1 and finally arrives through a system of ganglia to a certain nerve centre1 located somewhere in a brain cell1 or the spinal column4 ,he may use a great many other big words and display various kinds of scientific devices for measuring sound waves and calculating vibrations1 but when he has finished1 all his science will not enable him to compose a touching melody1 or feel the beauty and inspiration of it4 ,a little child1 or a negro mammy1 with a soul for music1 will feel and give out something1 whose very essence has nothing to do with the intellect and which the most formidable intellect is powerless to grasp4 ,the same thing is true of painting and poetry and sculpture4 ,the feelings which inspire them and the feelings which they arouse in receptive souls are totally independent of the intellect4 ,the reason may argue that as one leg of the ,venus de ,milo is found by measurement to be considerably shorter than the other1 it is absurd to call that a beautiful figure of a woman--or that it should excite as much admiration as a scientifically constructed statue in which all the proportions would be in accord with carefully tabulated statistics4 ,as a photograph of a young and healthy girl is more accurate and more pleasing in subject than a painting of an old woman1 what reason is there for it to arouse less esthetic feeling than an immortal portrait by ,rembrandt8 ,if a description of a small water course1 drawn up by a surveyor and a lawyer1 is exact and comprehensive1 why should it not appeal to the imagination and sense of beauty more satisfactorily than a poem by ,tennyson1 entitled ,the ,brook8 ,the obvious answer is that in all such questions the intellect is out of its element1 trying to lay hands on something which has no tangible substance4 ,if this point-of-view is not enough to give your intellect food for thought and suggest its very decided limitations in the life of man1 you may turn its light upon the simplest and most material sensations and feelings which belong to the animal nature and are common to all mankind4 ,what reason is there for my brother to dote on fried onions1 while ,i cannot endure them8 ,why does my uncle like pig's feet and eels and snails1 while my wife is made almost ill at the sight of them8 ,your intellect may tell you that you ought to like the taste of castor oil1 because it is good for you2 but all the intellect in the world cannot make you like the taste of castor oil4 ,the taste1 the savor1 the feel of things--whether it be in the material world1 or the esthetic world1 or the spiritual world--is a part of life in which the intellect is forever condemned to remain an outsider4 ,it may be very much interested in what is going on1 it may reason with the causes and effects and characteristics of what it sees2 it may make suggestions to the will-power and argue against the impulses which are prompted by the feelings2 but it cannot prevent the feelings1 or the impulses1 from being there and having their say4 ,the life and say of the feelings mean much to the welfare of each individual4 ,let us suppose that the circumstances of my life were such that ,i could truthfully express myself as follows3 ,i feel well and strong2 ,i feel that ,i love my wife devotedly and my wife returns that love2 ,i feel immense affection for my children2 ,i feel ,i would make any and every sacrifice to protect them and my wife from harm2 ,i feel very hopeful about the future1 both for my family and myself2 ,i feel ,i have done my best1 in accordance with my ability2 ,i have a feeling of loyalty to my friends and a feeling of honor in my dealings with my fellow men2 ,i feel content with my lot1 in particular1 and the way of the world1 in general2 and whether my life was evolved from a monkey and a protoplasm1 or came into being as a divine and perfect conception1 ,i feel an abiding faith in an all-wise but mysterious purpose for everything4 ,there are no material considerations1 or calculations of self-interest1 or reasoning processes1 in this kind of summary4 ,it is made up exclusively of fundamental and spontaneous feelings which are in existence1 to a greater or less extent1 among all sorts and manners of individuals1 in any known stage of civilization4 ,a peasant living in a hut1 in a vineyard in ,sicily1 is just as capable of having them1 as a millionaire living in a city palace1 or a scientist presiding over an academy of learning4 ,a native ,patagonian1 or a ,swede1 or a ,chinaman1 may be just as susceptible to them as a ,french artist1 or an ,american steel king4 ,as they come from the inner nature1 and as all men have an inner nature1 it is possible for them to be experienced by all men4 ,there are1 of course1 countless other beautiful and inspired feelings that may come to life in the inner nature of an individual1 but the few simple ones which we have suggested are sufficient for an illustration4 ,now let us imagine1 for a moment1 another illustration4 ,let us imagine that a modern intellect1 scientifically trained and enlightened1 undertook to investigate1 analyze1 dissect1 in a methodical and accurate way1 the facts which gave rise to my feelings1 or are implied by them1 in an effort to determine the reason and reasonableness of such interesting phenomena4 ,i feel well and strong4 ,but1 says he1 that does not necessarily prove that you are well or strong4 ,it may be merely an assumption founded on ignorance of scientific facts4 ,the proper way to determine how well and strong ,i am is to have my health and strength tested and rated in an expert way4 ,according to the report of such an expert1 my state of health is only #fc per cent normal and my strength is less than #ej per cent of standard for my weight and age4 ,strictly speaking1 ,i am neither well nor strong1 and my feeling in that respect may be dismissed as unwarranted by the facts and consequently unreasonable4 ,i feel that ,i love my wife devotedly and that my wife returns that love4 ,but1 says the intellect1 those are only words4 ,as a matter of fact1 how severe and accurate a test have either of those devotions been submitted to8 ,have you ever been thrown into contact1 alone and undisturbed1 with a woman who is more beautiful and more appealing than your wife--who yearns for you and invites you with abandoned intensity8 ,has your wife's devotion been subjected to a corresponding test8 ,until that has been done1 it is only reasonable to assume that there may be a good deal of exaggeration and self-delusion in the conclusions which you have arrived at4 ,as there are certain prejudices and difficulties in the way of having these tests made1 and as neither you nor your wife appear willing for the other to try them1 any satisfactory estimate of your reciprocal devotions must remain in abeyance4 ,our statistics show1 however1 that in #hg per cent4 of the cases where a mutual and unalterable devotion is supposed to exist1 the determining factor on one side or the other1 is the accidental absence of a sufficiently appealing opportunity4 ,the evidence of the divorce courts offers a valuable source of information on this phase of the subject4 ,purely as a matter of averages1 the conjecture may be hazarded that your assumption in this regard1 as in the other1 may be founded on a misconception4 ,in the same way1 the intellect may introduce reasons and deductions in criticism of my hopes for my children1 and the fallacies which may have crept into my theories of loyalty and honor and aspiration4 ,finally1 he might say3 ,permit me to observe that you made a curious and somewhat amazing statement1 just now1 in reference to faith and an all-wise purpose4 ,is it possible that you are still under the influence of an out-grown mediaeval superstition8 ,the only reasonable assumption with regard to man's place in the universe has been quite clearly and scientifically established by the modern theory of evolution4 ,it appears from that1 that you and ,i are descended from an ape1 which in turn is a second-cousin-once-removed1 so to speak1 of the bat1 the spider1 and the shark4 ,we are all animals together1 slowly passing through different phases of evolution1 and man owes his existence entirely to the accidental results of natural selection and survival of the fittest4 ,man's tribe happens to be more numerous than that of the elephant1 or the whale1 which are larger animals2 but less numerous than that of the ant1 which is almost his equal in intelligence and decidedly more industrious1 though it is so much smaller than man4 ,millions of ants come into existence and go out of existence1 every day1 without making any appreciable difference in the gradual processes of evolution4 ,the same thing may be said of man--or bats and whales4 ,surely it is high time that a well-educated person of the twentieth century should consider such things from a reasonable1 scientific point-of-view4 ,when he has finished with this1 if ,i am still in a receptive mood1 he may condescend to explain to me that self-interest and enlightened reason supply the true and underlying motives for all conduct2 and that this is the only conception of life which is susceptible of intelligent explanation4 ,as a matter of fact1 although this illustration is entirely fanciful1 ,i was given a book to read1 the other day1 a modern book on morals1 in which this was the gist of the argument throughout--enlightened self-interest1 or selfishness1 as the only sound and sufficient motive for everything we do4 ,the friend who gave it to me had accepted it as scientific and authoritative and was thoroughly in accord with its conclusions4 ,i may add that this particular friend1 as far as ,i have been able to observe1 is the quintessence of selfishness4 ,my purpose1 in imagining these illustrations1 was to render obvious and palpable the limitations of the intellect1 when it attempts to translate feelings into terms of reason1 or when it attempts to substitute scientific calculations for spontaneous emotions4 ,the essence of one is feeling2 the essence of the other is logic2 and the idea of replacing the former by the latter is about as incongruous as an attempt to paint the perfume of a violet with an adding machine4 ,in the heart and soul and even in the esthetic nature of every individual is that mysterious element1 which goes back to the beginning of creation4 ,in many of the finest and most important acts of man1 it may supply either the determining cause1 or the principal effect4 ,it cannot be explained in terms of material self-interest1 or enlightened reason1 because its essence is neither material nor reasonable4 ,it has in it a touch of the ideal and divine1 which was implanted in man1 or has evolved in man1 in accordance with the all-wise intention4 ,when we have succeeded in arriving at a clear realization of this fundamental truth1 and imagine we have put man's intellect back in the place where it properly belongs1 we must pause a moment to make equally clear that we must not under-estimate the wonder and importance of that same intellect1 in the life of every individual and the life of mankind in general4 ,in this age of science1 the attention and interest of the universe have been largely focussed on the marvellous achievements of the human intellect4 ,discoveries1 inventions1 advanced methods and great strides of progress in countless directions are the boast and pride of modern times4 ,there is no disputing this1 nor is there any doubt but that a great wave of scientific accomplishment1 which was somewhat slow in developing1 has1 within the last two generations1 suddenly assumed the most stupendous and bewildering proportions4 ,the railroad and the automobile2 the telephone and electric light2 the airplane1 phonograph1 moving picture2 anti-septic surgery and the germ theory of disease2 the dreadnought1 the submarine and wireless telegraphy2--these are but a few striking examples of the hundreds and thousands of achievements which the intellect has been able to accomplish in a comparatively short space of time4 ,no wonder that we hear and read on all sides such constant and confident reference to the advancement of science1 the progress of humanity1 and the bewildering resourcefulness of man's brain4 ,all those achievements are objective and impersonal2 they concern the comforts and welfare1 of each and every one of us1 to a greater or less extent1 but in a purely material and general way4 ,when we turn to the personal life of the individual and consider his acts and motives1 subjectively1 we find that the rle played by the intellect is almost equally important4 ,as we have seen in our previous discussions1 the intellect has a say in nearly everything we do or think of doing4 ,it enquires into the cause1 and considers the effect1 and passes judgment1 for or against1 in accordance with the dictates of its reason4 ,if a certain instinct within us1 which may be purely animal1 has a need for food or water1 the intellect recognizes and approves the need2 but if the food and water set before us is poisonous or unfit1 it is the intellect which determines that and overrules the instinct4 ,if another instinct1 or impulse1 prompts us to set fire to a house1 or jump out of a window1 the intellect decides that such an act would be unreasonable and forbids us to do so4 ,it frequently happens that two or more of our instincts1 inclinations1 desires1 are opposed to each other4 ,i want to eat my apple now2 ,i want to keep it to eat at the ball-game2 and ,i want to trade it for ,tim's lignum-vit top4 ,in such a case1 it is the intellect which considers the advantages and disadvantages of each and announces its decision4 ,if it is a healthy intellect1 in good control1 it will enforce its decision1 too2 but even if it isn't1 and an unruly impulse proves too strong to be denied1 that won't prevent the intellect from pointing out the mistake that is being made and keeping it in memory for future reference4 ,it is not necessary to go over all this ground again4 ,we have already examined it with sufficient care in connection with the first answer which we gave to the up-to-date youth who wanted to know why he shouldn't follow his every inclination4 ,the various examples which we cited to illustrate the significance of reason and experience are enough to establish the point we are now making4 ,as far as the material things of this world are concerned1 and the material needs of the individual1 the intellect is generally and properly acknowledged as the sovereign master4 ,the rule of reason in private life2 and the rule of science in civilization have become more and more the accepted standards of the world in which we live4 ,if an instinct or a desire is unreasonable1 it should not be allowed to prevail2 if a tradition or a convention of the past is unscientific1 it should be discarded and ridiculed as something out-of-date4 ,that is the conclusion which advanced intellects have reached through scientific methods of enlightenment2 it is the message they have been communicating1 the example which they have been setting1 until the wide-spread results are becoming increasingly apparent among all classes and in nearly all places1 where modern science and civilization have penetrated4 ,it ought not to be very difficult for any one to recognize and understand why the methods of science and the rule of reason occupy such a dominant place in public estimation as they undoubtedly do to-day4 ,the only natural question is why they have not always1 in by-gone generations1 occupied just as high a place4 ,the answer to this question is very simple1 though some people's attention may not have been called to it4 ,the scientific method of investigation1 as we know it to-day1 is a comparatively recent product of the human intellect4 ,there was no science of any such kind when ,homer wrote the ,iliad1 or when the ,christian religion was founded1 or when ,leonardo da ,vinci painted the ,mona ,lisa and ,shakespeare wrote his masterpieces4 ,even at the time our great ,american republic was put into operation1 modern science was still in its swaddling clothes4 ,it is only in the last two generations that it may be said to have reached its true form and begun turning out in rapid succession the multitude of discoveries and inventions which have had such an immense effect in the daily life of civilization4 ,it also takes a certain amount of time for great changes to permeate1 and become absorbed by masses of people1 so that it should not seem strange if many of the indirect results have only begun to be noticeable within the past few years4 ,and now if we look about and pause to reflect on these triumphs of modern science1 as they affect the life and ideas and feelings of the average individual1 a very curious and somewhat startling question is liable to suggest itself4 ,is it possible that right here may be the main and underlying cause of the so-called demoralization of the present generation8 ,is it possible that the impossible notions and the equally impossible conduct of the up-to-date young people which grandmother finds so shocking are traceable to this source8 ,is it possible that faith1 honor1 loyalty and other ideals and aspirations of man's better nature1 are being neglected and corrupted by the methods of modern science and the rule of reason8 ,the very idea of such a possibility1 when it first dawned upon me1 seemed like such a palpable absurdity that ,i put it aside1 yet as ,i followed the other trains of thought which have been under discussion1 this idea kept recurring with greater and greater persistency4 ,if it happened to be true1 the lesson to be derived from it might prove so important and helpful to struggling humanity1 that it appears to me1 now1 entitled to careful consideration4 ,let us begin with a general commentary and ask ourselves--,how comes it1 while scientific methods have achieved such amazing results in the material world1 they have not succeeded equally well in improving the inner nature of man8 ,how comes it that science1 with all its investigations and accurately reasoned conclusions1 cannot show the individuals of the present day how to make better paintings than ,raphael or ,titian8 ,or better statues than ,michael ,angelo8 ,or better music than ,chopin or ,wagner8 ,or better literature than ,moliere or ,shakespeare8 ,it can show him how to make a hundred times better ship1 or factory1 or surgical operation2 but when it comes to this other kind of thing1 it appears to have made no improvement at all4 ,those artists we have named and hundreds of others in past centuries1 who made immortal masterpieces1 had no intellects enlightened by modern science1 nor any of the benefits of modern education and progress4 ,if we may judge at all by results 7which is the modern1 enlightened way71 the only effect of science in teaching people how to get an inspiration and find a beautiful expression for it1 has been a detriment rather than a help4 ,if you take a boy to-day1 who has a natural bent for poetry1 or painting1 how much will you help him by filling his mind with scientific methods and theories1 rules and exceptions1 deductions and compilations1 of the various elements which should logically determine the value of the finished product8 ,by giving his intellect a thorough course in scientific training1 which may occupy his time and absorb his energy for many years1 is it not possible that you will turn out in the end a plodding hack1 instead of the inspired artist who might have been8 ,did anybody ever feel the poetic beauty of a rose with greater intensity for having examined its petals through a microscope1 and learned to classify it scientifically1 both as to species and variety8 ,did anybody ever learn by scientific rules of grammar and classified tables of words1 to speak a foreign language with the ease and charm of a child1 who picks it up from a stupid governess in one-tenth the time8 ,the childlike1 natural way to learn a language is to absorb it into the system1 almost without effort1 until it becomes a part of second nature--in much the same way that we absorb tunes4 ,without the slightest conscious effort1 we are absorbing and retaining countless bars of music1 all through our lives--yet can anybody imagine an enlightened intellect1 undertaking to analyze and classify with scientific method the use of sharps and flats in different kinds of bars1 and attempting to learn them in that form8 ,homer's ,iliad and ,virgil's neid are generally regarded as great masterpieces of literature4 ,they are full of poetic feeling1 imagination1 charm and inspiring sentiments4 ,they are still being read by thousands of boys and girls1 every year1 but they are being read to the accompaniment of grammars1 lexicons1 and the commentary of learned professors1 upon roots1 derivatives and obsolete usages4 ,a vast amount of time and energy is devoted to this undertaking1 which is usually justified on the ground that it affords excellent training for the intellect4 ,but how about the feelings of admiration and enthusiasm which works of such great beauty were intended to inspire8 ,are they exercised to the same extent8 ,or is the tendency rather to trammel and divert them by so much laborious and irrelevant interference8 ,when we turn to the more personal feelings of the individual1 in his intimate relations with other beings1 is not the situation much the same8 ,has scientific thought discovered1 or devised1 any means of increasing the warmth and tenderness of the human heart8 ,has the rule of reason made husbands and wives any more devoted to each other1 or to their friends8 ,it has succeeded in providing a great many people with a telephone and an automobile1 but has it succeeded equally well in providing them with generous feelings of self-denial and consideration for others8 ,or has its tendency1 on the contrary1 been rather to interfere with the spontaneous development of such feelings1 by attempting to replace them by an analysis of human motives in which calculations of self-interest are made the prime factor8 ,but it is only when we come to the spiritual feelings that the really radical effects of science upon man's nature are encountered4 ,and the method of these changes is so eminently reasonable1 as to be almost self-explanatory4 ,first is the question of religion1 which in all countries and at all times has been such an important influence in the conduct of mankind4 ,for the time being1 let us be content to confine our attention to our own country and our own ,christian religion1 and ask ourselves frankly what conclusions the modern methods of scientific investigation and the modern rule of reason might be expected to arrive at in regard to that8 ,what about all the miracles so devoutly recorded in the ,bible8 ,through investigation and reason1 science to-day considers itself in a position to pronounce them totally unscientific2 and the rule of reason concludes that they were presumably founded on the imagination1 credulity and ignorance which prevailed in an unenlightened period4 ,what about the angels with the flaming swords1 and the voices from on high1 the golden thrones of heaven1 the raging fires of hell1 and the childlike account of the world's creation8 ,with the same complacent assurance1 modern science and reason are pleased to brush them aside as concoctions of ignorance and credulity4 ,and so with countless other ideas set down in this same holy book--the motives of jealousy and vanity attributed to the all-wise ,ruler--,his insistence upon formalities in the manner of worship and baptism and christening--,his threats concerning other alleged gods and unbelievers1 who dare to dispute ,his sovereignty4 ,all such ideas1 when subjected to the acid test of scientifically enlightened reason1 are shown in the colors of absurdity and ridicule4 ,the general conclusion arrived at by this kind of investigation is considered by scientific minds entirely logical and inevitable4 ,as this so-called holy book is found to contain so many errors1 inaccuracies1 false statements and absurdities1 the notion1 or claim1 of its being a revelation1 communicated1 or inspired1 from a supernatural source1 is unreasonable and untenable4 ,an all-wise ,creator could not be ignorant1 or inaccurate4 ,this particular book1 like many other similar and rival ones to be found in other parts of the world1 may be scientifically assumed to be no more than a typical and very creditable product of the unenlightened civilization which gave it birth4 ,this tendency and effect of modern science is so direct and obvious that he who runs may read4 ,how far it has already spread and acted upon the great numbers of people who compose our population is not possible to determine4 ,nor is it of any great importance4 ,as we observed before1 it takes considerable time for great changes of this sort to permeate to and become absorbed by the masses4 ,but the evidence is only too plain1 on all sides1 that this operation is now in full swing and gaining ground rapidly4 ,among the up-to-date people of the new generation1 the religious beliefs of a very large proportion have become so confused and unsettled by it1 that they are no longer quite sure in their own hearts whether they have any at all4 ,if you have any doubts about this matter1 or have overlooked it1 a very little enquiry among the people you meet every day1 of all classes and kinds1 will suffice to bring it home to you4 ,of course1 there are still in every community a considerable number of people who cling bravely to the traditions of the past1 who deplore and combat with indignation the up-to-date and demoralizing tendencies2 who still believe in their religion as firmly as ever1 who still regard the ,bible as a divine revelation2 and who still display the same fervid attachment to the various forms and ceremonies of their particular church4 ,there are also probably a few who1 for private reasons1 although they have really ceased to believe1 are still to be found sitting in church pews4 ,but when we consider that modern scientific methods are of comparatively recent origin1 the wonder should be1 not that so many people have resisted their tendencies in the matter of religion and still cling to their beliefs1 but that such great numbers have been affected by them in so short a time4 ,it seems only too plain and palpable that this is the inevitable tendency of modern science1 when brought to bear upon traditional doctrines4 ,it eats them away1 bit by bit1 and step by step1 until there is nothing left but a crumbling residue4 ,but this is only one side of it--the negative side--which applies to what science has been taking down4 ,there is also a positive side1 which applies to what science has undertaken to set up in its place4 ,as we have had occasion to note1 the fundamental feelings of faith and aspiration are not dependent upon any particular form of religion4 ,faith has been found to subsist and flourish under various creeds and all manners of worship1 in all stages of civilization4 ,all that it wants is something to shelter and sustain and encourage it1 in its struggles against the baser instincts4 ,any religion which does this1 by appealing to the imagination and inspiring whole-souled belief1 might be considered satisfactory in any given community4 ,the next question1 therefore1 which we are entitled to ask ourselves is this3 ,after science has succeeded in eating into and breaking down the particular temple in which our fundamental faith had found a refuge1 what fitting substitute has it been able to discover or devise1 in order to meet this universal requirement8 ,the nearest approach to a scientific answer appears to be the theory of evolution1 which informs man that1 instead of being a special and majestic creation of an all-wise ,almighty1 as he had so foolishly and ignorantly imagined1 he can consider himself a remote and more or less accidental1 development of a protoplasm2 and more immediately1 the lineal descendant of the ape1 to whom he still bears a close resemblance1 in a scientific way4 ,as there is nothing about an ape1 or a protoplasm to be accepted as a haven of refuge1 science points to another conclusion4 7,and in quoting science1 here or elsewhere1 let it be borne in mind that ,i make no claim of speaking as a scientific expert1 but am merely attempting to give the general gist and point-of-view as it affects the average intelligence4 ,in such a general way1 this1 then1 is what science says37 ,if you must worship something1 instead of taking a figment of the imagination1 why not pick out something real and established1 about whose insistence there can be no doubt--the most logical and admirable thing on earth--your own self and your scientifically enlightened intellect8 ,if you need a creed of some sort1 to take the place of the antiquated one which science has broken down1 why not accept a pleasing and simple creed which is entirely logical8 ,let your conduct be governed at all times by your own self-interest and the rule of reason4 ,for everything that happens in this world1 there must be a cause2 and for every act of a living thing1 there must be a motive1 either conscious or unconscious4 ,these are universal facts which have been adequately established by scientific research4 ,in the case of an individual man1 the only logical and sufficient motive which can be arrived at in a scientific way1 to explain his conduct1 under any and all circumstances1 is the principle of self-interest1 which he shares1 with all other animals4 ,this may be conscious or unconscious1 more or less enlightened1 or more or less deluded by ignorance and instinct2 but that in no way affects the application of the principle4 ,this is the only practical substitute which science has to offer for the religious structures which it has been slowly1 but surely1 destroying4 ,but as this also is no haven of refuge for the vague feelings of faith and aspiration1 where are they to go8 ,in the process of demolition1 they appear to have been left groping about1 more dead than alive1 under the ruins4 ,with an upheaval of this kind1 spreading in the souls of great numbers of people1 and their fundamental faith groping in confusion1 is there anything strange in the fact that we hear and see constant references to the spirit of unrest1 which has become so prevalent among all classes at the present time8 ,in the relations of capital and labor1 in the political world and the business world2 in the divorce courts and domestic life1 the deportment of women and the bringing up of children2 in various other forms and directions1 both public and private1 no less than in church circles--there has been rapidly accumulating evidence of a mysterious influence of some sort1 with a tendency to confuse and unsettle the standards and conduct of mankind4 ,this state of affairs is not confined to our own country4 ,it appears to be equally evident in ,england1 if we may believe the testimony of those who pretend to know4 ,in confirmation of this1 it may be worth while to give a few quotations from a more or less authoritative and much discussed ,english book which was published recently4 ,in the concluding chapter of his work1 the author refers more particularly to the aristocracy of ,england1 a privileged class of men who in the past have generally been considered a bulwark of traditional and lofty standards4 ,at the present time1 the author says3 ,we are a nation without standards1 kept in health rather by memories which are fading than by examples which are compelling4444 ,we still march to the dying music of great traditions1 but there is no captain of civilization at the head of our ranks4 ,we have indeed almost ceased to be an army marching with confidence towards the enemy1 and have become a mob breaking impatiently loose from the discipline and ideals of our past4 444 ,aristocracy has lost its respect for learning1 it has grown careless of manners1 it has abandoned faith in its duty1 it is conscious of no solemn obligations1 but it still remains for the multitude a true aristocracy1 and looking up at that aristocracy1 for its standards1 the multitude has become materialistic1 throwing ,puritanism to the dogs1 and pushing as heartily forward to the trough as any full-fed glutton in the middle or the upper ranks of life4 444 ,there is no example of modesty1 restraint1 thrift1 duty1 or culture4 ,everything is sensual and ostentatious1 and shamefacedly sensual and ostentatious4 444 ,it is a grievous thing to corrupt the minds of the simple4 ,the poor have always believed in heartiness and cheerfulness4 ,all their proverbs spring out of a keen sense of virtue4 ,all their games are of a manly character4 ,to materialize this glorious people1 to commercialize and mamonize it1 to make it think of economics1 instead of life1 to make it bitter1 discontented and tyrannous1 this is to strike at the very heart of ,england4 ,the author of this book has a very clear idea1 very forcibly expressed1 that the example of the upper classes1 the leading citizens in the community1 exerts a great influence on the others4 ,that is a universal principle which applies1 in greater or less degree1 to all other countries1 including ,america4 ,it furnishes a simple explanation of how comparatively stupid people1 who do very little thinking of any kind1 may be found putting into effect motives and points-of-view which owe their origin to the enlightened reason of a few superior intellects4 ,also it may be observed that while the author appears to recognize and affirm with conviction a general demoralization of standards among the aristocracy1 he does not attempt to suggest any visible cause for it4 ,it may be gathered1 in a way1 that he takes for granted that1 somehow1 it is a consequence of the ,world ,war4 ,this notion1 as we have seen1 is so apt to be fallen back on as a convenient excuse for anything and everything that is now taking place4 ,but to the best of my knowledge and belief1 confirmed by all manner of testimony and information1 the tendencies in ,england which the author refers to1 no less than the similar tendencies in ,america1 were plainly in evidence and rapidly gathering momentum before the beginning of war4 ,for tendencies which appear to be world-wide1 it is fair to assume that there must be some cause1 or causes1 which are world-wide also4 ,the spread of modern science complies with that4 ,our ,english author refers to the declining influence and lack of vitality of the ,english church1 without hazarding an opinion as to the cause4 ,the idea which we have gotten hold of affords a clue to that part of it1 at least4 ,if it is also a clue to all the rest1 as ,i suggest it may be1 then1 by following its lead in different directions1 we ought to unearth lucid explanations for the various phenomena which are disturbing and perplexing so many people4 ,let us go on a little further and see just what we do find4 ,let us imagine1 for a moment1 that ,i am a workman1 a mechanic1 of the average intelligence to be found among the great run of so-called common people4 ,i have heard enough about modern science to be lost in wonder of it and ,i received a good modern education at the high school4 ,i gave up going to church because it didn't appeal to me--a lot of the ,bible preaching seemed out-of-date1 unreasonable and unpractical4 ,i've heard a little about this theory of evolution--man descended from an ape--and as modern science is said to have proved it1 ,i guess it must be so4 ,the main thing that concerns me is that ,i'm here1 on the job1 with a living to make4 ,there are a lot of other men around me1 about the same as ,i am4 ,we're reasonable and practical and believe in getting all we can1 honestly4 ,we think we're about as good as anybody else and we believe in the rule of the majority4 ,when ,i look about at the people born luckier than ,i am1 with more of the world's goods1 ,i can't see that they're any different from the rest of us4 ,they're trying to get all they can1 too1 only they've managed to get a blame sight more than the rest of us4 ,take my boss1 for instance4 ,is there any reason for him to be living in a big house with eight servants1 and riding around in a limousine car1 when all ,i can afford is a flivver8 ,does he work any harder than ,i do8 ,is he any better man8 or any smarter8 ,i haven't seen any proof of it4 ,but just because he happened to have a rich father before him1 he's allowed to get the lion's share of all we make4 ,is that reasonable8 ,we all want the good things of life1 as much as he does1 and if we're in the majority1 why shouldn't we have our share8 ,he didn't make the capital that's in this business1 and he didn't have anything to do with making his rich father2 and the money his father made1 when you come down to it1 was squeezed from men like us4 ,if the world is supposed to be run by reason1 and reason says the majority ought to rule1 why shouldn't each one of us have an equal share with him8 ,i'm thinking of myself1 of course1 the same as everybody else--first1 last and all the time--and in that way ,i'd be a lot better off1 but that doesn't prevent what ,i want from being reasonable4 ,without saying it1 in so many words1 is it not plain that ,i am merely following in a way that an ordinary mind might understand1 the creed which science has recommended as the underlying motive for all conduct--self-interest and the rule of reason4 ,doubtless a very highly developed scientific intellect might declare that my reason is not sufficiently enlightened2 but it has received a high school education1 and looked about at what other people are doing1 and formed the scientific habit of sticking to the facts4 ,isn't that about as much as ,enlightened ,reason could expect of me8 99 99 99 99 99 ,now if you happen to be another type of workman1 less affected by the modern scientific conclusions concerning life1 you might reply as follows3 ,i feel very contented and humbly grateful to the ,lord for all the benefits he has given us4 ,i am well and strong1 ,i have a better home1 and better wages1 and squarer treatment than workmen ever received in any country in the world4 ,i can make enough to provide modestly and comfortably for my wife and children1 which after all is the main thing for my happiness4 ,it is not for me to pass judgment on the life of our employer1 or his inheritance1 or the life of his father before him1 or the great scheme of human existence which is behind and beyond it all4 ,it is enough for me to accept such things1 as the wish of an all-wise ,creator4 ,of these two opposing points of view1 which appears to be the one that has been spreading and gaining in the world to-day--in ,america and ,england1 ,italy1 ,france1 ,spain and other countries8 ,which one is dependent upon the fundamental feelings of faith and aspiration1 which have always found shelter in a religion of some sort--and which one may be traced1 almost directly1 to a crude interpretation of the progress and dictates of modern science8 ,and let it be noted that in this field1 also1 before the world war began1 this movement of self-interest and reason was already in evidence and well on its way4 ,if we examine the ,labor ,union and the ,closed ,shop1 and ,strikes and ,socialism and ,bolshevism1 and all those other kindred isms1 we can see1 readily enough1 that the under side of them all is tarred with the same brush--self-interest1 selfishness1 greed1 individual and collective1 and reason1 argument1 excuse1 more or less distorted and perverted1 but more or less enlightened by the principles of modern ,science1 as they appear to the average intellect4 ,the fundamental and innate spiritual feelings of man's better nature have been so covered over by the energy of this brush that1 for the most part1 they are only rarely and intermittently discernible4 ,suppose we now follow our clue in another direction--into the home and family and private life of the average up-to-date woman4 ,and it is permitted us to imagine1 if we choose1 that ,i am such a woman1 while you are my well-meaning1 but rather out-of-date1 husband4 ,i have received my education at a typical school of the present day1 organized on thoroughly modern and scientific principles4 ,in my studies and my general instruction1 ,i have learned to consider everything from a strictly rational point-of-view--hygiene1 psychology1 economics1 the equal rights of the individual1 the expediency of the laws1 the need of judges to interpret them and of police to enforce them--and a variety of other school subjects which are regarded as an excellent training for the intellect4 ,among other things which ,i learned very quickly1 both outside and inside of school1 is that most pompous and impressive preachers don't practise what they preach4 ,it's so unpractical and unreasonable that it appears to be a sort of pretence and convention for the benefit of the young and gullible4 ,i find it more sensible to be guided by what other intelligent people around you are actually doing and learn in that way what they really think4 ,this is the era of woman's emancipation and the most intellectual and leading women of to-day believe that woman is the equal of man2 and has as much right as he to the privileges and freedom of action1 in every direction1 which he was able so long and so unfairly to reserve for himself4 ,as other women think that way about it and it's much more satisfactory to me1 ,i thoroughly agree with them4 ,marriage is an agreement between equals1 a partnership for mutual convenience and happiness1 and exactly the same obligations apply to one1 as the other4 ,if men find pleasure in smoking and drinking and gambling and flirting with pretty women1 why shouldn't ,i smoke and drink and gamble and flirt with attractive men8 ,if other women paint their faces1 or dye their hair1 or wear short skirts to show their silk stockings1 or low-necked and low-backed gowns1 to make themselves more attractive1 why shouldn't ,i8 ,in regard to my children1 ,i love them1 of course1 and ,i believe in bringing them up in accordance with modern1 enlightened ideas4 ,first of all1 ,i want their love and affection--the pleasure of having them run to me and throw their arms about me1 when ,i come into the room4 ,if ,i scold them and spank them and keep interfering with their natural instincts1 ,i might end up by making them afraid of me--as they are of their father4 ,i don't want that4 ,i much prefer to pet them and spoil them and find excuses for them4 ,i have so many interests and engagements of my own to attend to1--social1 civic1 musical1 charitable--that ,i haven't much time or nerves left1 to devote to my children4 ,an up-to-date emancipated woman could hardly be expected to subject herself to that kind of hum-drum strain1 in any case4 ,my nervous system is very highly organized and their restless activity makes me irritable4 ,i couldn't stand very much of it--even if ,i didn't have my own affairs to occupy most of my time4 ,i always try to make it a point1 however1 to see them and kiss them and have them throw their arms about me1 before going to bed4 ,i get the best nurse ,i can for them--the present one is a ,swede1 the last one1 ,irish--but they seem to be such stupid1 cranky things6 ,however1 one thing ,i insist upon--they are not to slap the children1 and are to let them have their own way1 as far as possible4 ,and ,i make it equally plain to the children that if they have any grievance1 they needn't mind about their father--all they have to do is come to me1 and throw their arms about my neck1 and ,i will do the best to straighten it out for them4 ,that does a great deal to help me keep their affection4 ,if ,i get tired of my husband and cease to love him 7or find some other man whom ,i love more71 or if my husband neglects and humiliates me and ,i find him involved in an affair with another woman2 or for any other reason which seems sufficient to me2 ,i consider it only proper that ,i should have the right to go to a divorce court and dissolve the partnership4 ,as it is an arrangement between equals1 for mutual convenience and happiness1 when it ceases to be convenient or agreeable to me1 it is perfectly reasonable that ,i should withdraw4 ,that is to my self-interest guided by reason4 ,thousands upon thousands of other women are doing it1 and no up-to-date enlightened person thinks any the worse of them--so why shouldn't ,i8 ,you1 my well meaning1 but out-of-date husband1 may be imagined as replying to this briefly as follows3 ,what has become of all the deep and beautiful feelings of faith and devotion and self-sacrifice1 which throughout the ages have given a heavenly significance to the ideal of motherhood and wife-hood8 ,woman was not made in the same mold as man and such was evidently not the intention of the all-wise ,creator4 ,but in man's imagination and in his better nature1 the essence of woman's purpose and greatness has appeared to consist in being a sort of guardian angel of the home and family4 ,her crown was made of purity1 chastity1 modesty1 infinite tenderness and patience and underlying fidelity to her sacred cause4 ,it is to her in this capacity1 with such a crown upon her head1 that the noblest of men have been willing to bow down1 in humbleness and submission1 not as to an equal1 or a rival in worldly prowess1 but as to a superior and more exquisite soul4 ,that is the birthright of woman1 the glory of her creation1 yet between your petty motives of self-interest and the up-to-date enlightenment of your intellect1 you are trying to argue it off the face of the earth4 ,you have exchanged a spiritual ideal of womanhood for a material mess of pottage4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there have been plenty of vain and selfish women1 in the past1 just as there have been profligate women and immoral men2 but in the communities of the past1 where faith and aspiration were wont to flourish and be sustained and encouraged by religion1 such selfishness was not to be avowed or imitated4 ,in the light of finer and more spiritual feelings1 it appeared as a deficiency and corruption of character4 ,but in the up-to-date rule of reason1 backed by the analysis and conclusions of science1 there is no need to conceal it1 or excuse it4 ,it is the strong minds1 not the weak ones1 which set the example2 the enlightened1 scientific1 matter-of-fact intellects1 which proclaim the principle and encourage the timid and less advanced to follow in their wake4 ,as regards the training of children1 up-to-date considerations of self-interest on the part of the parents1 mixed in with instinctive love1 as ,i have suggested by my illustration1 would naturally result in giving them an early start on the broad highway of calculating selfishness4 ,all the imposing school houses which dot the length and breadth of our land--public-schools1 private-schools1 boarding-schools--are constructed and administered in accordance with modern principles4 ,in them no effort is spared to educate and enlighten the youthful intellect4 ,it is trained in scientific information1 and scientific methods1 and scientific habits of thought4 ,rewards of one kind or another--diplomas1 marks1 privileges1 prizes--are designed to operate as a stimulant for intellectual endeavor and excellence4 ,also considerable effort is expended1 to care for health and develop the body1 in accordance with scientific principles4 ,in the gymnasium and on the athletic field1 prizes are given to stimulate excellence in this branch of endeavor4 ,but where1 in all these institutions1 are scientific professors devoting an equal amount of energy to the care and development of the feelings and sentiments of the spiritual nature8 ,where are the teachers of modesty and self-denial8 ,of cheerfulness and sympathy and consideration for others8 ,of sincerity1 honor1 fidelity1--conscience1 aspiration1 and faith in a mysterious1 all-wise destiny8 ,where are the prizes and marks to stimulate endeavor in these8 ,what eloquent and inspiring assurance does this science give to the youthful soul that its delicate feelings are of more importance in the life of man than any excellence of the body1 or the intellect8 ,a simple1 old-fashioned mother1 who loved her children with her whole soul1 might go a long way toward supplying this need4 ,with no thought of self-interest1 but with a feeling of deepest devotion to them and their welfare1 she was usually more than willing1 to do all that seemed best for their spiritual growth1 with the help of ,god4 ,in this inspired cause1 she had no thought of sparing herself1 or them1 from self-denial or self-sacrifice4 ,such an undertaking on the part of motherhood has generally been regarded as a beautiful thing1 the most beautiful and sublime on earth--perhaps for the very reason that it calls for so much self-denial and is so completely devoid of selfishness4 ,but an up-to-date mother1 reasonably persuaded that she is the equal and rival of her husband in worldly pursuits1 could hardly be expected to handicap herself in any such way4 ,in accordance with the principle of self-interest and the rule of reason1 she can make a much more convenient and agreeable arrangement4 ,the money which her husband provides can be used to hire nurses and governesses1 who will take the children off her hands2 and at an early age they can be sent away to a first-class school and so relieve her of all bother and responsibility4 ,after that1 comes college and then1 of course1 the rest is their affair4 ,while they are little1 she can kiss them good-night and feel their little arms about her neck and dote on their tender affection2 and later1 when they come back from school for their vacations1 she can make a great fuss about them and let everybody admire the fond and foolish demonstrations of a mother's love4 ,with due regard for the variations and differences of degree which occur in specific cases1 does this not represent1 both with regard to up-to-date women and the training of up-to-date children1 the general underlying tendency which is causing so much comment8 ,it can hardly by any stretch of the imagination1 be attributed to the world war1 especially as it was already in evidence before the war4 ,but1 as we have tried to make plain1 it can be traced very simply and almost directly to the influences and effects of the modern scientific movement1 and the matter-of-fact habit of mind engendered by it1 which accepts as a logical conclusion1 the principle of self-interest and the rule of reason4 ,if we continue to follow our clue in other directions1 wherever the up-to-date principles1 or lack of principle1 have been causing comment1 disturbing traditions1 or appearing as a spirit of unrest1 we find them susceptible of the same general observations and the same general explanation4 ,a distinctly modern idea1 that the nations of the world1 as well as the individuals1 should forever remain at peace2 and that all differences between them should be settled by arbitration1 is a typical product of the modern and scientific intellect4 ,it has been much talked of lately and widely endorsed by logical persons4 ,it is perfectly in accord with the principle of self-interest and the rule of reason4 ,there is no rational justification for the immense loss of life1 suffering1 destruction and devastation caused by war4 ,the only trouble about the principle is that1 as it deals with human beings1 there is with this1 as with other questions of conduct1 that same unknown factor--the spiritual side of man's nature4 ,one of the most fundamental feelings of manhood--true for a nation1 as it is for an individual--is that it is right1 sublimely and everlastingly right1 for a man to fight for his wife and children1 to fight for his home and native land1 to fight for honor and to fight for right1 as his conscience points to it4 ,it was in obedience to such a feeling that countless devout ,christians1 in the ,middle ,ages1 fought and killed to uphold their religion4 ,their consciences did not reprove them1 it inspired them--notwithstanding the curious fact that one of the doctrines of their ,bible was to resist not evil and to turn the other cheek4 ,but the fundamental feelings within them1 of right and wrong1 of faith and aspiration1 were stronger than a creed4 ,the same thing was true of one of the wisest and most spiritual men who ever lived--,abraham ,lincoln4 ,in his conscience1 he felt it was right for slaves to be freed and for the integrity of our nation to be preserved1 no matter how great the cost of life and suffering and devastation4 ,the decisions of a board of arbitration1 of cold intellects1 basing their decisions on reasons of expediency1 or abstract and scientific principles of a worldly kind1 could not satisfy such feelings1 or be permitted to override them4 ,lincoln would not1 and could not1 have felt justified in abandoning his cause to the opinion of ,european intellects1 any more than the militant ,christians could have their faith regulated by the decisions of ,chinese and ,persians4 ,it is in recognition of this principle1 that up to the present time questions which may affect the honor of a nation have not been considered a fit subject for arbitration4 ,as long as faith and aspiration and their kindred feelings are in the ascendant1 conscience will tell the individual1 as it will tell the nation1 that certain things cannot and must not be abandoned1 even at the cost of life4 ,if through the influence of the rule of reason1 such a conception may be overlooked by the enlightened intellects of ,w4,j4 ,bryan and ,woodrow ,wilson1 and a host of other well-educated people1 that fact in itself may be regarded as an additional symptom of the extent to which modern scientific training has spread confusion in the sentiments of the present generation4 ,countless people are to be met with every day whose strongest inner feelings are not strong enough to revolt at the thought of being passed upon1 or decided against1 by the matter-of-fact arbitration of reason4 ,i could not love thee1 dear1 so well ,loved ,i not honor more4 ,the meaning of those inspired words1 to the average up-to-date mind1 is so lacking in common-sense and self-interest1 as to appear simple silliness4 ,the other day1 ,i was talking to a friend about the bringing up of our boys and1 in the course of our conversation1 he expressed a sentiment which struck me as profoundly significant4 ,he said3 ,i would rather have my boy be something fine1 even if he got nowhere by it1 than to see him receive recognition and reward for doing something not so fine--and ,i would rather have my boy feel that way about it1 too4 ,by way of illustration1 if a bully were kicking a little tot1 my friend would rather have his boy fight the bully and get licked and rolled in the dust1 than to see his boy win first prize and much applause1 for out-boxing a boy smaller than himself4 ,of course that is quite contrary to up-to-date principles and scientific enlightenment4 ,there is no course in any of the high schools which teaches that sentiment1 and the whole tendency of scientific training is to judge things by their tangible results4 ,moreover1 the rule of reason would decide that your boy is not justified in resorting to a fight1 under any circumstances4 ,he might get hurt1 or hurt somebody else4 ,the propriety and right of the bully to do his kicking1 should be settled by arbitration4 ,an impartial investigation might determine that the little tot had done something to irritate the bully to such an extent that his display of anger and brutality was but a natural reaction4 ,again and again1 we arrive at the same underlying observation and explanation4 ,the intellect1 scientifically enlightened1 would argue away and take the place of innate1 inspired feelings1 whose faith has been correspondingly impaired and shaken by the breaking down of religious shelter and sustenance4 ,the relative passing away of honor in the business affairs of man1 and its replacement by technical and hair-splitting calculations of legality1 which pass for honesty2 the system of graft and pull and private benefit1 which appears to have permeated and fastened itself upon most of the political machines in most of the cities of our land2 the personal immorality1 or unmorality1 and practical cynicism1 which are so much in evidence1 even among the best educated and most enlightened--especially among the best educated and most enlightened--in public and in private1 in their own homes and in their neighbors' homes1 as well as in the divorce courts2 the conduct of the up-to-date young men1 turned out by our most progressive schools--those of the leading families1 no less than those in humbler walks of life--their increasing readiness to treat every pretty girl they meet as a proper field of endeavor and a possible instrument of pleasure2 and the corresponding attitude among thoroughly educated and up-to-date girls1 in accepting and welcoming such treatment2 all these characteristic symptoms of the modern spirit1 of the so-called unrest1 need not be referred1 in any but a secondary and accessory way1 to the after effects of a war1 which did not begin until their line of progress was already plainly indicated4 ,instead of that1 with all these symptoms in mind1 let us sum up the logical effect upon the average individual of our progressive methods and training4 ,does he not say to himself1 and should he not be expected to say to himself3 ,this is a wonderful age we live in1 with the automobile1 telephone1 moving picture1 victrola1 and all the other inventions4 ,modern science is the greatest thing ever4 ,and one of the biggest things it has done was to puncture a lot of old-fashioned superstitions and conventions1 so that nowadays no sensible person need believe in them4 ,each person can run his own life in his own way1 in accordance with the dictates of his own reason4 ,of course1 there are the laws--but barring prohibition1 which everybody breaks1--there's nothing in the others that a reasonable person need have trouble with4 ,the obvious tendency of this is toward unmorality1 rather than immorality--what is good for self1 in the eyes of self1 without reference to religion1 tradition or convention4 ,the fundamental feelings of faith and aspiration which found protection and expression in those forms have been obscured and disregarded in the confusion of the break-down4 ,also the practical wisdom and accumulated experience of ages1 which were crystallized in them1 has gone by the board in the same way4 ,modern science has scuttled the ships which carried them4 ,the material desires of each individual1 left to the judgment of the individual intellect1 are apt to be treated with a certain amount of indulgence--even when the intellect has received the full benefit of modern scientific enlightenment4 ,unmorality1 lack of restraint1 lack of faith and aspiration1 self-indulgence and pleasure seeking in all its forms--this is the natural and inevitable consequence of the kind of progress which modern science is accomplishing1 in connection with the conduct of the individual4 ,is not this a perfectly plausible explanation for the condition of affairs which the ,english author describes so concisely1 without apparently comprehending8 ,we are a nation without standards1 kept in health rather by memories which are fading than by examples which are compelling4444 ,we have become a mob breaking impatiently loose from the discipline and ideals of our past4444 ,everything is sensual and ostentatious4 ,in our own country1 among people of my class and kind1 ,i may add the testimony of first-hand information1 that a large proportion of them1 at the present time1 have come to regard passing pleasure and acts of immediate self-interest as the chief object and motive of their lives4 ,it is the pleasure of eating and drinking which concerns them and not the needs of hunger or thirst2 the appeal of sex solely as a source of pleasure1 far removed from any thought or aspiration to create new life and care for it2 the pursuit of money for the pleasure of gain1 and the pleasure of out-witting others1 and the gratification of vanities and luxuries1 far removed from essential needs2 meaningless distractions and entertainments1 which tickle the wit and nerves of the material senses1 but by which neither the heart feelings1 nor the soul feelings1 nor even the deeper esthetic feelings1 are stirred or stimulated2 jazz music1 bright colors1 lively movement1 jokes and snappy ideas1 seasoned preferably with spice and sex--this is the state1 apparently1 to which modern methods and the rule of reason have led them4 ,to judge from observation and various information1 which is only too available1 this tendency is steadily increasing2 while1 to judge it by the light of the underlying causes which we have attempted to trace and make plain1 there is logical reason to expect that it will keep on increasing4 ,what1 then1 of the future8 ,is our civilization1 like that of the ,roman ,empire1 destined to decline and decay8 ,if the present condition is indeed an effect of modern science1 either directly or indirectly1 how can it fail to continue8 ,modern science and the enlightened intellect were never in fuller ascendency than they are at the present moment4 ,they are the proudest boast of our time4 ,the very people who are lamenting the demoralization in our standards of living1 are at the same time applauding the triumphant march of science4 ,could they ever be convinced that there is any connection between the two--that the downfall which they deplore was brought about by the rise which they applaud8 ,self-determination1 as a modern principle of enlightened reason1 was established and expounded by no less an authority than the scientifically educated intellect of our distinguished ex-president--in its application to the smaller and weaker peoples of the earth1 as well as to the large and strong4 ,if self-determination is the proper thing for each nation1 should it not be an equally proper thing for each individual8 ,and1 as it is hoped and assumed that in this advanced age each nation will be guided by the rule of reason1 why may the same assumption not be applied to the individual8 ,if all the nations in the world were to follow the lead of ,russia and respond to motives not approved by the intellect of our ex-president1 he might conclude that a large proportion of the world's population was still unreasonable1 without being convinced of the unsoundness of a principle which was1 and would remain1 in his mind the correct answer of enlightened reason4 ,if the rule of the majority1 in any thickly populated community1 was found to result in the election of demagogues and grafters and unscrupulous politicians1 who are clever enough to take advantage of the private selfishness and prejudices and indifference of the individual2 and if you considered it a reasonable and enlightened principle that every citizen should have equal rights and the majority rule1 the unfortunate results might lead you to have a very poor opinion of the majority and resentment for the corrupt politicians1 without convincing you of the unsoundness of the enlightened principle4 ,if the system of compulsory education--of enforced attendance at the high school--of all manner of children from the humbler walks of life were found to result in filling their simple heads with extravagant notions and worldly ambitions for which nature did not intend them1 which breed discontent with the kind of work for which they are suited1 which separate them from their parents and their congenial inheritance1 and impel them in mistaken paths to learn bitterness and revolt--if this were found to be the tendency in a large percentage of cases2 and if your reason considered that all individuals are entitled to equal opportunity1 and that the education of the masses is an enlightened modern principle1 the tangible results1 however unfortunate they might appear1 would not convince you of the unsoundness of the principle4 ,as a matter of fact1 very few people may be convinced of anything which is contrary to their liking1 or in opposition to their preconceived notions4 ,an open mind may be helped to form an opinion1 and people may be confirmed and enlightened by ideas which are congenial to their way of thinking1 but that is as much as may reasonably be expected4 ,this phase of the subject has not been my concern4 ,i am merely trying to find expression for what seems to me the truth1 as ,i feel it and see it4 ,and the truth is1 obviously1 that the aim and effort of modern science has been to build up rather than to tear down4 ,it has been striving1 with all the means at its command1 to discover the true facts and the true principles with regard to all things and to utilize them for the benefit of mankind4 ,it may be its attention has been chiefly occupied with the material things of life1 and the material principles which apply to them1 but modern progress1 in many ways is a splendid thing4 ,as applied to the life of the individual1 it is a splendid thing to improve the health and strength and condition of the human body4 ,and as for the intellect1 anything that science has done or could do to develop it to the highest degree1 must be regarded as a step in the right direction4 ,the body and the mind are essential parts of a human being and1 as we have had occasion to observe1 it is a fundamental aspiration of man to make them always better4 ,if science1 in investigating the true facts of existence1 has been led to conclude that many old-time traditions and beliefs were largely composed of imagination and ignorance1 and the indirect results of such a conclusion have proved unsettling and disconcerting1 should blame be attached to any effort which seeks only the truth8 ,the present condition1 however unfortunate it may appear to us who are experiencing it1 may be no more than a passing phase of development4 ,the dawn of better days and finer standards1 may lie just ahead of us1 and when they come1 it may be found that the enlightenment of the intellect by modern science was a necessary step in preparation for them4 ,i1 for one1 am by no means without hope4 ,upon what grounds that hope is founded remains to be considered carefully4 ,,vii ,,hope ,if we admit1 or assume1 that the ideals and moral standards of our civilization are on the decline--that materialism1 selfishness1 pleasure-seeking and dissipation of various kinds1 are tending to supplant the finer feelings2 and that this movement has been gaining ground rapidly in recent years--the question that naturally arises is3 ,where will it lead to8 ,who1 or what1 is going to stop it8 ,a distinguished gentleman has lately been delivering a lecture in various nearby cities on ,the ,break-down of ,civilization1 and from the brief reports ,i have seen of it1 he is thoroughly convinced that things are going from bad to worse4 ,i quoted a while ago from an ,english author1 whose summing up is to the same effect4 ,newspaper editorials and magazine articles and the private conversation of various people1 are constantly expressing similar views1 and ,i have just come upon the expressed opinion of the eminent writer and thinker1 ,h4,g4 ,wells1 that unless something is done very soon1 civilization is facing the greatest wreckage yet known in world history4 ,as the present demoralization was well under way before the ,world ,war began1 that may be referred to1 at most1 as an accelerating influence1 but not as the underlying cause4 ,it is more intelligent1 and more to the point1 to recognize frankly that among a large and increasing proportion of our people there has been a crumbling away of religious belief4 ,as a result of that1 the fundamental feelings of the soul--faith1 conscience1 aspiration--are being neglected and starved4 ,so much ought to be fairly obvious to any one who is willing to observe and enquire4 ,when we go one step deeper and look for the cause why religious belief has been crumbling down1 there is more room for confusion of ideas and differences of opinion4 ,many people blame the churches and the ministers and the lack of proper training of the children by their parents4 ,others blame the automobile and sports and recreations which are being indulged in on ,sunday1 through the laxity and insufficiency of the law-makers4 ,still others attribute it largely to the pernicious influence of the alien population4 ,finally1 there are some who blame the vain1 selfish spirit of the age1 without bothering their heads to decide where that came from 7except to infer a general relationship to the devil47 ,these opinions are opposed by those who regard the decline of religion as a source of satisfaction4 ,in their eyes1 it is an antiquated1 narrow-minded influence which has been allowed to interfere too long with modern progress4 ,the cause of its decline1 as they see it1 is a perfectly natural one--due to the fact that it has long since out-lived its usefulness1 and in the present stage of civilization1 people are much better off without it4 ,they want ,sunday to be1 not a holy day1 but a holiday1 unhampered by ,blue ,laws or religious cant of any kind4 ,as for the so-called demoralization of the present day1 this latter class are inclined to laugh at the croakers who look at things that way4 ,conventions and styles are always changing and the modern ones are more practical and sensible than the old ones4 ,new ways of doing things have always appeared more or less shocking1 until people got used to them4 ,that is the law of progress4 ,the present age is an age of progress and on the whole the world is more progressive and more enlightened than it has ever been before4 ,these are the two prevailing currents of opinion1 clashing against each other1 losing patience with each other1 and attempting to get the best of each other by means of agitation and organization1 movements and anti-movements1 of one kind and another1 including legislative enactments4 ,it is fairly safe to assume that no effort of the religious sects can stay the march of the modern movement4 ,it is possible to conceive that1 through the forces of reaction1 certain ,blue ,laws may be passed again and that in certain communities the religious observance of ,sunday may be made obligatory4 ,such things1 at most1 would be only of superficial consequence4 ,they cannot stop the spread of scientific enlightenment4 ,and scientific enlightenment cannot be made to believe in tenets which are contrary to facts and conclusions1 as it has been able to demonstrate them4 ,on the other hand1 it seems equally safe to assume that modern science and the rule of reason1 if left to themselves1 cannot be expected to nourish and encourage spiritual feelings4 ,their tendency1 as has been quite plainly indicated1 is in the opposite direction--to leave them out in the cold4 ,another conclusion1 which is beginning to dawn on many people--even those scientifically enlightened--and which is likely to be more and more generally recognized1 is that the life of man without the inspiration of a faith of some sort1 and the other inner feelings which attach to it1 rapidly tends to materialism1 selfishness1 demoralization1 corruption and decay4 ,that1 in brief1 is the situation which confronts us all collectively1 and upon the solution of which the future of our civilization1 to a large extent1 undoubtedly depends4 ,suggestions of one kind or another1 tending toward an alleged solution1 will presumably keep making their appearance at intervals and a perfectly reasonable question is whether a sufficiently inspiring and sufficiently compelling solution will emerge in time to prevent the threatened chaos4 ,for the moment1 let us be content to defer consideration of the possible solutions and turn our attention to the predicament which1 in the meantime1 confronts the average individual4 ,let us suppose that such an individual1 whatever may be the status of his religious belief1 or unbelief1 becomes convinced in his own mind that the selfishness and immorality and lack of sentiment1 which seem to be spreading in all classes1 is a bad thing4 ,suppose he is willing to admit1 after due consideration1 that our diagnosis and explanation of what is taking place is relatively correct4 ,as most minds of the present day have a practical turn1 the thing which interests him most1 the thing he asks at once and really wants to know is what you have to propose as a remedy4 ,how are you going to make people less selfish and more considerate of others8 ,less mercenary and more honorable8 ,less immoral1 or unmoral1 and more virtuous8 ,that is the main thing which counts1 from a practical1 personal point-of-view3 ,how am ,i to benefit by your conclusions and how are you going to make others benefit by them8 ,unless you have something tangible and useful to offer1 your observations1 though curious and instructive1 are not of much account4 ,let us try1 therefore1 to reply1 in this same spirit1 and hazard some suggestions which may prove helpful to those who want help4 ,in the first place1 let us call attention to the fact that after an individual has reached maturity1 and his character and habits are formed1 it is extremely difficult to change them to any great extent4 ,the motives and point-of-view which determine most of his acts have become1 so to speak1 a part of his second nature4 ,this second nature is something of slow growth and development4 ,that is the obvious meaning of the old adage--,as the twig is bent1 the tree's inclined4 ,to change the inclination of a full-grown tree1 requires a great deal of determination4 ,in the case of human character1 it may occasionally be done1 through a great inspiration of the heart1 or the soul4 ,for a deep1 ennobling love1 or a new-born1 exalted faith1 the spirit and will are capable of almost any transformation4 ,but usually good intentions1 whose origin is confined to the reason and which are at variance with an established inclination1 don't persist very long4 ,the natural inference and expectation should be therefore1 that most people of mature years1 however much they might approve of other people's mending their ways1 or even of mending their own1 will be found to limit their effort principally to talk4 ,in the absence of a great inspiration1 the chief influence which keeps acting on them is the example and standards of their associates--the prevailing style and custom4 ,most people are very susceptible to this--women especially4 ,for the sake of being in the fashion--or for the sake of not being considered out-of-date--many a nice woman may be led to do things which her instincts tell her are not nice at all4 ,to a slightly less degree1 the same thing may be said of men4 ,but as the people who set new styles and establish new customs1 in a selfish1 materialistic age1 are not apt to be guided by any great reverence for the finer traditional feelings1 there is little help to be looked for1 from this kind of influence4 ,the immediate tendency is all in the opposite direction4 ,a woman's own reason might tell her that it is more becoming to pencil her eye-brows and paint her lips and face and yet1 if left to herself1 an inherited instinct might keep her from doing so4 ,but as soon as she finds that has become the fashion1 she hesitates no longer4 ,women of innate modesty are to be seen1 exposing their legs and bodies in public1 drinking1 smoking1 gambling and dancing in a sensual manner with sensual men--things which they would revolt at doing1 if it were not for the style4 ,it matters not that the people who set the style were devoid of modesty and prompted solely by material considerations of self-indulgence and immorality4 ,under such conditions1 how can people who are headed in this direction be prevailed upon by any amount of advice1 however well-founded and helpful it might be8 ,they may feel that they would like to see others doing differently1 but until that takes place1 their brains will not give them sufficient inspiration1 or sufficient determination1 to make a lone fight4 ,there may be exceptions1 of course1 and in time these exceptions may become fairly numerous2 but as long as the main issue lies between a return to old-fashioned religious beliefs on the one hand1 and the dictates of enlightened self-interest on the other1 individuals who can have no real enthusiasm for either1 will be left to mark time or drift1 more or less reluctantly1 with the current4 ,this is what may be reasonably expected to happen for some time to come1 unless a great and fateful thing comes to pass1 which will alter the entire course of modern civilization4 ,as this great and fateful thing is purely a matter of conjecture1 and may have no bearing on the conduct of people now living1 we will defer the discussion of it until after we have finished with more immediate and practical considerations4 ,there appears to be one way1 at least1 in which a clear understanding of the moral situation may result in practical benefit4 ,the little children of the present day may still be bent and guided1 their second natures may yet be helped to grow and their characters to form1 in any desired direction4 ,if we feel it is too late to bother over much about trying to change ourselves1 or the people about us1 that feeling does not apply to our children4 ,that is a hopeful and helpful thought1 and thoroughly practical4 ,if all the mothers and fathers of the present generation wanted their children to be better and finer than the demoralized people so much in evidence2 and if they set about it in the right way1 all might yet be well for the future4 ,and as a matter of fact1 nearly all parents do want their children to be better and finer4 ,all that they ask is to be shown the right way and they are ready1 or think they are ready1 to follow it4 ,this is not only a question of good intentions1 prompted by reason1--it also involves1 as we have seen1 the most fundamental feelings of the heart and soul4 ,it is a wonderful and beautiful thing--the depth and strength of this feeling of parental love1 especially the mother's4 ,nothing seems able to kill it1 or corrupt it1 in the vast majority of cases4 ,the exceptions are infinitesimal4 ,even in those communities1 and classes1 and individuals where materialism and self-indulgence have become most pronounced1 it is extremely rare to find a mother who does not love her child2 who does not hope and strive1 in accordance with her lights1 for its welfare2 who is not willing1 if occasion demands1 to make a real sacrifice for its sake4 ,many mothers have not over-much deep feeling of any other kind2 many mothers have little understanding of the problems of life which confront themselves1 let alone those which confront their husbands1 or their children2 very few mothers have more than a confused idea of the influences at work in forming character1 in developing ideals and generous impulses1 on the one hand2 or self-interest1 self-indulgence1 and the rule of reason1 on the other4 ,hardly anything could be of more help to the future of our race than a clear and settled realization on the part of every mother of one simple truth1 which so many of our observations1 in the preceding pages1 have tended to bring out4 ,the body of your child and the brain of your child are beautiful things1 worthy of careful attention2 but they are not nearly so beautiful1 or so deeply significant1 as the heart of your child1 or the soul of your child4 ,a strong and healthy body and a highly educated intellect do not make a fine character2 they may belong1 just as well1 to a mean and selfish man1 or an immoral woman1--a crook1 or a profligate4 ,a warm heart and a sensitive1 dominant soul1 do make a fine character1 and they cannot possibly result in meanness and immorality4 ,those sides of your child's nature are entitled to the most loving care1 the most constant attention1 it is humanely possible to give them4 ,in the average family of to-day1 how much thought1 or time1 is devoted to the observance of this essential principle8 ,how many mothers are consistently striving to watch over every tender requirement of the heart feelings and soul feelings of their children8 ,the bodies are well enough cared for1 as a matter of course4 ,the modern rules of hygiene and the advice of doctors may be relied on for that4 ,the same thing is true as regards the education of the intellect4 ,kindergartens1 primaries1 high schools1 boarding schools1 colleges1--relieve parents of all anxiety on that score4 ,these two sides of a growing life1 the physical and the mental1 are so well taken care of1 more or less impersonally1 by the modern scientific system1 that even if the mother neglects them entirely1 they still receive adequate attention4 ,is this equally true of the heart and the soul1 the development of character1 so vitally important in the life and worth of every human being8 ,if1 in spite of her love for her child1 these considerations are neglected by the mother1 through lack of understanding1 or the demands of her own self-interest1 is the remedy for this neglect also to be found in the modern system8 ,unfortunately not4 ,and right there is the source of a great measure of the present demoralization4 ,if the truth of this could only be brought home to every mother1 would not many a loving mother1 for the sake of her child1 be willing to sacrifice some of her own selfishness8 ,if not1 then indeed there is little hope left for the future of our civilization4 ,but the beauty and wonder and endurance of that ,god-given mother's love1 in all ages and in all climes1 ought to convince us that the only difficulty lies in clearing away from the head of the up-to-date woman the confusion of ideas1 the materialistic theories of sexless intellects1 and the force of pernicious example1 which have been brought to bear on her self-interest1 and obscured1 for the time being1 her intuitive and eternally right understanding4 ,,viii ,,heart ,,and ,,soul ,as the heart of a child naturally begins developing before the soul feelings1 let us talk about that first4 ,and when we speak about the heart1 it is1 of course1 understood that we are not referring to the physical organ which pumps blood1 but to that part of human nature which responds to affection and sympathy4 ,the heart of a child--what a mysterious1 wonderful1 sensitive1 beautiful thing it is6 ,how much it gives and how much it is capable of receiving6 ,and the one thing it wants most--the one it craves and hungers for1 as an essential of its nourishment and growth--is love1 tender1 devoted1 unfailing love4 ,from the earliest babyhood1 straight on to the years of maturity1 and still on1 that is the greatest need of the human heart for its full and happy growth4 ,in early childhood1 where is it to get that tender1 devoted love1 if not from its mother8 ,will it get it from a well-paid nurse or governess1 whether ,swede or ,irish1 ,french or ,english8 ,in the vast majority of cases1 the nurse or governess hasn't it to give4 ,love is something which can't be bought with money4 ,many a governess is a discontented person1 who thinks she is worthy of better things4 ,many a nurse is thick-skinned and bad-tempered4 ,a large proportion of both have much more tender feeling for their wages and their selfish interests1 than they have for the child entrusted to their care4 ,should anything different be expected8 ,it is not their child4 ,in a few months1 or a few years1 it will pass out entirely from their existence4 ,plenty of people can be hired to take care of your child's body and its physical needs--nurses1 governesses1 doctors2 plenty of people can look after the education of its intellect2 nurses1 teachers1 tutors1 professors--but no one can be employed to take your place in feeding it devoted love1 because that love is ,god-given and ,god has not given it to the others1 but has given it to you4 ,the mother who turns over the heart life of her child to the keeping of a paid employee is guilty of a vital neglect4 ,if later on1 it should happen that the child proves lacking in affection1 sympathy1 consideration for others1 and fails to fulfill the mother's fond aspirations1 in that respect1 she has herself to blame1 first of all4 ,if this simple truth could be brought home to every modern mother1 it might prove very helpful to the next generation4 ,it is not difficult to suggest how the affections find nourishment and development4 ,and remember we are not yet considering the moral feelings1 but only the heart4 ,love begets love2 love is largely mutual2 love thrives on the companionship of the loved ones4 ,the tenderness1 sympathy1 devotion of a mother1 very surely and quickly open out the heart feelings of her child and meet with warm response4 ,the more constant the companionship1 the more constant the outpouring of affection on both sides1 the more that side of the child nature grows4 ,and the more it grows1--with mother watching over it1 helping and guiding1 setting the example--the more it has to give to other people and things4 ,it will love a doll1 a kitten1 a puppy dog1 and show them the same sort of tender attention that it receives from mother4 ,it will feel sorry for a poor little bird with a broken wing2 it will feel sorry for father1 when he comes home tired with a headache2 it will put its arms about father's neck and want to kiss the headache away4 ,as it grows older1 it should be allowed to feel1 and made to feel1 that mother's love and father's love will never desert it--that that love may be counted on1 as a mainstay of life1 through thick and thin1 fair weather and foul1 to the very end4 ,this should not be left as a matter of uncertainty1 or wonder1 or doubt4 ,no mother should ever say to a child1 or allow it to imagine1 that if it should be naughty or bad1 or do this1 that or the other1 mother would cease to love it1 or father would cease to love it4 ,such an idea is poisonous to the true feeling and conception of love1 which should be cherished in every child by every mother4 ,mother should take pains to make the child feel1--and she should take pains to make father do so1 too1--that no matter what it does1 their love for it will never weaken or waver4 ,it is not enough to assume that this will be taken for granted--it should be confided to the child1 at opportune moments1 as the most sacred of secrets1 the holiest of promises4 ,and no time is more opportune for the telling of it--no time means more or counts more--than one of those moments when the child has done wrong and is troubled in its conscience1 and feels ashamed and forsaken4 ,that is a splendid occasion1 for a mother's love and a father's love to prove themselves1 by making doubly plain that although they1 too1 may feel ashamed1 the strength and warmth of their love is undiminished4 ,with nourishment and care of this kind the heart nature of a child is almost sure to grow and thrive4 ,its love will feel the influence of the big love it receives and want to respond in kind4 ,in due time1 it may say to itself1 and confide as a holy secret to mother1 that its feeling for her and father will never change1 either1 no matter what happens1 to the end of time4 ,as regards consideration for others1 with the constant help and guidance and example of a devoted mother1 this can be made to grow and thrive1 too1 until it becomes a beautiful and sensitive part of second nature4 ,with such feelings nourished and cherished in this way1 there is ground for hope that one of a parent's sweetest and most fundamental aspirations1 in regard to the off-spring1 will not be disappointed4 ,the heart will be in the right place4 ,now1 on the other hand1 it is only too easy to see what may happen and what does frequently happen1 if this sacred responsibility of a mother is neglected4 ,suppose the child is left1 for the greater part of the time1 day in and day out1 to the companionship and care of a hired substitute1 a nurse or governess8 ,in the first place1 the substitute is very apt to have no love at all1 or what little it has1 may be a very thin and shoddy variety4 ,frequently a nurse is unsympathetic1 irritable1 and selfish4 ,that does not provide either good nourishment1 or good example1 for the tender heart feelings4 ,when a child does wrong1 the nurse scolds it and displays an ill-feeling which is the very contrary of tenderness and affection4 ,that is bad enough1 but it is not half so bad as the fact that this same repellent treatment is very often accorded a child when it has not done wrong at all1 but has merely obeyed some spontaneous and beautiful impulse of its little nature1 which an irritable nurse does not bother to understand4 ,the way that a nurse wishes a child to go is not usually prompted by any loving consideration for the heart feelings of the child1 but a very selfish consideration for the convenience and prejudices of the nurse4 ,i have known many cases where the sensitive feelings of a little boy or girl have been turned to violent dislike by a nurse1 or a governess4 ,for days and weeks and months they have been obliged to live in the constant companionship and under the constant influence of an antipathy which sours and freezes their affections4 ,i have known cases where a nurse1 in order to achieve her own ends and relieve herself of trouble1 has told a child to lie quietly in bed1 when the light goes out1 or a big and horrible bugaboo will creep out of the darkness and spring upon it4 ,in such cases1 the nurse takes good care to keep the child from giving a hint of this to mother or father1 under pain of equally terrifying consequences4 ,i have friends to-day1 grown up men and women1 who cannot go into a dark room1 anywhere1 without a shiver and shudder of nameless dread1 which began with that same black bugaboo4 ,i have known countless cases1 where a nurse has said to a child1 who has done something wrong or annoying3 ,i don't love you any more4 ,i don't like you now at all4 ,and ,i have known countless cases where mothers1 themselves1 have said and acted the same thing4 ,and the effect of that is to belittle and corrupt in the child's heart a bigger and deeper conception of love1 as a loyal and steadfast thing1 with no string attached to it4 ,if a nurse1 or a mother1 can withdraw her love1 for a slight cause1 then a child when it grows up can expect to do the same2 a wife can withdraw her love from her husband1 if he does something to displease her2 a husband from his wife2 a son and a daughter from their parents2 a sister from her brother4 ,how sad that seems1 at first1 and how it hurts6 ,but little by little1 as one sees and learns1 and as the twig is bent--do not many up-to-date young people adapt themselves very comfortably to that belittled conception of love8 ,do not the divorce courts and remarriages and scattered children and the talk and acts of emancipated women give ample evidence of it8 ,how glibly a certain kind of woman talks about sons and daughters lacking affection1 and being so selfish1 and so inconsiderate of others6 ,how many of those women have taken the trouble to consider whether the heart feelings of those sons and daughters were nourished and cherished and guided1 by the devotion of a loving mother8 ,this is a woefully inadequate sketch of one of the most important elements of life1 one of the most vital factors in the formation of human character1 about which volumes might be written4 ,it may be enough1 however1 to suggest reflection and a better understanding on the part of some mothers1 well-intentioned1 but confused by progressive theories1 who are really in need of help4 ,we may now move on to the moral and spiritual feelings4 ,the most casual observer has no difficulty in noting the fact that most children to-day are lacking in discipline1 obedience1 respect1 consideration for others1 and many other qualities1 which have been regarded as essential to a well-bred person4 ,there has been no end of talk about it lately1 as we know4 ,as far as ,i have been able to learn1 there is a fairly general consensus of opinion that this is due to a lack of the proper kind of early training in the home4 ,as often as this question has come up in my presence1 it has always been answered readily and confidently to this same effect1 and the answer has met with unanimous approval of men and women alike4 ,but ,i have never heard one single woman attempt to explain how it is that1 with all the emancipation1 and higher education1 and scientific enlightenment1 which has been placed at her disposal1 modern mothers should fail to give their children a better training than ever1 instead of a worse4 ,is it good for the children8 ,no1 of course not1 they admit4 ,don't modern mothers love their children8 ,how absurd6 ,every mother loves her children--more than a man can understand4 ,then why is it modern children don't receive proper training by their modern mothers8 ,oh1 well1 a good many women1 nowadays1 have so many other things to do1 they haven't the time4 ,are these other things more important than the welfare of their children8 ,not that--nothing could be more important4 ,then1 why--8 ,if anybody gets that far with the average modern woman1 he has done very well4 ,she usually shrugs her shoulders1 tells you not to be silly and parries with some feeling remarks about husbands and fathers4 ,what do they do8 ,and how do they do it8 ,and who's really to blame8 ,if you ask a modern man the same question1 and no women are present1 he may express himself confidentially1 that most women1 nowadays1 are so fed up on civic committees1 or recreation centers--bridge parties or pink teas--uplift movements or school boards--golf1 tennis1 automobiling--that they don't know what's going on in their own homes4 ,they have advanced ideas about everything--principally themselves4 ,when it comes to the children1 their advanced ideas result1 pretty much1 in letting them get along without any home training at all4 ,the women1 when left to themselves1 usually have little trouble in convincing themselves that if men had the proper kind of love for their wives and showed them the consideration and devotion which every feminine heart craves and is entitled to1 there would be no trouble at all about the home4 ,every true woman would be found to respond magnificently4 ,in nearly every case1 the fault begins with the man--in his neglect and selfishness--and then man-fashion1 he turns around and tries to lay it at the door of the woman4 ,and so forth and so on4 ,but again1 no one attempts to suggest1 or explain1 why it is that the modern husband1 who is better educated and more enlightened than husbands ever were before1 should be behaving so badly4 ,it is enough to agree and expatiate on the fact1 without countless examples1 that that is how it is4 ,and the average mother1 to-day1 will be found expressing the fervent hope that her son will not grow up to be as self-centered and neglectful of his wife1 as most husbands are4 ,the effect of such talk1 naturally1 is to becloud the point at issue and confuse the mind4 ,the point is that even in the minds of the women1 the unseemly behavior of young people of both sexes is due to a lack of proper training in childhood4 ,no enlightened woman believes1 or claims1 that two wrongs make a right4 ,she does not believe that a man could1 or should1 take the place of a mother in dealing with children4 ,she does not believe that he should become soft and effeminate1 for the tender training of infants1 but on the contrary1 should be energetic and manly1 for the battle of success4 ,as far as the children are concerned1 she cannot but admit that the immediate responsibility has nowhere else to rest but in her4 ,if she chooses to pass it over to a nurse or governess1 that is her affair4 ,it is for her to engage or discharge the nurse and governess as she sees fit4 ,and it is rare indeed to find a mother anywhere who would think of allowing any interference with what she considers her fundamental right4 ,if she neglects her responsibility1 or fails in it1 and the results are more or less disastrous1 it is a very feminine excuse1 to argue that she has a selfish and inconsiderate husband4 ,the care of the children was her affair1 not his2 both herself and nature agree upon insisting that this should be so4 ,in this connection1 therefore1 it is to the mothers1 principally1 that we should address ourselves4 ,at some other time1 we may1 if we choose1 enter upon a discussion of that complex and much confused question of husband and wife in their relation to each other4 ,under present-day conditions1 curiously enough1 the first thing it seems necessary to ask a mother is this3 ,did you ever stop to reflect upon the tremendous and wonderful importance which may attach to the bringing up of one single child8 ,even if your heart feelings are rather anemic and your soul-feelings have become so muddled and confused by practical considerations that you no longer get any real message or inspiration from those two divine sources1 yet you still have left a modern and enlightened brain4 ,even that is enough to make you almost dizzy at the thought of this thing1 if you will pause long enough to give it careful attention4 ,a modern battleship1 or an airplane1 or an automobile1 is a vastly complicated and efficient piece of machinery4 ,if you1 yourself1 left to your own resources1 had the ability to turn out a complete battleship of the most improved design1 you would doubtless consider that you had achieved something to be immensely proud of4 ,but the greatest battleship on earth is not one-hundredth part as complicated and efficient a piece of machinery as your little son4 ,and one of a dozen different faculties with which your son is equipped--the power of memory1 for instance--is infinitely more intricate and more wonderful than anything and everything about a battleship put together4 ,you might have an ambition to paint a beautiful picture1 or compose beautiful music1 or write beautiful poetry1 or do something else with your life which you deem to be useful or beneficial to your fellow men4 ,but by cherishing such ambitions in your son and transmitting to him all that is best in your own self1 this same result may be obtained for the use and benefit of your fellow men4 ,and in addition to that1 you will have given to the world a wonderful human being1 who may be able to achieve many bigger and better things than you could hope to do4 ,more than that1 your son may be able to transmit the ambitions and feelings which you have given him1 to his children and their children1 until your one achievement in making a splendid son1 may expand and multiply into a wonderful lot of men and women1 each and every one of whom may achieve more useful and beautiful things for the benefit of mankind than you could hope to do4 ,all this may readily come about1 if you apply yourself unsparingly to the unique and glorious task of making your son the right kind of man4 ,this is only one part of the wonder4 ,if you are willing to devote your heart and soul to this one task1 another recompense is in store for you--a multitude of sublime recompenses4 ,each and every fine and beautiful thing your son does1 as long as you live1 will fill you with deeper gladness1 more intense joy1 than anything you yourself could possibly accomplish1 through your own efforts4 ,that is the crowning miracle of a mother's love and every mother who loves her own with all her heart1 knows that it is eternally true4 ,just to look at your son and feel that he is fine and right and worthy of all the love you have lavished on him1 is to taste an exquisite contentment1 to which no other kind of earthly pleasure is comparable4 ,and this same feeling of contentment will be waiting to steal into your heart upon the coming of your son's children--each and every one4 ,your mother's love will find a renewal of its glory in your grandchildren4 ,for they1 too1 have in them the same mysterious spirit of you which you cherished in your son4 ,and so1 as you sit back1 in old age1 in brooding contentment over the young lives1 so full of possibilities1 you may reflect1 in the sweetest way imaginable1 that it is going on indefinitely1 this essence of you and yours1 on and on1 to the end of time1 fulfilling on earth the unfathomed but divine purpose of the all-wise ,creator4 ,people whose interest in life is centered in self-indulgence and material pleasure1 may regard with dread the approach of old age2 but not so a mother1 whose deepest feelings have gone unreservedly to her children4 ,to her it will come smiling1 with the radiance of that most beautiful of all periods--a golden ,indian summer4 ,take it all in all--for the reasons we have suggested and many others--the bringing up and giving to the world of a fine human being1 the endeavor to make that human being as nearly right as possible1 is the most important1 the most profoundly significant undertaking that exists on earth4 ,the all-wise ,creator has entrusted that work1 in a most beautiful and soul-stirring way1 to mother love1 the deepest and strongest feeling of which humanity is capable4 ,if a mere man will devote the greatest part of his energies1 day in and day out1 year in and year out1 to making pictures1 or making stoves1 or making money1 to support the family1--how can a mother be unwilling to devote as much of her energy to this sacred task1 which she knows is of more vital consequence than any material thing8 ,would that some one might be found to carry this message to every mother in the land--some one whose voice is so tender and true and appealing1 that it might find its way straight to the core of their hearts and souls--clearing up the tangle of confused notions which the sexless reason and self-interest of progressive intellects have been making6 ,in the meanwhile1 we must be content to see things as they are and pin our faith to the belief that1 as the baleful effects of the current misunderstanding become more and more apparent1 the mother love1 of its own accord1 will become sufficiently alarmed1 to throw aside its lethargy and seek to make amends by devoting itself more consistently to the welfare of its own4 ,let us assume1 therefore1 that a mother of the present day1 is deeply concerned in the moral and spiritual feelings of her children--that she wants them to have fine sentiments and fine characters--and that she is anxious to do anything within her power to bring this result about4 ,what is she to do8 ,what method is she to follow8 ,in this age of enlightenment1 with all sorts of theories in the air1 how is she to know the proper way of forming a fine character8 ,as a matter of fact1 in many cases1 it is just because her ideas on this subject have become so confused1 that many a modern mother has been led to side-step the responsibility and let things drift along in the easiest way1 after the example of those about her4 ,one of the first questions that is sure to confront her is the question of discipline and obedience4 ,on the one hand1 is the traditional idea of the past--,spare the rod and spoil the child4 ,she is familiar with this and there is nearly always someone near her who advocates it firmly--very possibly her own husband4 ,on the other hand1 she has read and heard and seen a lot which is directly opposed to that4 ,children should not be controlled by fear1 like animals4 ,there is something mean and ugly and revolting in the very idea4 ,it is better to be loved than feared--better for the mother and better for the child4 ,between these two contradictory principles1 even if she has the best intentions in the world1 what is she to do8 ,is it to be wondered at1 if many a modern mother1 in this predicament1 vacillates between the two8 ,she doesn't like to punish the child and most of the time she avoids doing it2 but now and then1 when things have gone too far1 or she is tired and irritable1 she makes up for it by losing her temper and going to extremes4 ,and the effect of this kind of treatment on the forming of a child's character is about as bad as could be4 ,it doesn't produce discipline and it doesn't produce obedience2 and it doesn't lead the way to any moral conception or principle4 ,what it does inculcate in the child spirit very quickly is a feeling that the attitude of mother is largely a matter of mood1 a very uncertain and variable quantity1 which for the time being has to be put up with4 ,and as the child cares more for mother1 presumably1 than anybody else in the world1 it is no more than natural for it to apply this same point-of-view to other people with whom it comes into contact4 ,there may be a certain amount of precocious wisdom in this1 but it does not help the growth of moral feeling4 ,and so it happens1 in many cases1 that at the very start1 the twig is given a bend in the wrong direction4 ,no mother really wants to spoil her child4 ,she may say1 with a loving and enigmatical smile1 that she prefers to spoil it2 but that is only her way of saying that she knows better than some stern and misguided people what is best for its tender wants4 ,if she thought for a moment she was really spoiling the child's character1 she would stop smiling at once and become very much exercised4 ,as we have started with this question of discipline1 let us not leave it until we have followed it out to the full limit of our reflections4 ,if the choice necessarily resolved itself into one or the other of these two principles--strict obedience1 rigidly enforced by punishment2 or a vacillating policy of petting and scolding1 leading to moral confusion--there could be little hesitation in deciding which would be apt to give better results in the formation of character4 ,the old way1 if somewhat crude and summary1 has proved itself capable of producing discipline and respect for authority1 a womanly woman and a manly man4 ,the other way has not given much evidence of producing anything nearly so worthy or admirable4 ,but1 as a matter of fact1 the choice need not be1 and should not be1 limited to these two principles at all4 ,there is another method of arriving at the formation of character which is essentially different from either4 ,the chief fault of the old method of giving the child a whipping1 if it disobeys1 is by no means confined to a lessening of a child's love for the mother1 who whips it4 ,this is one consideration which is given great weight by many women1 at present4 ,it would in itself be a real hurt to the mother and a real hurt to the child4 ,but there are other considerations4 ,sometimes the whipping may not be deserved--it may be occasioned by a loss of temper1 or a misunderstanding--and in such cases it is apt to leave a feeling of resentment and injustice4 ,this is in addition to the feeling of fear1 which corporal punishment is apt to produce4 ,quite irrespective of the harm to love1 it introduces a false motive into the formation of character4 ,the little sprouts of conscience may be overshadowed by this weed of fear4 ,the fear of a whip1 in a hand which may be strong but not necessarily just1 very naturally brings into play the instinct of self-defence1 to prompt and justify all manner of concealment1 deception1 cunning1 lying4 ,those are a lot more weeds which may in time crowd out the more delicate soul feelings4 ,discipline1 bought at such a price1 is paid for very dearly4 ,in my own personal experience as boy and man1 the most hypocritical1 mean-spirited treacherous characters ,i have come into contact with1 were among those who had been most disciplined by unsympathetic and unrelenting parents4 ,this is not to say1 or imply1 that corporal punishment1 or stern treatment1 necessarily leads to such unfortunate results4 ,it is merely to indicate some of the possible dangers and drawbacks4 ,with sturdy1 primitive natures1 an occasional beating is a matter of little moment2 while for unthinking1 commonplace minds1 and undeveloped1 unsensitive souls1 the habit of obedience and docile respect for authority1 in any and all forms1 may be an excellent thing4 ,a wolf cannot be trained in the same way as a setter dog1 or a canary bird2 and even among horses1 the kind of treatment that a cart-horse thrives under1 would ruin a thoroughbred completely4 ,the traditional methods of handling children date back to a time when there were many wolves and cart-horses and no method would have generally survived which did not include them4 ,but in our advanced civilization1 as mothers frequently have more sensitive stock to deal with1 there is reason for them to feel that1 somehow1 they should go about it differently4 ,this appears to be a partial explanation of what we see going throughout the length and breadth of our land4 ,it is for their benefit that a more sympathetic principle has been gradually emerging from the confusion4 ,and let us note in passing that the altered sentiment on the part of mothers1 and the principle which responds to it1 cannot be credited in any way to the achievements of modern science1 because a similar tendency showed itself sooner and became more pronounced and wide-spread in communities of ,china and ,japan1 where no modern science had penetrated4 ,it would seem rather an intuitive growth of delicate understanding on the part of parents1 as they become relieved from the strenuous needs of material existence4 ,this third principle does not tend to spoil the child1 or repress its affection1 or distort any of the finer impulses of its spiritual nature4 ,it does not destroy obedience or discipline2 but instead of obedience and discipline inspired by a whip1 it seeks to erect self-obedience1 self-discipline and self-control4 ,how does it work8 ,first1 through love1 because in nature that comes first2 then1 little by little1 through the unfolding of conscience and faith4 ,we have talked about the heart feelings of a child1 so it is only necessary to refer to them again1 not for the joy they may bring to mothers1 but because loyalty1 fidelity1 consideration for others1 growing out of affection1 may merge imperceptibly with feelings which are essentially moral and spiritual1 to the immense advantage of both4 ,let a mother love her child1 then1 and cherish its love1 with all the lavishness1 tenderness1 constancy of which she is capable4 ,there can never be too much of it--there can never be enough of it--either for the child's good1 or the mother's4 ,and before the child is really old enough to think1 let it have a radiant1 deep-rooted feeling that mother's love is a mainstay of life1 which will never waver or desert it1 under any possible contingency1 and which it1 in turn1 will never1 never desert4 ,and let a mother never trifle with that feeling1 or prove fickle to it1 at any stage1 but treasure it as the holiest of holies1 the very essence of the character she hopes to see formed4 ,in the early stages of development1 when a child's mind is unable to reason or understand1 little habits of second nature are formed4 ,the moral questions do not come to the fore until the age of reason and the first awakening of the spiritual feelings4 ,and they bring with them unavoidably1 the problem of obedience and discipline4 ,suppose your son disobeys you1 what then8 ,or suppose he has disobeyed the nurse1 and she comes and tells you8 ,something has to be done about that1 surely4 ,what must you do8 ,well1 first of all1 there is one thing you must be very careful not to do4 ,don't scold--don't speak harshly--don't look cross--don't get angry4 ,look at your child with sympathy and understanding1 and when he meets your eye1 with a cunning little look of shame and defiance1 smile back at him reassuringly1 and hold out your hand to him4 ,then1 after the nurse has had her say1 thank her for telling you about it and ask her to leave you1 because in the tender confidences between mother and son it is not proper that an outside and possibly antagonistic influence should intrude4 ,when she has gone1 take him on your knee1 put your arms about him and hug him tight4 ,don't let him forget for an instant that he is your very own and you are his very own mother4 ,whatever may be going to come of it1 keep that point clear--that you are his partner and help-mate and he is never going to be left out in the cold4 ,nothing will help more toward a fair-minded understanding of the situation4 ,ask him to tell you all about it1 just how and why it all happened and help him with your sympathy and patience to express himself fully4 ,let us imagine that this is what has occurred3 ,when he was out walking1 he saw a dead bird lying under the bushes on the other side of a ditch4 ,the nurse1 ,delia1 told him not to1 but he did climb across the ditch and picked it up4 ,it was an awfully pretty bird and he just wanted to look at it4 ,when she told him to throw it away1 he wouldn't come back4 ,then she caught him and shook his arm and he couldn't help it--he just got angry4 ,he threw the bird at her and called her an ugly old crow4 ,when mother has heard it all1 she can start in very gently to answer and explain4 ,and it won't hurt a bit to begin by letting him see that she understands perfectly just how he felt4 ,she remembers a dead bird she found once1 when she was little4 ,but1 on the other hand1 ,delia was only doing what she thought was best4 ,there might have been nasty worms on the bird4 ,but that1 after all1 is not the main thing4 ,the main thing is1 that if he is to be trusted to go out walking with his nurse1 he must be willing to do as she says1 no matter how unreasonable it may seem4 ,otherwise mother would be worrying all the time--and something dreadful might happen--he might get lost1 or run over4 ,he doesn't have to go out walking with ,delia1 if he doesn't want to2 that is for him to decide4 ,but if he does decide to go1 it must be on the distinct understanding that he agrees not to disobey her4 ,the boy is rightly entitled to his say about this and if he has any objections1 it is for mother to meet them and dissipate them with her love and reasons4 ,nothing should be demanded between mother and son which does not seem just and fair to both4 ,one final point remains to be considered4 ,he threw the bird in ,delia's face and called her a name which must have hurt her feelings4 ,boy3 ,i couldn't help it4 ,i was angry4 ,mother3 ,i understand that perfectly4 ,but all the same1 it was rather hard on ,delia1 especially when she was only trying to do what she thought was right4 ,boy3 ,sometimes1 ,i've got an awful temper4 ,mother3 ,i don't mind that a bit4 ,i'm glad of it4 ,it's only because you have such strong feelings4 ,boy3 ,have you got a temper1 too8 ,mother 7smiling and nodding73 ,of course ,i have--as bad as yours--or worse4 ,boy 7delighted73 ,really8 ,mother3 ,but it's something we all have to learn to control4 ,because if we can't control it1 it's sure to make us do things that we're ashamed of afterwards--things that are unkind and unfair to others4 ,aren't you just a little bit ashamed of what you did to ,delia8 ,boy 7meeting her eye with smile of enquiry--then looking away and thinking1 with feeling73 ,no--,i'm not6 ,mother 7petting his hand73 ,well--,i suppose you're still thinking about the bird--and there's still a little of that old temper left4 ,but wait awhile and think it over4 ,and--,i'm going to tell you something that ,i think would be awfully nice4 ,sometime1 if you did happen to feel like it and went to ,delia of your own accord and explained to her how you lost your temper and were sorry for calling her that awful name----8 ,boy 7looking away1 thinking1 then turning to her1 hesitating and shaking his head73 ,i couldn't mummy1 please1--,i couldn't--not now---- ,mother3 ,i'm sure she'd appreciate it1 a lot4 ,poor ,delia--she tries so hard and she's so sensitive and she's really so fond of you4 ,of course1 ,i wouldn't want you to say you were sorry1 unless it was really true4 ,it's only a sham and a humbug to make people say things they don't mean4 ,it's entirely a question of how you feel about it1 in your own heart4 ,and nobody can decide that for you but yourself4 ,after an incident of this sort1 how would a mother feel if ,delia told her1 the next afternoon1 that ,master ,bob had come to her and apologized like a little gentleman--and he'd been so sweet and dear--and he'd kissed her--and it touched her so1 it broke her all up and she couldn't help crying8 ,if we take the pains to examine a little every-day example of this sort1 it is not difficult to see that it involves some fairly important feelings4 ,first of all1 it encourages a feeling of faith--faith in mother1 in her sympathy and understanding and justice4 ,then consideration for others--self-control--and finally conscience1 what the inner nature1 of its own accord1 feels to be right4 ,all these may be of vital account in the formation of a fine character1 and they may be brought into play by this sort of treatment just as effectually as by a beating4 ,of course it cannot be assumed1 or expected1 that the immediate result in any given case will prove so satisfactory4 ,sooner or later1 with nearly all children1 there are sure to come times when gentle explanations will not suffice4 ,something more impressive has to be resorted to4 ,this final resort was1 in fact1 faintly indicated in our example--but so faintly1 that it might be overlooked4 ,it was carefully explained to the boy that if he would not agree to obey ,delia1 when he went out walking with her1 then he could not enjoy the privilege of going out walking with ,delia4 ,this is a principle of punishment1 which may be applied to any and all cases1 to almost any desired degree4 ,and it has at least one great advantage over other kinds of punishment4 ,it can be made to avoid all danger of seeming unjust and arousing resentment4 ,let us look into the application of this principle with reference to the more serious problems of misconduct which are liable to arise4 ,in general experience1 the most serious troubles1 or faults1 which a mother has to contend with1 are forgetfulness1 temper1 selfishness1 deception1 lying4 ,her aim is to see them supplanted by a habit of reflection1 self-control1 consideration for others1 sincerity1 truth4 ,she believes and feels that these latter qualities are better for the boy's own welfare1 better for the people he loves1 better for everybody4 ,she wants her boy to feel this way about it1 too4 ,very well1 then1 the first thing to be sure of is that the boy really understands the meaning of those things which you expect of him--the whys and wherefores and the good that is in them4 ,otherwise--if he is not sincere about it1 if he must do things in which he doesn't believe--there's an element of sham about it which leads quite naturally to concealment and hypocrisy4 ,it is true1 he may always be counted on to do a great deal for love1 for mother's sake1--provided that mother has cared for that love4 ,but that is a sacred privilege1 which should not be abused4 ,it may have the effect of setting a bad example4 ,if she has the right to ask him to do something which he doesn't see the sense of and doesn't feel like doing1 why shouldn't he have the same right to ask her to let him do things which she doesn't see the sense of and doesn't feel like letting him do8 ,if that is the way of love1 why doesn't it apply to one1 as well as the other8 ,this may be very cunning and sweet1 upon occasion2 but for steady diet1 it does not help the growth of moral feeling4 ,it is much better that he should never be required to do things which he cannot understand sufficiently to feel the right of4 ,this all comes about quite naturally1 in the course of companionship4 ,there are countless opportunities for explaining and questioning1 about this1 that1 or the other4 ,no growing child is slow about asking innumerable questions and trying his best to understand4 ,preaching of any kind isn't necessary4 ,it seldom1 if ever1 gets home in the best way4 ,the same thing is true of scolding and harsh words4 ,they are not at all necessary2 and they usually do a great deal more harm than good4 ,let us suppose1 then1 that your son has been guilty of an act of selfishness--and to make matters worse1 through a feeling of shame1 he has first attempted concealment and then resorted to lying4 ,that is a rather trying situation for mother to face4 ,it is about as hard a nut as she will ever have to crack4 ,in the old days1 there would be no hesitation in saying that the first thing it called for was a good sound beating4 ,but instead of that1 let us imagine that mother is brave enough to stick to her love feeling1 reassures her boy1 smilingly1 and holds him close4 ,first she gives him a chance to tell all about it1 in his own way1 and helps him along to a confidential admission of the shameful facts4 ,and to make the case as extreme as possible1 we will assume that there were no palliating circumstances whatever4 ,the best that the boy can say for himself is that he just didn't stop to think--he went ahead and did it--and afterwards1 he felt ashamed and didn't want anyone to know--and then1 well1 he tried to get out of it by lying4 ,mother 7smiling1 thinking73 ,well1 well--here's a pretty kettle of fish--isn't it8 ,what in the world are we going to do about it8 ,boy 7looking down1 nervous1 does not answer74 ,mother3 ,i suppose there's no use crying over it4 ,the main thing is how we can find a way to keep it from happening again4 ,perhaps it would help1 if we could find the right kind of punishment8 7,no answer47 ,what kind of punishment shall it be--the fairest we can think of8 ,suppose you decide it for yourself4 ,what would you suggest8 ,boy 7very nervous73 ,i don't know4 ,mother3 ,how would it be if1 the next time you told a lie1 you and mother couldn't1 either of you1 go riding in the automobile for two days8 ,boy 7troubled1 thinking1 giving her a look73 ,two whole days8 ,mother 7smiling73 ,that's a pretty big punishment but1 after all1 lying is a pretty bad thing1 which we don't want to have happen4 ,suppose we start with that and agree on it--two whole days8 ,boy 7looking down1 thinking1 very nervous73 ,if you couldn't go riding1 either--why should you be punished8 ,mother3 ,because ,i'm your own mother and ,i love you better than anything in the world4 ,whatever you do1 can't help affecting me4 ,besides1 you see1 in a way1 ,i'm largely responsible for whatever you do4 ,if ,i don't bring you up right--isn't it my fault8 ,and if we both have to be punished together1 that may help you to remember4 ,boy gives her a glance1 looks down1 thinking--begins to smile1 hesitates4 ,mother3 ,what are you thinking8 ,tell me4 ,boy3 ,you mightn't know anything about it--if it was to the cook1 or ,delia1 or ,vincent--or somebody else8 ,mother3 ,that's true4 ,it's something else for us to think about4 ,if a boy tells a lie to anybody--because he's ashamed or afraid--that's bad enough4 ,but afterwards1 if he doesn't own up to it like a little man1 but tries to conceal it from his mother1 or deny it1 that is ever so much worse4 ,it deserves a much bigger punishment4 ,isn't that right8444 ,isn't it8 ,boy looks down1 showing more nervousness1 finally assents4 ,mother3 ,very well1 then--this is what seems fair to me3 ,if my boy tells another lie and doesn't attempt to deny it1 afterwards--then the punishment will be as we agreed--two days1 with no automobile for either of us4 ,but if1 before she hears of it1 he comes1 of his own accord1 and tells mother all about it--that's better1 and we'll reduce the punishment to one day4 ,but if1 on the contrary1 he tries to conceal it and denies it and tells more lies1 that is worst of all--and when it is found out1 as it is very apt to be1 sooner or later--then the punishment will have to be harder on all of us--and father will have to be included too4 ,boy 7quickly73 ,father8 ,mother3 ,if father is going to have that kind of a son1 he will have to know about it and suffer for it1 too4 ,he will have to take his punishment1 whether he wants to or not--the same as you and ,i4 ,boy3 ,oh1 mummy1 please6 ,does father have to know about that1 yet8 ,mother3 ,well1 you see1 dear1 father loves us both1 very much4 ,we both belong to him--we both bear his name--and he works very hard to give us everything he can to make us happy4 ,boy3 ,but if ,i don't do it again----8 ,mother 7hugging him73 ,all right6 ,if you really mean to try very hard1 perhaps we'll never have to come to that4 ,i'm quite sure ,i don't want to1 any more than you do4 ,there6 it's understood and agreed--and we won't say another word about it4 ,that is a simple example of the principle2 but it is enough to suggest the beginning and end of the whole thing4 ,it can be made elastic enough--gentle or severe enough--to fit almost any or all cases that may be imagined4 ,the punishment is talked over and understood in advance1 not in any way as a chastisement1 inflicted by an angry parent1 but as a necessary and eminently fair means of impressing upon an unformed character the need of self-control1 and the avoidance of an act which he knows is unworthy4 ,there are always certain things in every child's life which mean a lot to him--dolls1 toys1 games1 skates1 baseball1 bicycle1 automobile rides1 swimming1 tennis1 golf--or something else--at all ages1 up to manhood4 ,to be deprived of an important pleasure is a sure way of making him stop and think over the meaning of it4 ,there is only one thing that will bring it home more surely and more deeply1 and that is to see the one he loves best deprived of her important pleasures1 too1 as a result of his misconduct4 ,if mother cannot go out in the automobile2 if mother cannot play the piano2 if mother cannot read to him1 or tell him stories2 if mother cannot come to the table for her meals2--the sight of this and the knowledge that he is the cause of it1 will put a terrible tug on the heart-strings and the conscience4 ,and in extreme cases1 if father has to be included in the punishment1 and deprived of his pleasures1 too1 that makes the boy's feeling of guilty responsibility even more pronounced4 ,yet1 with it all1 there is no chance for a sense of personal resentment and injustice to obscure the meaning4 ,the unfairness and severity--if there be any--applies most to mother and is inflicted by the boy's own act4 ,and if mother sets the example of accepting it bravely and smilingly1 with no complaint and no scolding1 and clings fast to her love and sympathy1 in this trial of love1 such experiences may be counted on to prove entirely helpful to the growth of moral feeling and self-discipline4 ,and once a punishment has been determined and agreed upon in advance1 it should never be deviated from in the slightest degree4 ,if a child were allowed to evade it1 or modify it1 by cajolery or cunning appeal1 that would tend to destroy the spirit of fairness and faith in mother's word4 ,if a child will not respond to this kind of treatment and this kind of punishment1 it is fairly safe to assume that he would respond even less1 as far as the development of character is concerned1 to ill-temper1 harsh language1 and the whip4 ,so much for the question of discipline1 about which many well-intentioned mothers of the present day are so perplexed and confused4 ,in this connection1 however1 there remains to be made a general observation and warning1 upon which too much stress can hardly be laid4 ,a certain amount of discipline1 in a few important matters which involve moral feeling1 is almost essential to the proper formation of character4 ,on the other hand1 constant restraint and excessive discipline1 in the natural exuberance of youthful impulses and activities1 is unwise and unfair to human nature4 ,a mother who puts a healthy1 normal boy in a pretty suit of clothes1 and then would talk punishment1 because he plays in the mud1 or climbs a tree1 doesn't deserve to have a healthy1 normal boy4 ,his impulse to play in the mud and climb trees is infinitely more vital and admirable than the vanity and sentimentality which attaches to spotless clothes4 ,sturdy vitality is a splendid foundation for sturdy character4 ,almost any kind of activity which does not endanger his life or health is good for him4 ,lots of love and a little helpful guidance1 in essential things1 is all that he usually needs--and very1 very little repression1 of any kind--the less the better4 ,in a child's nature the faculty of imagination and the force of example are important considerations in the development of the spiritual feelings and the formation of fine ideals4 ,the world of make-believe1 of purest fantasy1 is just as interesting and just as significant as the every day actualities of life4 ,it makes not the slightest difference to a little boy1 or girl1 whether the stories you read them1 or the acts of hero and heroine1 are reasonable or not4 7,and if1 in the preceding pages1 ,i have referred to the child as being a boy1 that is only for convenience in writing and not to imply that the observations would differ in the case of a girl47 ,the child's imagination is ready and eager to follow you anywhere and the main thing is the exercise of the feelings occasioned by fictitious events4 ,this is one of the earliest ways for the tender soul nature to find nourishment and growth4 ,the more rhymes and jingles it can hear1 the more fairy tales1 stories of adventure1 thrilling deeds of heroism1 the better it is for the forming traits of character4 ,in nearly all the stories a mother may find to read or tell to her children1 there are examples and side-lights of courage1 devotion1 honor1 loyalty1 cheerfulness1 patience1 and other exhilarating qualities4 ,there is no necessity of picking and choosing too carefully1 or of attempting to confine the exercise to a certain sort of fiction whose tendency is obviously moral4 ,the biggest part of it is to give the imagination and feelings plenty of food to grow on1 to encourage and stimulate a liking and admiration for things which appeal to the interest through the imagination4 ,given half a chance1 nature can be fairly well trusted to look after the rest--and in the long run is apt to prove as true a guide as finicky and restricted notions which may be lacking in broad comprehension4 ,one of the loveliest and most helpful occupations any mother can have is to learn to tell stories to her children4 ,many mothers may find themselves a little deficient in this ability1 at first2 but1 with the inspiration of love and their holy cause1 almost any mother can soon acquire a charming facility in doing it4 ,and the advantage to the children1 as well as to mother1 which may be derived from this method is very considerable4 ,a story told by mother is easier to understand1 more sympathetic1 more delightful1 less set and cumbersome than nearly any story which has to be read methodically from the printed pages of a book4 ,a mother is in close touch with the needs and natures of her own flock--she can embellish and interpret and add her own loving comments1 as such and as often as she feels the call for it4 ,i have found by experience that so many stories which are supposedly designed for children1 make use of big and stilted words1 complicated ideas1 and tedious1 long-winded explanations4 ,mother can read them so quickly by herself and then preserve the pith and point of them in her own manner of recounting4 ,there is practically no limit to the variety of kinds and subjects which may be interpreted and rendered available in this way4 ,the story of ,ivanhoe1 or ,quentin ,durward1 or ,lohengrin1 may be just as readily told in this way as ,cinderella1 or ,robin ,hood1 or ,aladdin and his ,wonderful ,lamp4 ,but set any child the task of reading for itself a great volume of ,ivanhoe1 or many of the other world classics1 or of listening to any one who waded through the long descriptions for hours on end1 is hardly to be thought of4 ,fortunately there are a number of books which seem to have been written by people who love children and understand them4 ,these a mother can search out and select from and make good use of4 ,one of the curious things about youth is that children love to hear the same stories over and over again1 even after they know them almost by heart4 ,this is undoubtedly due to the fact that the appeal is principally to the feelings and not to the intellect4 ,intellectual people1 when once they know the contents of a book1 seldom have any further interest in it4 ,but music and painting and poetry do not lose interest through familiarity1 even for mature natures4 ,their appeal is more like that which stories have for children4 ,owing to this condition of affairs1 a mother need never be at a loss for stories to tell or stories to read4 ,this part of child life should not be an exceptional occurrence due to her mood or whim1 but a constant feature of the daily life to be counted on and treasured up4 ,the lovely atmosphere which surrounds it1 the moral and spiritual ideals which are engendered by it1 combine in making it a precious influence in the rearing of a new generation4 ,but1 exclaims the up-to-date woman1 of enlightened intellect1 what kind of old-fashioned1 benighted mother are you prating about6 ,this is the era of woman's rights and woman's emancipation6 ,what time would a woman have for her own affairs--for the exercise of her rights1 which have been won with so much effort--if she had to keep bothering her head with that sort of thing8 ,that is true4 ,it would seem as if we had forgotten about the self-interest and selfishness of the modern movement1 which is there on all sides to poke its tongue at a mother's devotion to her sacred cause4 ,indeed1 we have no answer to give to that kind of selfishness4 ,the essence of our thought is love and faith in the love of motherhood4 ,there is no selfishness in it and the language it uses is not translatable into terms which the rule of reason can hope to understand4 ,but to those mothers whose hearts are still in the right place1 even if their heads have become more or less confused by the shouting and example of intellectual leaders1 there is a very simple observation to suggest1 as an answer to such objections4 ,is it of much importance or benefit to you1 yourself1 or to anybody1 or any thing1 that you should spend so much of your time in gambling at the bridge table8 ,or gossiping at an afternoon tea8 ,or attending a meeting at the woman's club8 ,or at the hair-dresser's and manicure's8 ,or in intellectual pursuits of any kind8 ,is it not more important to you and to your family and to the future of your race and kind1 to devote a considerable amount of your time and energy to the children1 who love you and need you and can profit greatly by your help8 ,is not that entitled to the best you can give1 not only because it is the most important of all earthly occupations1 but because by doing it you set the blessed example of thinking first and most of others1 and last and least of self8 ,after the children are tucked in their beds1 peaceful and happy in the land of dreams1 then it is time enough for you to turn your thoughts to personal distractions and pleasures1 which are proper and wholesome for a human being when the daily work of life is done4 ,nobody will begrudge it to you1 and you need not begrudge it to yourself4 ,it is what distractions are for4 ,it is also what the great majority of husbands and fathers and grandfathers have been doing since the beginning of time--working to the best of their ability for the good of home and family--content with their recreation1 after the work is done8 ,how can any true mother in her heart and soul be so disturbed and misguided by intellectual enlightenment that she could be led to desert her eternal responsibility for the pursuit of selfishness--or the agitation of isms8 ,it ought to be reasonably clear that if a mother does desert her responsibility1 and leaves to the care of a hired employee the development of her child's moral and spiritual feelings1 the results are liable to be very unsatisfactory4 ,it is the same story over again1 which we took account of in connection with the heart feelings4 ,nagging1 scolding1 lack of sympathy1 false standards1 superstitions1 threats1 deceptions1 bug-a-boos--are all apt to take a hand in forcing a necessity for discipline and deforming character4 ,the tangles of temper1 fear1 deception1 resentment1 will never be unravelled and patiently straightened out4 ,in their wake1 are pretty sure to come1 sooner or later1 scenes with mother and father--hypocritical or defiant1 cajoling1 whining1 or tempestuous--in which harsh and ugly words will sometimes play a part4 ,and one fine day1 the mother will probably vouchsafe the remark1 as so many modern mothers have done in my presence1 that when certain boys1 or girls1 reach a certain age1 they get so that it is quite impossible to do anything with them at home and the only sensible way is to ship them off to a boarding-school4 ,how much of a mother's time is required for the right kind of care for her children8 ,who can judge of each case1 but the right kind of mother8 ,whatever the child has need of1 that is for her to watch over and give1 to the fullest of her capacity4 ,and what of the rle of a father in this most vital of responsibilities8 ,it is essentially that of a help-mate--to bring cheer and comfort and courage1 and the tenderest of protection and support4 ,the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world--so says the old adage4 ,in any case1 it is upon the sanctity and devotion of mother love that the future of our race depends--and the deepest feeling of a manly man has never doubted it4 ,there is much1 much more that might be said about the relationship of a father to a mother1 and of a mother to a father4 ,the right foundation for it should be the deepest of moral and spiritual feelings4 ,the true significance of it cannot help being eternal1 not temporary4 ,in no department of life1 has the scientific principle of self-interest and the rule of reason had a more confusing1 corrupting1 and destructive influence4 ,to attempt to translate the meaning of a marriage into terms of a business partnership is a ghastly mockery4 ,this subject is too big and the discussion of it would carry us too far afield1 to be undertaken in the present connection4 ,our attention has been confined1 for the time being1 to mother love and the formation of character for the next generation4 ,and the next question which confronts mother love is the question of schools and school education--one of the most perplexing and troubling of all1 and yet unavoidable4 ,let us suppose that our mother is an ideal one--that she has gladly responded with the best that is in her to her love and responsibility--that she has cherished and nourished every tender little bud in the heart and soul of her boy--that the twig of character is rising up straight and beautiful1 in every respect4 ,then comes the day when ,master ,bob must go off to school--a day school1 or a boarding school1 or first one and then the other4 ,why does he have to do this8 ,in the first place because it is the custom every boy is supposed to do it1 when he arrives at a certain age--and then1 to receive proper instruction1 his brain must be taught1 his mind enlightened4 ,so off to school he must go1 and when he gets there1 a new and different atmosphere surrounds him1 a new influence is brought to bear on the little character1 so tenderly forming1 and in the main the nature of this influence is two-fold4 ,first1 there is the school-room and the school books and the teaching of teachers--and second1 there is the companionship1 intimacy1 teaching1 of the other boys with whom he is thrown into contact4 ,as the action of this latter influence is usually the more immediate1 direct1 and compelling1 we may as well give it the foremost place in our consideration4 ,and let us be careful to state frankly and bear constantly in mind that all cases are by no means alike4 ,the conditions to be met with may be largely accidental and differ materially in degree or kind4 ,and the consequences1 for any particular boy1 may depend very largely upon accidental circumstances1 or inherited tendencies4 ,a boy1 who is naturally warm-blooded and very impulsive1 may not react in the same way as another boy1 who is inclined to be reserved and reflective4 ,if ,i am led by my observations to make use of extreme or exceptional examples it is not my intention to imply that they are the rule1 but merely to bring out clearly a point1 or meaning1 which1 in less degree1 may have a more general application4 ,we have already had occasion to refer repeatedly to the force of example in shaping the conduct and ideas of a vast majority of people4 ,nowhere is this force more rapidly effective1 than in the case of growing children4 ,it is their instinct to absorb and imitate1 consciously or unconsciously1 and so adapt themselves to new conditions of development4 ,and this instinct is sure to be very much alive1 more than ever alive1 when boys and girls find themselves removed from the family influence1 amid new conditions and new companions of the school4 ,before we follow our boy1 ,bob1 so far1 let us pause for a moment and consider this question of companionship with other boys and the influence of example1 as it may have applied to him1 while mother was still at hand to watch over him4 ,any boy or boys that ,bob might come into contact with1 or make companions of1 would also come under mother's eye4 ,not only that1 but ,bob would repeat to her1 spontaneously and gushingly1 every new thing that they said1 or did4 ,and if ,bob still had a nurse hanging about1 she would have an eye and an ear and something to say to mother1 too4 ,if one of these boys happened to be tricky and deceitful1 resentful and cruel1 mother would be sure to know about it very quickly4 ,she could straighten out ,bob's feelings with regard to any of those things before real damage occurred2 and she could see to it that such contamination was kept away from him4 ,as long as a boy remains under the home influence1 it is part of mother's responsibility to guard against just such things4 ,as soon as he goes away to school1 and gets under the new influence1 it is no longer possible for her to do so4 ,of all the various kinds of boys to be found at any school1 which ones ,bobby is destined to have as closest companions1 to exchange confidences with constantly1 and have set him the example1 is largely a matter of luck1 or accident4 ,it may come about through adjoining seats in class1 or though proficiency in the same games1 or a common interest in collecting bird's eggs1 or postage stamps1 or through being room-mates1 or sleeping in the same corridor at boarding-school1 or one of a dozen other haphazard reasons4 ,let us imagine that by chance1 in this way1 ,bobby's closest companions turn out1 in due time1 to be four in number4 ,and for the sake of emphasizing our meaning and the principle involved1 let us imagine that the accident1 in this particular case1 is more extreme than usual4 ,the first boy1 ,ed1 has been brought up chiefly by a stern and rigidly moral father of the old school1 who has reprimanded1 disciplined1 chastised1 most consistently and thoroughly4 ,the second boy1 ,sam1 has a society mother1 somewhat of a belle1 and so feverishly absorbed in her vanities and distractions1 that his up-bringing1 from the cradle1 has devolved entirely upon a series of ,irish1 ,swedish and ,german nurses4 ,the third boy1 ,bill1 has a very intellectual mother1 an ardent devotee of woman's rights1 and an active worker in various up-lift and educational movements4 ,she laid out a plan of mental development for him1 in early childhood1 in accordance with the latest scientific books1 but not having the time to attend to it herself1 and having had constant rows with her nurses1 she has ended up by heaping the blame on the natural stupidity and stubbornness of the boy1 which could only have been inherited from his father4 ,the fourth boy1 ,hal1 is the most up-to-date of all4 ,his mother and father were both divorced and both remarried and both have new families1 for which his only feeling is mild resentment and disdain4 ,these boys are hardly to blame if1 as a result of such home training1 the growth of their characters has already become tangled and somewhat over-run by the weeds of selfishness and calculation4 ,if they were only mischievous1 high-spirited and lacking in respect1 the harm might not be great2 but there is also a deficiency of the generous feelings of sympathy and affection1 of moral standards1 and of any abiding faith in what should be4 ,their bodies and their brains may be well developed2 but not their hearts and souls4 ,they may find it to their interest to display perfect discipline in the school-room and receive high marks and commendation from their teachers2 they may also excel in the various games and win prizes on the athletic field2 but this in no way prevents them from setting an insidious example to a less precocious companion4 ,for practical purposes1 the point-of-view and controlling motives of these four boys is in fairly complete accord4 ,they think it is very smart to do things which are against the rules2 but they think it is very stupid to get caught4 ,they believe in using their wits to get the best of other people--especially older people1 like parents and teachers4 ,they believe in practising concealment1 dissimulation and insincerity2 but they are very wary of getting saddled with a downright lie4 ,they have the utmost contempt for a tell-tale1 and they include in this opprobrium any boy who hasn't sense enough to keep from older people an inkling of any sort1 as to what he himself may have been up to1 as well as any others of the crowd4 ,nothing is half so bad as blabbing what you know--not even the risk of getting caught in a lie4 ,they laugh at scruples of conscience2 and they place little dependence on mother love1 or father love1 or any kind of love which isn't self-centered and decidedly material4 ,they also have little use for high-flown sentiment1 poetry1 old-fashioned prejudices and pretences of romance2 and if they do have time to read a book1 they want it to be something up-to-date and exciting--a detective story1 for instance1 with a master thief and vampires4 ,in addition to this1 they have a number of other precocious and undigested notions about a variety of things1 which they are ready to pass out confidentially1 in almost any connection4 ,again we repeat that it is not to be inferred that all the boys in any school1 or any great proportion of them1 are necessarily of this sort4 ,but in almost any school1 some of them are liable to be met with--more so to-day than ever1 for reasons which have been amply explained4 ,there is no way of telling1 at school1 what certain boys may be thinking and saying and doing1 when they are out of sight and hearing4 ,if our boy1 ,bob1 is unfortunate enough to be thrown in close and constant contact with that kind1 it is unreasonable to imagine that he is at all to blame4 ,his natural effort is to try and adapt himself to conditions as he finds them2 he sees and feels that he is but a tiny part of a big system1 in which most matters are determined for him1 by the system itself4 ,aside from which1 his nature is very trusting and sensitive1 rather shy at first1 and totally without experience of this new and perplexing world4 ,the feelings and ideals which have been growing so tenderly in his little heart and soul are not robust enough to offer much resistance to repeated and covert attacks4 ,they are in as great a need as ever1 of guidance and encouragement and nourishment and the sunlight of loving sympathy4 ,the formation of character was proceeding in a beautiful and promising way1 but it may not be safely assumed that the results are complete and permanent at such an early age--the customary age which most parents accept for sending their children to school4 ,and where1 in the chance companionship of school life1 is a fitting substitute to be found for the right kind of family influence and the devotion of mother love8 ,it is sad to say it1 but ,i have1 in my own experience1 known a number of cases1 where the havoc caused in a promising character was directly traceable to the influence and bad example of youthful associates4 ,a practical1 up-to-date mind might say complacently that such characters must have been so weak that they would probably have gone that way1 anyhow4 ,but that is merely to close one's eyes to the understanding of a vital principle1 the inner feelings of heart and soul which play such a large part in the formation of character1 are subject to growth and alteration1 like all other living things2 and until they are given a fair chance to become strong1 by development and exercise and proper care1 why should anything more than a relative weakness be expected of them8 ,if you abandon them too soon to blighting influences1 there is always danger of their being more or less spoiled4 ,the other side of the school question relates to the school-books and school-rooms and the teaching of the teachers4 ,when we stop and consider that the average little boy1 or girl1 between the ages of six and fourteen1 spends thousands upon thousands of hours1 in a more or less dreary and distasteful and uninspiring way1 over school-books1 in school and out1 it might seem as if we had a right to ask ourselves3 ,does the result justify the means8 ,does any one claim1 or imagine1 that school-books contain much nourishment for the heart and soul1 or the moral feelings1 or love of beauty8 ,upon what grounds1 does any one claim1 or imagine1 that such things are less important to the growth of character1 and a cheerful disposition1 and fine standards of conduct1 than the training of the intellect8 ,if we are perfectly satisfied that the method employed to train the intellect does not and need not interfere with a corresponding development of those other sides of human nature--that is one thing4 ,but let us not be satisfied to take so much for granted1 without giving it a little thought4 ,that is the first point to get clear4 ,all those thousands of hours spent over school-books1 in school-rooms1 if they were not confined to that1 might be devoted to other things4 ,that is obvious and inevitable4 ,what kind of things8 ,if they were allowed a freedom of choice1 children would want to do the things that interested them the most--things they felt like doing4 ,and the natural feelings of each growing individual would be the dominant factor in nearly all cases4 ,the natural feelings of a little boy1 or a little girl1 are nothing for any one to be ashamed of1 or deplore1 or wish to make otherwise4 ,they are part of the all-wise plan1 designed more profoundly and beautifully than any science of man can comprehend4 ,and nothing is more natural than that a boy1 or a girl1 growing up in an atmosphere of love and sympathy and kindness1 and what is right and fair and admirable1 should respond to those feelings1 more and more1 and grow to have them1 too4 ,some selfish instincts have to be guided and controlled by deeper and better feelings and the exercise of reason1 and that is natural1 too4 ,and even the selfish instincts are just as natural and just as wisely planned as the deeper and better feelings1 or the exercise of reason4 ,in the advanced stage of enlightenment at which we have arrived can any reasonable person fail to recognize this palpable truth8 ,it is possible that some people might be found who have happened to overlook it2 but less easy to believe that they could fail to recognize it1 when it is called to their attention4 ,any normal child delights in the exercise of all its faculties and instincts and feelings--whether they be of the heart and the soul1 or the body and the brain4 ,this is the natural method of their growth4 ,and the ideal individual would be one in whom all these sides had reached their fullest development1 in a perfectly balanced whole4 ,the vast majority of things which interest children and which they naturally like and seek to do are unconsciously in line with this endeavor4 ,they all give exercise to some quality which is useful and proper to human nature4 ,and the variety of interests which may act in this way is so infinitely great1 that children are seldom at a loss to find something that appeals to them4 ,sometimes they need advice1 or help from older people1 but that1 too1 is as it should be4 ,if children1 between six and fourteen1 had at their disposal those thousands of hours which we have referred to1 and did not have to bother with school or school-books--what kind of use might they be expected to put them to8 ,it is not at all difficult to imagine4 ,play1 in the first place1 and games--in the sunshine and open air4 ,and if the sun isn't shining1 on rainy days1 more play and games--in the play-room1 or about the house1 or somewhere under shelter4 ,marbles and tops and kites2 jumping rope1 rolling hoops1 making pin-wheels2 skating1 sledding1 snow-balling2 baseball1 fishing1 tennis2 leap-frog1 running1 climbing trees2 and dozens of other pastimes1 too numerous to think of4 ,the very sound of them is healthy and joyous and exhilarating and the general effect of them on a growing nature is just as wholesome4 ,but this is not all1 by any means--only one kind of thing1 chiefly of value to the physical side of development--health and strength and vitality and cheerfulness4 ,in addition to this1 there are many other interests of a different order which may appeal to youth very strongly4 ,a collection of postage stamps1 or birds' eggs1 or picture cards1 may become of absorbing interest to boys and girls1 with time on their hands4 ,these may encourage patience and perseverance and observation and enthusiasm1 which are most admirable as traits of character4 ,a boy may become deeply absorbed in a set of carpenter's tools and the things he can do with them4 ,he can set his heart on making a pair of stilts1 and a boat that will float and steer and sail1 and tables and boxes and chests of drawers for his collections--all of which may develop skill and determination and an aspiration to fine accomplishment4 ,and the interest so begun may lead to a bracket-saw and carving tools1 or a turning lathe1 and the fashioning of more intricate and beautiful things4 ,a boy1 or a girl1 may have a camera and learn to take pictures and develop them and print them1 and encourage in this way the growth of feelings and tastes and much useful knowledge--in addition to mental training4 ,boys and girls may set their hearts on building a beautiful snow fort--and work and slave and overcome obstacles--until they have given themselves a fine lesson in industry1 and the rewards of successful accomplishment4 ,a boy may become interested in a printing press1 or a steam engine1 or an electric machine of some sort1 and acquire by means of it1 not only a lot of worthy satisfaction and pleasure1 but the enthusiasm of deep1 spontaneous feelings--in addition to useful information and mental training4 ,a perfectly normal boy1 without any special bent for music1 or art1 may want to play on a drum1 or a banjo--or to paint pictures with water-colors--and through the effort devoted to this want1 encourage the growth of tastes and feelings1 which may prove of benefit and value1 all through life4 ,if boys and girls are not occupied and tired by forced application to school-books1 there is hardly any limit to the number of things1 to which they may turn their attention1 with natural energy and enthusiasm1 and frequently with great benefit to feelings and qualities which involve not only the body and the mind1 but the heart and soul1 as well4 ,we have named but a few of the activities to which those thousands of hours1 now consumed by school-books and school-rooms1 might be otherwise devoted4 ,whether or not those things are more important to general development of character1 they certainly cannot be indulged in to anything like the same extent1 if so much time and energy is daily required for school education4 ,when children are released from the school-room1 their heads and their nerves are fairly tired and their bodies longing for freedom4 ,there is usually another period of study hanging over them1 before bed-time2 and although a certain number of hours are allowed them for recreation1 that recreation is not apt to take the form of heart-felt interests which put an added strain on nerves and head4 ,with this point-of-view in mind1 it may prove worth while to illustrate by some concrete examples the kind of results that are liable to occur4 ,and in choosing examples1 this time1 it will not be necessary to rely upon conjecture or imagination4 ,it so happens that ,i may refer to some actual cases where boys and girls have not been obliged to go to school1 or even to open a school-book1 during all those thousands of hours4 ,and1 strangely enough1 in spite of the forebodings and disapproval of many intellectual people1 who always feel it their duty to protest against such a procedure1 the results in all the cases ,i have any knowledge of1 were not disastrous at all1 but very much the contrary4 ,let us begin with some girls--three sisters4 ,their parents were well-born and well-educated1 the father being a man of considerable distinction and originality4 ,from a position of comparative wealth1 they were reduced by business reverses1 to relative poverty1 and retired to a farmhouse in an unsettled district4 ,the mother was in delicate health1 the father under the need of trying to repair his fortunes1 and there was no school-house within reach4 ,in addition to that1 the father had very little belief in current school methods1 or the efficacy of school books4 ,the result was that the three girls were allowed to go without any education of the prescribed kind2 but an old man who happened to be living nearby1 with nothing to do1 was prevailed upon to come every day and help along with their enlightenment in any way they desired1 or he saw fit4 ,this old man had once had artistic tendencies1 had tried his hand at various things1 and was well-read and well-travelled4 ,he soon took a great interest in the three bright and charming girls1 and came to regard himself in the light of a kindly1 sympathetic companion--which is the next best thing to a mother1 or a father4 ,he helped the girls with their flower garden1 went walking with them in the fields and answered as many of their questions as he could about flowers and planting and trees and shrubs and plants1 birds1 snakes and bees--anything and everything they showed an interest in4 ,when it was raining1 he played on the piano for them and showed them how to play little tunes for themselves--which they thought was great fun4 ,he could paint and draw very well and he brought them a box of water colors and showed them how to color pictures and draw flowers and birds and simple things for themselves4 ,he also got some clay and played with them at modelling figures of various kinds4 ,in addition to that1 he had one idea1 which was a sort of hobby1 and about which he talked to them a lot4 ,every girl1 as she grew up1 as well as every boy and man1 would be called upon1 sooner or later1 to write letters to people she cared about1 and wanted those letters to be nice and interesting4 ,most people didn't know how to express their thoughts4 ,so every day1 they sat down together1 indoors or out1 and each wrote a letter to an imaginary friend4 ,little by little1 the letters became easier and longer and more interesting4 ,frequently he recited poetry that he knew by heart1 and told them fairy tales1 and stories of every description from the many books he had read4 ,and so the thousands of hours were spent with simple natural interests1 in a most enjoyable way1 without a thought of school-books1 or anything distasteful1 compulsory or confining4 ,what1 in this case1 were some of the results8 ,one was that the life of their inner feelings was developed to an unusual degree4 ,everything was done to encourage them1 and nothing to suppress1 or distort them4 ,the stories and poems made a constant appeal to their imagination1 while the daily letters which they wrote became a means of reflecting and applying this appeal4 ,a love of beautiful things was naturally developed in them1 and they naturally conceived a fondness for music and painting and modelling and poetry and story-telling4 ,there was no pressure exerted upon them in any of these directions--merely the encouragement of spontaneous interest and the help of example4 ,these tastes and qualities1 became the common possession of all three girls4 ,they could all write poetry and stories2 they could all draw and paint and model and play tunes on the piano--with more or less feeling and facility--and they all grew up with remarkably sympathetic and gracious personalities--which became1 later on1 very widely admired and commented upon4 ,one of the girls1 the eldest1 conceived a deeper liking than the others for music4 ,as time went on1 she wanted to spend more and more time at the piano--playing and practising and learning to read the notes4 ,the second girl1 in a similar way1 was more attracted to drawing and modelling and painting4 ,the youngest one1 while the other two were thus engaged1 liked to sit down with pencil and paper and amuse herself in writing rhymes and stories4 ,the eldest daughter became a fine musician and composer of music1 and a brilliant career was in sight for her at the time of her death1 which occurred when she was just out of her teens4 ,the second daughter1 won for herself a distinguished place as a painter1 in ,paris and in this country4 ,the youngest one left to her own resources1 a widow with a little son to support1 achieved much wealth and fame as a literary celebrity1 one of the most admired of her generation4 ,let us now refer to some other cases1 this time to boys1 where the bringing-up happened to be accomplished without any aid1 or interference1 of school-books or school-teaching4 ,in some instances this procedure was due to illness and delicate health on the part of the boy1 which made fresh air and freedom from confinement seem more important than the benefits of mental training4 ,in other cases1 the parents deliberately believed and decided it was better for self-development and the formation of character to dispense with what they considered the disadvantages of school methods4 ,as long as a boy does not know how to read1 and is not taught how1 it is the most natural thing in the world for him to want somebody to tell--or read--to him fairy-tales and verses and stories of every kind that he can understand4 ,and this want is sure to be supplied1 when there are loving parents to watch out for it4 ,it may be the mother1 the nurse1 the father1 or an aunt1 or an uncle1 who take turns at it4 ,sooner or later1 as a result of this1 the child is very apt to feel a curiosity and interest and ambition to learn how to read stories for himself4 ,in the absence of any forcing1 the more he thinks about it1 the more his heart becomes set on it4 ,he asks questions about letters and words in books--surprises his mother by showing how he can print his own name1 then her name and father's4 ,little by little1 without anybody's teaching him1 almost without any one's realizing it1 he has learned to read4 ,this might not happen1 of course1 in an unsympathetic atmosphere--if there were no story telling1 and no story books lying about1 to bring the inspiration4 ,but as far as my experience goes1 it has always happened1 somewhere between the ages of eight and ten1 if not before4 ,one boy ,i know1 after learning to read for himself1 in this way1 in rummaging through the bookshelves1 came upon a queer little book of ,experimental ,chemistry4 ,it was very old and primitive and had curious wood-cut illustrations in it4 ,it had long ago belonged to the boy's grand-father4 ,it was easy to read and told about simple experiments that any boy could try himself4 ,the necessary ingredients for many of them could be found at home1 or be bought for a few cents at the drug-store4 ,it happened to arouse his interest4 ,the first experiment described how to take a little powdered sugar and mix it with a little powder obtained by crushing up a tablet of chlorate of potash--such as people put in their mouths for a sore throat4 ,that would make an explosive1 as powerful as the powder used in guns4 ,it could be set off by dropping on it from an eye-dropper one drop of a certain kind of acid1 from the druggist's4 ,the boy procured the necessary things1 then ran to his mother1 and asked her if he might try the experiment4 ,she responded to his enthusiasm and only asked permission to stand by and look on4 ,he dropped the acid on the powder--and sure enough1 the powder went off with a big flash4 ,wonderful excitement and joy6 ,the experiment had to be repeated again and again1 for the amazement of the waitress and the cook--and especially for father1 as soon as he came home4 ,that was the beginning of a new interest4 ,the boy kept the book by him and pored over it1 and set his heart upon acquiring first one thing after another1 as they became necessary4 ,as he accumulated bottles and glass tubes1 and chemicals and apparatus1 he made shelves and stands for them with his carpenter tools4 ,in due time1 he got other books on the same subject and became the possessor of a very practical little chemical laboratory1 which was all of his very own making4 ,at the age of twelve1 he was thoroughly at home in dozens of complicated processes and experiments4 ,this was only one of the many interests which he had plenty of time to follow1 with the same sort of enthusiasm4 ,at the age of fourteen1 his laboratory was a thing of the past1 but for all that1 years after1 at college1 among his various other achievements1 he had no trouble in winning a prize scholarship in chemistry4 ,another boy1 brought up in a similar way and having learned to read without teaching1 first took a lively interest in automobiles4 ,when the family car went wrong1 he watched the repairs1 asked questions1 and was ready to lend a helping hand4 ,many of the troubles on a modern car are apt to be in connection with the electrical equipment--battery1 lights1 magneto1 timer1 self-starter1 etc4 ,sooner or later1 a boy who takes an interest1 is apt to become more or less familiar with the principle of all these things1 especially if his nerves and brain are not deadened by forced application4 ,at any rate1 this boy soon did4 ,this led to an interest in other electrical things--the ringing of bells and buzzers about the house1 and the installation of an electric motor which would run the sewing machine1 or a grindstone1 or a little lathe4 ,then he got hold of a booklet about wireless telegraphy4 ,there is something thrilling about the idea which appeals to the imagination--the receiving of mysterious messages from afar1 through the air1 and sending back from your little instrument the far-flying answers4 ,at the age of twelve1 this boy with the aid of a ,japanese servant1 had set up his own aerial and apparatus1 had learned the code alphabet and was thoroughly familiar with all the delicate intricacies of detector1 tuning coil1 sparker and the rest of it4 ,he had gotten in touch with certain other wireless operators within a radius of ten miles and1 although he had never seen any of them1 he could recognize instantly the sound of their different instruments and it was a joy and delight to hold conversations with them and call them up for a good-night1 before he went to bed4 ,and before he was thirteen1 he undertook to construct with his own hands a tuning coil which would be better for his purposes than the kind he could afford to buy at the store4 ,after much determined effort1 he succeeded and installed it and had the satisfaction of finding that it was1 indeed1 decidedly better4 ,another boy1 who had never had to bother his head with school-books1 but who had also learned to read1 in due time got started on a new interest by a printing-press1 which was given to him for ,christmas4 ,he puzzled with it and worked over it1 until he learned to set up type and operate it very nicely4 ,then he began printing visiting cards--first for himself1 then mother and father1 then the servants and friends4 ,it was great fun to take orders from them and charge them ten cents a dozen1 in a business-like way4 ,next he got a larger press and different kinds of type1 and by dint of perseverance he found among the trades-people a few kindly souls1 who allowed him to print their business cards for them at so much a hundred4 ,out of this interest grew a more ambitious one4 ,how fine it would be to print and publish a little newspaper1 with stories and verses and advertisements and subscriptions and everything6 ,this appealed to the imagination and became an absorbing ambition4 ,in this particular case1 the newspaper project soon outdistanced the printing press4 ,the newspaper must be bigger and finer than a press of that kind could possibly manage4 ,so the boy went to a regular printer and found out about the cost and details of publishing such a paper as he had in mind4 ,he didn't have enough money of his own for that1 but he figured out that by going again to the tradespeople and getting them to pay for advertising in his paper and by making people pay for subscriptions to the paper1 the problem could be solved4 ,he decided to limit the scope of his enterprise to the publication of six numbers1 one every month4 ,he went to different tradespeople with whom the family dealt1 stated his intentions1 and asked for advertisements at the rate of fifty cents a number4 ,he was only twelve years old at the time and they naturally had doubts about his ability to carry out the project2 but some were found with enough kindly sympathy to agree to pay him1 when he brought them the paper containing the advertisement4 ,in the same way1 among relatives and friends and neighbors1 he sought subscriptions at the rate of five cents a copy and succeeded in obtaining a sufficient number for his purpose4 ,he chose a name for his paper by himself but1 when it came to the question of the reading matter1 he did not presume to attempt much of that1 at first1 but felt he could do better by appealing to his mother and aunt and others for the kind of contributions he had in mind4 ,he carried out his project1 to the letter1--six numbers1 one a month--and at the end of it1 he not only had the satisfaction of a fine effort well done1 but he had also earned a clear profit of over fifteen dollars4 ,likewise1 he had helped the growth of character1 the taste for literary achievement1 the acquisition of much useful experience and information1 and considerable mental training of an admirable sort4 ,i might continue in this way1 almost indefinitely1 telling about the interests and results which may come quite naturally to boys and girls freed from the routine of school training4 ,enough has been said1 however1 to suggest food for thought4 ,with a feeling of interest1 or enthusiasm1 behind it1 almost any kind of mental exercise1 or physical exercise1 takes on the color of gladness4 ,without interest1 or enthusiasm1 almost any kind of compulsory effort becomes drab and drear and irksome4 ,the intellect can be a splendid friend to the feelings--it can bring all sorts of suggestions to them1 and point out their usefulness and their charm--but if1 for some reason which may be entirely intuitive and fundamental and all-wise1 the feelings refuse to respond1 or to coperate1 any further compulsion is apt to prove futile and unproductive of the right growth of character4 ,these are a few of the considerations which led to the remark1 in connection with our boy1 ,bob1 that the question of schools and school education is one of the most perplexing and troubling4 ,no loving mother is responsible for the existing school system1 nor could she alter it1 if she wanted to4 ,even if she has a little pinch of the heart at the thought of subjecting her sensitive boy to such an ordeal1 how can she dare to do otherwise8 ,among people of all classes1 it is considered proper and necessary1 for children to be sent to school4 ,but provided a mother has a clear understanding that her child's feelings and vitality are the most important things1 it is always possible for her to seek some sort of a compromise in his favor4 ,she can delay the time of sending him away1 until nine1 or ten1 or eleven4 ,if he goes to a private school1 she can very often arrange matters so that he need only attend the morning session1 and never be kept in1 after hours1 for punishment4 ,she can help him with the studies which he brings home1 and take great pains never to scold him1 or show displeasure1 or disappointment1 if he gets bad marks4 ,she can explain to him that while it is only natural for a school-teacher to attach an exaggerated importance to the training of the brain1 mothers and fathers care a great deal more about deeper and finer interests and the right kind of conduct4 ,that is about all most mothers can do1--no matter how great their love--as long as the present system remains in force4 ,when1 or how1 it will ever be changed radically1 is something about which it would be futile to express an opinion4 ,another question which naturally arises in this connection has to do with college and the very difficult entrance examinations which a modern boy is required to pass4 ,how is he to do that1 unless he is sent to school in time to be prepared8 ,many mothers and fathers want their boys to have a college education4 ,to this objection1 there is an easy and reassuring answer4 ,even if your boy has never seen the inside of a school-book1 before the age of thirteen or fourteen1 that need not prevent him from being prepared for college1 just as well and at about the same time1 as the average boy who has been attending school from the age of five1 or six4 ,all of the boys ,i have referred to1 passed their examinations far better than the average4 ,all those thousands of hours which were devoted to other interests1 entirely apart from school-books1 did not have the effect of retarding the boys' mental development and training4 ,it was only a different kind of training1 more in accordance with the methods of nature4 ,when these boys arrived at the age of thirteen1 they had more character1 more self-control1 more determination and more mental equipment1 than the vast majority of boys acquire at school4 ,i think it is a fair presumption1 that under favorable conditions1 such a result may be expected4 ,it was the college question that eventually brought these boys to preparatory schools1 at the ages of thirteen1 or fourteen4 ,and in order to enter a preparatory school and get used to the ways of school-books1 it may be necessary for the boy to do some preliminary studying1 for a few months1 with some one to help him4 ,but by that time1 he has an object in view1 his interest is involved1 and he will seldom require the slightest urging4 ,without exception1 the boys ,i have referred to attained high rank1 both in school and in college4 ,there remains one more thing to think about in connection with the bringing up of children4 ,what about religion8 ,here is also a consideration which can hardly be avoided4 ,if the parents are church-goers and still believe in the truth and teachings of the ,bible1--that is one thing4 ,in that case1 all a mother has to do is to encourage her children in the same belief1 take them to church and ,sunday ,school1 and teach them to say their prayers from earliest childhood4 ,but there are also many parents1 who no longer go to church and whose faith in the traditional teachings has become very much shaken4 ,their numbers have been increasing very rapidly1 for reasons which we have referred to1 and are extremely likely to keep on increasing4 ,suppose a loving mother belongs to this class--what is best and wisest for her to do with her son8 ,mother1 where did ,i come from8 ,and who made all these other people8 ,what for8 ,those are simple and natural questions1 which are apt to come fairly soon in the growth of intelligence4 ,they call for some sort of answer4 ,it is the first beginning of a soul feeling1 a groping for a faith of some sort in human destiny4 ,what is to be mother's answer8 ,if she says she doesn't know--nobody does--that is very unsatisfactory and very troubling4 ,the groping will still continue1 with more and more persistency4 ,if mother has a reason for refusing to tell1 the information must be sought elsewhere4 ,and it will very soon be forthcoming from some one--the nurse1 or the cook1 or the waitress4 ,god made the world--,he lives in heaven--,he rewards people if they are good1 by making them angels2 and if they are bad1 ,he sends them to hell1 to be roasted by the devil4 ,the churches1 which the child has seen1 are where people go to pray to ,god and worship ,him4 ,this answers the question and is perfectly satisfactory1 for the time being4 ,but the attitude of mother is apt to give rise to suspicion that she was only pretending1 when she said she didn't know4 ,if the nurse knows--and all the people who go to church1 know--then mother must know1 too4 ,perhaps mother1 for reasons of her own1 doesn't wish him to know yet1 and would blame the nurse for telling him8 ,then the nurse would blame him4 ,if mother chooses to conceal things from him1 he can avoid trouble by concealing things from mother4 ,this implies a breach of confidence between mother and son--which is not at all good for a forming character4 ,it is far better for mother to show a sympathetic understanding of the soul need and respond to it accordingly4 ,a child has no end of imagination1 and feelings to correspond4 ,it is the spirit and meaning of ideas which signify1 and not their material accuracy4 ,rhymes and jingles and mother goose and fairy tales and ,santa ,claus are all founded on an understanding of this4 ,they supply in fanciful form a very real and necessary food for the inner nature4 ,in the same way1 with this religious groping1 food that will satisfy must be given in some form4 ,but as a religious belief is something which it is hoped will last through life1 it would seem best to clothe it1 as far as possible1 in ideas that will not have to be discarded by the intellect1 when that becomes enlightened4 ,nearly every mother believes that the world and all it contains were created1 somehow1 by an all-wise ,being--and that this ,being has an everlasting existence somewhere4 ,the usual name for that ,being1 in the ,english language1 is ,god1 and the unknown place where ,he dwells1 is usually called heaven4 ,that is something which may be told to any child2 the idea is easy to grasp1 it responds to a fundamental need1 and it can never be disproved by any amount of science1 or enlightenment4 ,as compared to ,god1 mother and father and all people on the earth are like little children1 and each and every one is allowed to share in the benefits of ,his love and wisdom4 ,he wishes all his children to do what they feel is right and fine1 and fight against what is mean and wrong4 ,if some people have less money than others1 and fewer material pleasures1 and in other ways seem less fortunate1 that does not mean that they are less worthy of love and consideration4 ,nor does it mean that they are less fine1 or necessarily less fortunate4 ,the highest kind of satisfaction in life comes almost entirely from being true to your own generous feelings and doing the best you can under any and all circumstances4 ,a poor little cripple may have this satisfaction1 just as well as a rich man's son4 ,it is very possible that the little cripple's spirit and his life on earth1 will count for more in the eternal scheme1 than the rich man's son4 ,material pleasures are perfectly natural and right and desirable2 but they are only one part of life4 ,a mother who has a beautiful boy and loves him with her whole heart and soul1 has a more precious treasure than all the money in the world can buy4 ,those are also religious beliefs which may be told to any boy1 or girl1 and allowed to take root and grow1 for all time4 ,they are the expression of fundamental feelings which no amount of science can disprove1 or deny4 ,as regards the question of spoken prayers1 we come upon considerations of a slightly different order4 ,the idea of spoken prayer and the spirit which underlies it are beautiful and inspiring4 ,the soul of an individual to be in direct1 personal communication with the all-wise ,creator--how thrilling and sublime6 ,it would seem almost the deepest and dearest wish that mortal man could have4 ,it is also an idea which a child can readily grasp and believe and put into practise4 ,but certain mothers and fathers1 whom ,i have heard talk on this subject1 find themselves confronted by scruples and objections which are entirely sincere and conscientious4 ,while admitting the beauty of the idea1 they point to the fact that they themselves no longer believe in it1 or practise it4 ,to their minds1 it has become no more than the survival of a superstition1 which is no longer tenable4 ,under such circumstances1 they can see no justification for imposing it upon the credulity of their children4 ,one answer to such an objection is that it is always possible for the reason to be at fault in matters which involve the unknown4 ,aside from that1 there are many worse things for children than the survival of a beautiful superstition4 ,the same scruples might be applied1 without any element of doubt1 to the idea of ,santa ,claus2 but the spirit of that belief1 while it lasts1 is so joyful1 and its influence so benign1 that it would take an extremely dry heart and an excessive rule of reason to desire its abolition4 ,,conjecture ,and now1 at last1 we have reached a point1 where1 in thinking of the future and the hope for coming generations1 we may turn our gaze in a new direction and enter the realm of conjecture and prophecy4 ,there is an old saying that ,coming events cast their shadows before4 ,if we let our thoughts dwell on the confused shadows which appear to be hanging over the spirit of our present civilization1 it is possible to imagine that we can see in them the outlines of a coming event of the most profound importance4 ,this would be neither more1 nor less1 than the birth of a new religion--or what amounts to the same thing1 a new form of religious belief4 ,what grounds are there for imagining such an absurdity8 ,it is only a conjecture--it could not be anything else--but for all that1 it is not necessarily an absurdity4 ,the conflict which is going on between the old traditional beliefs and the advanced spirit of enlightenment has in it elements of contradiction1 too deep and too radical1 to permit of a complete victory on the part of either4 ,if the struggle were to continue indefinitely1 on the present lines1 it seems inevitable that countless numbers must be found1 on one extreme1 who would never be willing to abandon their faith2 and1 on the other extreme1 would be countless numbers who could never consent to a return to what they consider disproved and antiquated superstitions4 ,and somewhere between these two1 will be a constantly increasing mass of others1 pushed and pulled in opposite directions1 half-pretending agreement with both sides1 but without real loyalty to either1 trying in a more or less troubled way1 to remain non-committal1 and arriving at a state of indifference1 drifting along1 without leadership1 or conviction4 ,if we may believe the testimony of observers in ,england1 this condition of affairs is already quite plainly indicated there--as much or more1 as it is in this country4 ,such a situation is well nigh intolerable to humanity4 ,the palpable results of it can hardly fail to be disheartening to any normal being4 ,and out of this disheartenment will inevitably come a yearning1 more or less unconscious1 but more and more appealing1 for something different and something better1 a yearning for true and unquestionable leadership1 which can inflame the imagination1 inspire new faith1 and command whole-souled devotion1 as it points the way4 ,in the mysterious scheme of the universe1 in the all-wise design1 when such a yearning becomes intense enough and widespread enough1 ,i cannot but believe that somehow1 somewhere1 out of a tenement1 or out of a palace1 or out of the wilderness1 will come the appointed leader4 ,this is the fateful event of my conjecture1 which ,i imagine is casting its shadow before1 and which may bring a renewal of light and enthusiasm to millions of troubled souls4 ,it may not come for a generation1 or it may not come in a century1 or it may be close at hand4 ,what the particular form and force of the new inspiration will be like1 is beyond the scope of the imagination4 ,but it is not so difficult to hazard a prophecy in regard to its essence4 ,there will be no claim1 or creed1 of any kind1 to which scientific information1 or enlightened reason1 can ever find ground to take exception4 ,it will not belittle admiration for the human body1 or the human brain1 or even of pleasures and desires which may be purely material2 but1 on the contrary1 will encourage the development of them all1 as a relatively important part of the all-wise design4 ,above and beyond these1 will be a deeper and greater appeal to the most generous and noble intuitions of the heart and soul4 ,there will be very little consideration for punishments1 or rewards1 or threats1 or anger1--to force the human soul into submission of any kind2 but there will be immense consideration for love of others and love of right1 individual responsibility and self-control4 ,pervading and illuminating all1 will be a blessed faith in the beauty and wisdom and purpose of the eternal mystery4 ,and whenever1 or wherever1 this kind of ideal comes1 and rings out through the land1 with compelling inspiration1 ,i venture the prophecy that the prevailing spirit of civilization will be ripe and ready to receive it with open arms4 ,,appendix ,los ,angeles ,times1 ,feb4 #h1 #aiba4 ,,criminal ,,impropriety ,we had supposed that the decadence obvious in the sartorial modes for society women reached its limit last year and that a saner and more decent sense of propriety would evince itself in the revulsion of public taste4 ,but the tendency to bizarre indecency has increased so that now we are offered in our public ballrooms the spectacle of criminal impropriety--of women's bare legs with painted knees1 of naked backs and lewdly veiled bosoms1 of transparent skirts and suggestive nudity1 of decorated flesh and vulgar exposure generally--the sort of thing that has ever preceded the downfall of civilizations4 ,it has no relation whatever to the nudity of innocence1 as is perfectly obvious with one glance at the type of dancing women that affects these disgusting extremes1 for their whole deportment is entirely in accord with their scant covering and nastily conceived exposures4 ,they are brazenly inviting a certain kind of attention and they get only the sort of attention they invite4 ,they are degrading all womanhood with their shamelessness1 at a time when the more worthy of their sex have striven to win and deserve to win that respect which should rightfully be theirs4 ,the people are all overwhelmed by the appalling crime wave that has beset the world--not only by murders1 robberies and hold-ups1 but by the ghastly increase in marital unfaithfulness which clogs the divorce courts2 and the attacks against women and girls which have become a daily department of the news4 ,the incredible and loathsome conditions cannot be overstated4 ,they are widespread1 staggering in their viciousness4 ,and we unhesitatingly declare that the preposterous vulgarity and criminal impropriety of that vastly increasing number of women who adopt these indecent modes for party gowns is1 if not responsible for the dirty conditions1 at least a large and important factor4 ,and it is deplorable that1 as the extremists jump from extreme to extreme1 the presumably decent women follow4 ,they are slower to adopt the full measure of indecency1 but each season finds them conservatively following at a respectful distance1 so that the modes for decent women to-day were the extremes of indecency a few short seasons back4 ,why do they do it8 ,it is a poor explanation to declare that they thus become more attractive to men4 ,if they are honest with themselves1 they know very well that the sort of attraction thus engendered makes the lowest possible appeal4 ,if they are honest with themselves1 they know very well that masculine taste in such matters is absolutely in the hands of women1 that the standard they set is the standard which will inevitably be adopted4 ,it has been said that every country gets the women it deserves1 but rather would we say that every woman gets the sort of attention she deserves4 ,intelligent women know this1 no matter what their argument to the contrary4 ,but the women1 who are going to these disgusting and revolting extremes1 are not intelligent4 ,man may be vile1 but he also has perception4 ,observe the women in any public ballroom to-day--those who expose the most have the least worthy of exposure4 ,these lewd revelations are certainly not in the cause of beauty4 ,it is the fat and podgy1 or the lean and bony1 female1 for the most part1 one who has neither natural physical nor mental attraction1 that resorts to this means of commanding attention4 ,she makes one appeal1 and only one1 and that to the very lowest instincts of masculine human nature4 ,no matter how she may deceive herself to the contrary1 she is deliberately catering to the animal passion of men4 ,beautiful and charming women of mind and character do not feel this urge to trade upon their private charms4 ,but the unintelligent and dubious female is invariably the one to make a bid for the only sort of attention she can hope to inspire4 ,theodore ,maynard1 now lecturing before the women's clubs upon the ,imminent ,break-up of ,civilization1 defines civilization as that condition of a people founded upon justice and honor4 ,it is not a question of brilliant inventions1 of motor cars1 telephones1 magnificent hotels1 luxury and comfort4 ,it is essentially a state of refinement1 culture and honor4 ,i could not love thee1 dear1 so well1 loved ,i not honor more4 ,that honor which is the very basis of civilization is essentially chaste4 ,and civilized women must be the essential guardians of chastity and honor4 ,where women cater to the dishonorable and unchaste1 there can be no civilization1 no sanctity of the home1 which should be the very citadel of honor4 ,adam in ,eden whined that ,eve had demoralized him4 ,eve to-day whines that ,adam and his war have demoralized her4 ,they are both wrong and both culpable4 ,and as in the old biblical story1 ,god will hold both ,adam and ,eve responsible and both shall be driven from the ,garden of ,eden1 our great modern civilization that is gaining all save honor1 that keystone of the arch without which it must fall to ruin4 ,and the modern unchastity of women's clothes1 the crude1 lewd1 wholly indefensible appeal to man's lowest instincts1 the deliberate trading on the unclean and the lustful side of human nature1 is1 we repeat1 a basic cause of that widespread dishonor and crime that are polluting civilization to-day4 ,surely there are enough decent1 intelligent1 noble-minded women left to halt this mad craze for criminal impropriety4 ,surely they can and will take the lead for purity1 decency and honor1 rather than be content to follow at long distance that road which leads to nothing but degradation for all humanity4 ,women and only women1 can halt this mad delirium--this hideous craving for attention at any cost1 at all cost4 ,where can it end1 except in utter degradation1 not only for their own sex1 but for their husbands and their sons8 ,this utter debasement of that precious heritage called love is the bitterest possible reflection upon our modern civilization4 ,the sort of attraction these unchaste1 nakedly adorned1 women of fashion hold out can never inspire that precious1 priceless thing which passeth all understanding1 which survives all the travail of tribulation1 that beautiful emotion that age cannot wither nor custom stale1 which radiates the dark places with shining light4 ,oh1 woman1 lovely woman6 nature made thee ,to temper man2 we had been brutes without you2 ,there's in you all that we believe of heaven ,amazing brightness1 purity and truth1 ,eternal joy and everlasting love4 ,los ,angeles ,times1 ,dec4 #ag1 #aibj4 ,the financial and business summary for ,december1 issued by the ,citizens' ,national ,bank1 will be circulated to-day4 ,this careful review of general conditions classes business as unsatisfactory from the standpoint of current activity1 but hastens to explain that data supporting this conclusion is on the surface1 and then1 arguing from the human standpoint1 says that there is greater need just now that we determine when the tendency to cancel contracts1 and otherwise strike the element of integrity from our business relations1 will cease1 than there is that we know when commodity prices will reach the bottom4 ,to-day1 the summary continues1 we are registering a very low point of commercial morality1 and as we approach the portals of a new year1 a year full of promise and plenty1 there is a great need of a full individual sense of our personal relations to one another4 ,it is not a struggling that is tearing apart the commercial1 social and home circles of to-day2 instead1 it is the lack of struggle1 a missing ambition to stamp out the measure of selfishness that has been permitted to breed in the human consciousness4 ,our growth during the coming years1 both as individual business concerns1 as a nation1 and as a race1 will be in a direct ratio to our re-establishment of individual and mass integrity4 ,the weakness of the bond market is merely an affair of permanence4 ,it seems to be purely a seller's market with the cause of the selling temporarily prohibitive to reinvestment4 ,the income tax has caused a new seasonal liquidation period to be written into the category of investment influences so that the present bond market1 though definitely in a major trend upward1 still hangs down around bargain levels4 ,possibly some sympathetic bear influence is reflected into the present bond market through the sharp breaks in the stock market1 yet whatever may be the cause of present low bond prices and dull activity1 it is certain that the underlying fundamentals in control of the investment situation are favorable to a long swing upward1 with the course to higher levels graded and fit for rapid travel when the turn of the year re-energizes the sinews of finance4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the protest against the present blue-laws is strong and the laws under fire are branded as the limit of legislative meddling1 but here are some of the old laws that were really blue3 ,these laws once were in force in ,connecticut3 ,no one shall run on the ,sabbath day1 or walk in his garden or elsewhere1 except reverently to and from meeting4 ,no one shall travel1 cook victuals1 make beds1 sweep house1 cut hair1 or shave on the ,sabbath day4 ,no woman shall kiss her child on the ,sabbath or fasting day4 ,the ,sabbath shall begin at sunset on ,saturday4 ,whoever brings cards or dice into this dominion shall pay a fine of five pounds4 ,no one shall read common prayer1 keep ,christmas or ,saints' days1 make mince pies1 dance1 play cards or play on any instrument of music except the drum1 trumpet and ,jew's harp4 ,no gospel minister shall join people in marriage2 the magistrates only shall join in marriage1 as they may do it with less scandal to ,christ's church4 ,a man that strikes his wife shall pay a fine of ten pounds2 a woman that strikes her husband shall be punished as the court directs4 ,a wife shall be deemed good evidence against her husband4 ,no man shall court a maid in person1 or by letter1 without first obtaining consent of her parents2 five pounds penalty for the first offense to imprisonment for the third offense4 ,married persons must live together or be imprisoned4 ,every male person shall have his hair cut round according to a cap4 ,a child over sixteen years old who strikes his father shall be put to death4 ,a child over sixteen years old who is stubborn and rebellious shall be put to death4 ,whoever1 professing the ,christian religion1 shall wittingly deny the ,song of ,solomon to be the infallible word of ,god1 may be whipped forty lashes and fined fifty pounds4 ,whoever marries two wives or more shall be executed4 ,saying that the ,christian religion is a politic device to keep ignorant men in awe shall be punished with death4 ,any man who uses tobacco in the street shall be fined1 or if he do so in his own house1 a stranger being present1 he shall be fined1 but if on a journey1 five miles from any house1 he may smoke4 ,any single person without a servant1 wishing to keep house by himself1 must get the consent of the selectmen unless he be a public officer4 ,persons not proved guilty1 but lying under a strong suspicion of guilt1 may be punished1 though not so severely as would be the case had they been convicted4 ,every family must have a ,bible1 catechism and other good books4 ,los ,angeles ,times1 ,feb4 #e1 #aiba4 ,,crooked ,,minds ,the prompt detection and punishment of the two kidnappers1 who were fools enough to believe that they could carry out a melodramatic abduction and get away with it1 is a satisfaction to the public4 ,but it does not remove the possibility of similar crimes1 attempted and perhaps executed1 by the large class of individuals who1 like the ,carrs1 have crooked minds--minds that see only glamour and excitement in the life of a criminal1 that are willing to take any chance and gamble with their own lives and liberty as the stakes1 for revenge or merely to get money to satisfy their physical demands4 ,ten years1 more or less1 spent in the penitentiary is not likely to straighten out the false conceptions of such men4 ,the ,carrs will probably leave the prison with criminal tendencies strengthened by the associations and repressions of penitentiary life4 ,it is just that such criminals should be put where they cannot prey upon society4 ,but1 while we are dealing out due punishment1 the main effort of the social body should be put into the prevention of crime4 ,we are talking greatly1 just now1 of the world-wave of crime following the war4 ,tomes are being written concerning its causes and its cures4 ,but the primary cause of all crime is the lack of true comprehension of the meaning of life--a distorted viewpoint--a crooked mind4 ,the causes of such minds are many3 heredity1 environment1 associations1 lack of proper self-control and understanding2 they can all be summed up1 however1 as the lack of moral sense in the individual and in the race4 ,the guiding star of existence1 the conscience1 in such cases1 has ceased to function2 the goal ahead1 a future existence1 has been lost sight of4 ,souls are adrift4 ,here is the secret of the unrest1 the crime1 the upheaval of to-day4 ,the old forms of religion1 with their rituals and professions1 have lost their hold upon a large portion of humanity4 ,the newer and clearer conceptions of the great truths that are the basis of all religion have not1 as yet1 taken the place of the old beliefs in the minds and lives of the majority4 ,the people of the world are to-day at sea1 with no definite port ahead1 with no guiding hand upon the helm of their ship4 ,in the chaos of this rudderless age state and church are making desperate efforts to palliate the evils of nonreligion and its consequence1 non-morality4 ,in our own country we are multiplying state-provided nurseries1 schools1 playgrounds1 gymnasiums1 colleges and hundreds of other substitutes for the homes and the home training that fails under the strenuous tests of present-day life4 ,we are enormously attempting to train bodies and brains from the cradle to full citizenship4 ,but with all our provisions and equipment we are failing to touch the real keystone of all character--the spiritual nature of man4 ,we are teaching morality because it is morality1 proved by experience to be expedient1 on the whole1 for a satisfactory career on the earth4 ,but our schools and our churches1 also1 are failing to teach the highest secret of life--the self-control of mind and body through willed righteousness1 based upon a knowledge and comprehension of a ,god-created and governed universe4 ,nor do our schools and colleges train their pupils to an understanding of their own mental powers and the development of right will1 of sound reason1 of controlled and regulated action4 ,we flood our children and youth with equipment1 with teachers1 with opportunity for learning things from the outside2 yet our educational training is failing1 as a whole1 in giving to the youth of this country the one essential thing for right living--a true and high ideal and the strength of will to attain it4 ,men like the two just sent away2 women like ,mrs4 ,peete 7whether she be guilty of murder or not7 are the products of a generation that has torn itself away from its old anchors of religion1 of duty and responsibility and has not yet set up a new standard to true its conduct4 ,state and church1 with all their will to do and their efforts and expenditure of means1 can never take the place of right-minded parents and homes where children are taught by example and by word their true relations to ,god and to their fellow-men4 ,crooked minds can only be prevented by heritage from men and women1 who understand their responsibility to ,god and to their country1 and who start their sons and daughters out upon the journey of life with a chance1 at least1 for decency and uprightness4 ,new ,york ,tribune1 ,april #bb1 #aiba4 ,,macaulay ,,on ,,america ,your ,constitution ,is ,all ,sail and ,no ,anchor ,the subjoined letter from the historian ,macaulay to ,henry ,s4 ,randall1 of ,cortland1 ,n4,y41 is taken from an old file of ,the ,cortland ,standard4 ,it was published originally in ,harper's ,magazine4 ,holly ,lodge1 ,kensington1 ,london1 ,may #bc1 #aheg4 ,dear ,sir3 ,the four volumes of the ,colonial ,history of ,new ,york reached me safely4 ,i assure you that ,i shall value them highly4 ,they contain much to interest an ,english as well as an ,american reader4 ,pray accept my thanks and convey them to the ,regents of the ,university4 ,you are surprised to learn that ,i have not a high opinion of ,mr4 ,jefferson1 and ,i am surprised at your surprise4 ,i am certain that ,i never wrote a line1 and that ,i never1 in ,parliament1 in conversation1 or even on the hustings--a place where it is the fashion to court the populace--uttered a word indicating an opinion that the supreme authority in a state ought to be intrusted to the majority of citizens told by the head2 in other words1 to the poorest and most ignorant part of society4 ,i have long been convinced that institutions purely democratic must1 sooner or later1 destroy liberty or civilization or both4 ,in ,europe1 where the population is dense1 the effect of such institutions would be almost instantaneous4 ,what happened lately in ,france is an example4 ,in #ahdh a pure democracy was established there4 ,during a short time there was reason to expect a general spoliation1 a national bankruptcy1 a new partition of the soil1 a maximum of prices1 a ruinous load of taxation laid on the rich for the purpose of supporting the poor in idleness4 ,such a system would1 in twenty years1 have made ,france as poor and barbarous as the ,france of the ,carlovingians4 ,happily the danger was averted2 and now there is a despotism1 a silent tribune1 an enslaved press4 ,liberty is gone1 but civilization has been saved4 ,i have not the smallest doubt that if we had a purely democratic government here the effect would be the same4 ,either the poor would plunder the rich and civilization would perish1 or order and prosperity would be saved by a strong military government1 and liberty would perish4 ,you may think that your country enjoys an exemption from these evils4 ,i will frankly own to you that ,i am of a very different opinion4 ,your fate ,i believe to be certain1 though it is deferred by a physical cause4 ,as long as you have a boundless extent of fertile and unoccupied land your laboring population will be far more at ease than the laboring population of the ,old ,world1 and while that is the case the ,jeffersonian politics may continue to exist without causing any fatal calamity4 ,but the time will come when ,new ,england will be as thickly peopled as old ,england4 ,wages will be as low and will fluctuate as much with you as with us4 ,you will have your ,manchesters and ,birminghams1 and in those ,manchesters and ,birminghams hundreds of thousands of artisans will assuredly be sometimes out of work4 ,then your institutions will be fairly brought to the test4 ,distress everywhere makes the laborer mutinous and discontented1 and inclines him to listen with eagerness to agitators who tell him that it is a monstrous iniquity that one man should have a million while another cannot get a full meal4 ,in bad years there is plenty of grumbling here1 and sometimes a little rioting4 ,but it matters little4 ,for here the sufferers are not the rulers4 ,the supreme power is in the hands of a class1 numerous indeed1 but select2 of an educated class2 of a class which is1 and knows itself to be1 deeply interested in the security of property and the maintenance of order4 ,accordingly1 the malcontents are firmly yet gently restrained4 ,the bad time is got over without robbing the wealthy to relieve the indigent4 ,the springs of national prosperity soon begin to flow again2 work is plentiful1 wages rise and all is tranquillity and cheerfulness4 ,i have seen ,england pass three or four times through such critical seasons as ,i have described4 ,through such seasons the ,united ,states will have to pass in the course of the next century1 if not this4 ,how will you pass through them8 ,i heartily wish you a good deliverance4 ,but my reason and my wishes are at war and ,i cannot help foreboding the worst4 ,it is quite plan that your government will never be able to restrain a distressed and discontented majority4 ,for with you the majority is the government1 and has the rich1 who are always a minority1 absolutely at its mercy4 ,the day will come when in the ,state of ,new ,york a multitude of people1 none of whom has had more than half a breakfast1 or expects to have more than half a dinner1 will choose a legislature4 ,is it possible to doubt what sort of a legislature will be chosen8 ,on one side is a statesman preaching patience1 respect for vested rights1 strict observance of public faith4 ,on the other is a demagogue ranting about the tyranny of capitalists and usurers and asking why anybody should be permitted to drink champagne and to ride in a carriage while thousands of honest folks are in want of necessaries4 ,which of the two candidates are likely to be preferred by a workingman who hears his children cry for more bread8 ,i seriously apprehend that you will1 in some such seasons of adversity as ,i have described1 do things which will prevent prosperity from returning2 that you will act like people who should in a year of scarcity devour all the seed corn and thus make the next year not of scarcity1 but of absolute famine4 ,there will be1 ,i fear1 spoliation4 ,the spoliation will increase the distress4 ,the distress will produce fresh spoliation4 ,there is nothing to stop you4 ,your ,constitution is all sail and no anchor4 ,as ,i said before1 when a society has entered on this downward progress1 either civilization or liberty must perish4 ,either some ,csar or ,napoleon will seize the reins of government with a strong hand1 or your republic will be as fearfully plundered and laid waste by barbarians in the twentieth century as the ,roman ,empire was in the fifth1 with this difference1 that the ,huns and vandals who ravaged the ,roman ,empire came from without1 and that your ,huns and vandals will have been engendered within your own country by your own institutions4 ,i have the honor to be1 dear sir1 your faithful servant1 ,t4,b4 ,macaulay4 ,h4,s4 ,randall1 ,esq41 etc41 etc41 etc4 ,a ,,fool',s ,,paradise ,radical propagandists1 with a sublime disregard for facts and history1 persist in extolling the tenets of ,russian ,communism as new discoveries in the art of government4 ,they assert that the ,bolshevists have solved for the first time in history the problem of social equality4 ,they say the experiment of the dictatorship of the proletariat has never before been attempted and that it fails to find favor outside ,russia because peoples are always prone to condemn what they do not understand4 ,russia1 however1 is but the last of many countries to rebel against its own prosperity4 ,during the twenty years preceding the ,world ,war ,russia enjoyed the greatest growth and development1 both of its resources and education1 in the history of the country4 ,two-thirds of the agricultural land in the nation was owned and occupied by the farming classes1 which comprised nearly three-fourths of the population4 ,in ten years the number of depositors in the savings banks of ,russia had doubled and the gross amount of the deposits had quadrupled4 ,then came the war1 to be followed by ,bolshevism4 ,the experience of ,russia in the last two years1 however1 is not unique in the history of nations4 ,the narration of the spoliation of the rich1 the confiscation of the estates and the profligate waste of the national substance is only a repetition1 almost verse for verse and line for line1 of the license and the abuses of the last years of the ,athenian democracy4 ,it was then demonstrated that the impoverishing of the rich could not enrich the poor1 and that a state without wealth will soon be a state without liberty4 ,in the idiom of the gallery gods1 it is all old stuff4 ,the ,charmides of ,xenophon's ,banquet celebrates the pleasures and profits of poverty4 ,he once possessed a fortune that made him fear thieves and sycophants--in reality the same thing--,athens had levied heavy taxes on the rich and had passed laws making it a capital offense for a person of wealth to attempt to flee the state4 ,the money raised by thus taxing the wealthy was distributed to the poor in the public places4 ,any one holding a certificate showing that he had not sufficient wealth to be taxed was admitted free to the theaters and was entitled to one meal a day at restaurants supported by the state4 ,the people's council1 fearful that there might be a disposition to stop this waste of public money1 passed acts which decreed capital punishment to any orator who should propose to modify the laws which made poverty a blessing4 ,charmides recounts that he once lived in a state of perpetual terror4 ,new taxes were decreed every day1 each of which he was compelled to pay4 ,he was deprived of the liberty even of leaving the state4 ,his lot was worse than that of the meanest slave4 ,behold6 a fertile imagination came to his rescue4 ,he embarked in a speculation in which failure was inevitable4 ,good fortune attended him4 ,within a brief time he was penniless and happy4 ,the unfortunate speculator who had gained possession of the wealth of ,charmides lived for a brief time in the agony of wealth2 then he attempted to flee the state1 was apprehended and executed4 ,charmides makes votive offerings to the gods of ,athens for his escape from the terror and servitude of property4 ,how comfortably ,i sleep6 he cries4 ,the republic has confidence in me4 ,i am no longer threatened4 ,it is ,i who threaten others4 ,a free man1 ,i can go or stay4 ,i appear at the theater4 ,i am admitted free4 ,the rich rise in trembling and offer me the best seats4 ,when ,i walk abroad in the streets they stand aside to offer me an unobstructed passage4 ,to-day ,i resemble a tyrant4 ,then ,i was a slave4 ,then ,i paid tribute to the state4 ,now the state1 my tributary1 supports me4 ,i lose nothing2 for ,i have nothing4 ,for a time democratic ,athens was a veritable ,bolshevist paradise4 ,but when the ranks of the rich became depleted1 when none cared longer to engage in any profitable industry1 the public revenue fell until there was no money to support the happy idlers4 ,the rich were tortured in the vain hope that they would produce hidden treasure2 but the public treasury remained empty4 ,this period of riotous profligacy followed the happy conclusion for ,athens of the ,theban war4 ,when the ,athenian proletariat discovered that the state was about to pass under the yoke of ,philip they hunted down the remnant of the wealthy class that still remained1 executed some1 banished others and sold still others into slavery for betraying the ,athenian state and leaving it helpless before its enemies4 ,shortly afterwards ,athens came under the despotism of ,philip1 who speedily conscripted this proletariat for forced labor4 ,for a hundred years afterwards1 however1 ,athenian writers in bewailing their loss of liberty blamed the fall of ,athens upon the rich1 who failed to arm and equip a force to fight ,philip4 ,all the wisdom of her philosophers1 all the art and learning whose loss the world still mourns1 fell before the onslaught of this triumphant democracy4 ,the culture of the few could not prevail against the greed of the many4 ,domestic conditions became so intolerable that a majority of the ,athenians welcomed the stern but salutary rule of the tyrant4 ,for they had learned that the tyranny of a despot is easier to be borne than that of universal poverty4 ,one does not have to interrogate the future to learn whither ,russia under ,bolshevism is tending2 one has but to look to the past4 ,like causes cannot produce unlike effects4 ,under given conditions national eclipses can be predicted as surely as the eclipses of the planets4 ,los ,angeles ,times1 ,may #d1 #aiba4 ,,napoleon',s ,,centennial ,the hundredth anniversary of the passing of ,napoleon centers attention anew on one of the baffling figures of all time--a man at once attractive and repulsive2 a soldier of infinite courage who on at least one occasion acted the coward2 a master strategist who1 to the last1 seemed never to fully grasp that strategy by which he almost recast a world4 ,he found ,europe feudal and left it modern4 ,he opened up new realms of knowledge to the servants2 revolutionized military tactics2 founded lasting industries2 gave a new birth to ,french law2 mocked and yet fostered freedom4 ,more volumes have been written regarding him than any other character in history--one excepted4 ,nevertheless1 he still remains the most elusive1 the most unsatisfying genius that the world has ever known4 ,his accomplishments have by this time been fully set forth and properly valued4 ,we know that he stands practically alone as the greatest strategist of the ages4 ,cromwell1 on a smaller scale and within a far more limited sphere1 more nearly approaches him1 perhaps1 than does any other4 ,we know also that he was an adroit politician and a statesman on a scale rarely equalled in ,europe4 ,he was also an orator and an adept at coining phrases4 ,he was an executive of immense power and a man of tremendous personal charm4 ,of course1 he was relentless1 cruel1 unscrupulous and all the rest of it1 as we have been so often told4 ,but1 praise and blame aside1 the question of the source of his power still remains the important thing4 ,certainly he was not great because he was a brilliant student1 for1 all in all1 he was not deeply read4 ,it could hardly be claimed that he was of the electric1 assimilative type1 for he would listen to no one and held opinions of others in contempt4 ,he was not even a strong reasoner as the term is generally used4 ,wherein1 then1 lay that genius which makes him the outstanding ,frenchman and one of the supreme personages of history8 ,apparently he was pre-eminent because1 more than almost any man who ever lived1 he had the power of harnessing his intuitive processes to his practical problems4 ,he1 it seems1 was able to tap that vast1 hidden and unsung reservoir of knowledge which is the epitome of all that the human mind has grasped and which1 though flowing through the subconscious mind of all1 is available in its entirety to but few--and then in all too brief flashes4 ,the theory of the quality of the human mind1 with its every-day1 jerky reasoning powers and its submerged1 smooth intuitions1 finds its strongest support in such an individual4 ,the subliminal mind1 psychologists tell us1 reaches out into daily life when the normal intelligence is in abeyance--as in sleep or profound relaxation4 ,this subliminal 7below the threshold7 mind is swifter than the conscious mind and over-reaches it in a flash4 ,it is practically unerring4 ,it is controlled by laws not yet grasped to any great extent4 ,it is hidden from life1 yet rules it4 ,mystics have the gift1 in varying degree1 of allowing their subconscious minds to engulf and enfold them4 ,the real poets have written in words that live because1 unknowingly1 they have fallen back on and given expression to the accumulated hopes and visions of the mind of man4 ,the prophets have simply been those with the power to make their instincts vocal4 ,genius1 in all its phases1 is seemingly but the measure of the extent to which men cordinate their two minds1 their instinct and their reason4 ,napoleon1 in practically every crisis in which he functioned1 struck those about him as being in a dazed and unnatural condition4 ,he had those same periods of semi-stupefaction that characterized ,csar1 ,paul1 ,alexander1 ,goethe1 ,lincoln and other exceptional men at the time of or immediately following a terrific use of their mental machinery4 ,what1 then1 if1 in the final analysis1 it should be shown that ,napoleon's greatness lay in the fact that he did not take his own mind or any other man's mind too seriously8 ,transcriber's notes3 ,obvious typographical errors corrected4 ,obvious ,punctuation errors standardised4 ,page #ccc ,it is quite plan that3 ,as per original4