t, "He who tries to play the
angel, plays the fool."

But he continues:--

Many play the fool who have never tried to play the angel. They have
not fallen into the mud because they tried to fly too high, but
because they began too low down.... A society which permits license in
youth, and counsels it, degrades love.... Sin against love at its
base,--in youth,--and the life of the whole nation is torn, and
suffers immeasurably.... The rule of conduct here is chastity Every
infraction is a sin. Though this law may seem difficult and severe, it
is the only safe one. Morality without it is but rubbish.[48]

A start has been made. During the last decade, we have declared that we
must no longer have two standards of purity, one for the man and another
for the woman. We recognize a difference between the nature of the man and
the nature of the woman; but as our goal and as our standard for practical
life, we have abandoned "the double standard." This is a great advance,
for our young people as a whole measure up fairly well to standards which
society as a whole sets for them. It is entirely within reason to expect a
large majority of our boys to reach full maturity and marriage with an
absolutely clean record, as far as personal and social purity are
concerned. In fact, we should be constantly working toward a time when the
personally impure boy and the socially impure young man will be
eliminated. Both the men and the women of our nation must demand this.

There are many ways by which we may guide and help the adolescent. Only
the abnormal boy is not active and curious. If we do not provide wholesome
activity, boys are likely to find activity which is destructive in its
influence. Therefore, we must do far more than mitigate bad influences. We
must plan proper regimen. We must supply a steady succession of
constructive activities as well as definite instruction to satisfy
curiosity. No other course will do.

In the matter of regimen, wholesome food, sufficient sleep, proper
clothing, bathing, fresh air, and physical exercise are of great
importance. The life and energy and passion of the adolescent boy must not
be checked, but diverted into wholesome and constructive channels.

Excessive mental labor, a sedentary life, pernicious reading,
idleness, can transform into a tormenting and persistent desire that
which, without it would have been easily mastered. On the other hand