rming brain the stamp
of vice. When old enough to take food in the ordinary way, the infant's
tender organs of digestion are plied with highly seasoned viands,
stimulating sauces, animal food, sweetmeats, and dainty tidbits in
endless variety. Soon, tea and coffee are added to the list. Salt,
pepper, ginger, mustard, condiments of every sort, deteriorate his
daily food. If, perchance, he does not die at once of indigestion, or
with his weakened forces fall a speedy victim to the diseases incident
to infancy, he has his digestive organs impaired for life at the very
outset of his existence.

Exciting stimulants and condiments weaken and irritate his nerves and
derange the circulation. Thus, indirectly, they affect the sexual
system, which suffers through sympathy with the other organs. But a
more direct injury is done. Flesh, condiments, eggs, tea, coffee,
chocolate, and all stimulants, have a powerful influence directly upon
the reproductive organs. They increase the local supply of blood; and
through nervous sympathy with the brain, the passions are aroused.

Overeating, eating between meals, hasty eating, eating indigestible
articles of food, late suppers, react upon the sexual organs with the
utmost certainty. Any disturbance of the digestive function
deteriorates the quality of the blood. Poor blood, filled with crude,
poorly digested food, is irritating to the nervous system, and
especially to those extremely delicate nerves which govern the
reproductive function. Irritation provokes congestion; congestion
excites sexual desires; excited passions increase the local
disturbance; and thus each reacts upon the other, ever increasing the
injury and the liability to future damage.

Thus, these exciting causes continue their insidious work through youth
and more mature years. Right under the eyes of fathers and mothers they
work the ruin of their children, exciting such storms of passion as
are absolutely uncontrollable.

Clerical Lapses.--Our most profound disgust is justly excited when we
hear of laxity of morals in a clergyman. We naturally feel that one
whose calling is to teach his fellow-men the way of truth, and right,
and purity, should himself be free from taint of immorality. But when
we consider how these ministers are fed, we cannot suppress a momentary
disposition to excuse, in some degree, their fault. When the minister
goes out to tea, he is served with the richest cake, the choicest jellies,
the most