of an infantile school-mate.

We were acquainted with one instance in which a primary school in a
secluded and select community was nearly broken up by the introduction
of this vile habit through a corrupt student. Many a watchful teacher
has seen the light of growing intelligence suddenly dim and wane in
the eye of his favorite student just when he was giving the most promise
of developing unusual talents in literature, mathematics, or some one
of the natural or physical sciences, and has been compelled to watch
the devastating influence of this deadly upas tree that often claims
the best and fairest human flowers as its victims.

Wicked Nurses.--In those cases in which the habit is acquired at a very
early age, the work of evil is usually wrought by the nurse, perhaps
through ignorance of the effects of the habit. Incredible as it seems,
it is proved by numerous instances that it is not an uncommon habit
for nurses to quiet small children by handling or titillating their
genital organs. They find this a speedy means of quieting them, and
resort to it regardless or ignorant of the consequences.

Not an Uncommon Case.--Prof. Lusk, of Bellevue Hospital College, New
York, related to his medical class in our hearing a case which came
under his observation in which all of the children in a large family
had been taught the habit by a wicked nurse for the purpose of keeping
them quiet after they were put to bed. The vileness that would lead
a person to thus rob childhood of its innocence, and blast its prospects
for this life and the next, is base enough for the commission of almost
any crime. Indeed, the crime could hardly have been a worse one had
the nurse referred to in the above case in cold blood cut the throats
of those innocent children; perhaps it might have been better for the
children.

A gentleman once declared that if he should detect a person teaching
this crime to his child he would shoot him on the spot; and if homicide
is allowable under any circumstances, it seems to us it would be
extenuated by such an aggravation. If occasional bad associations will
work an immense damage to the youthful character, what terrible injury
may be wrought by an agent of sin, an instructor in vice, who is within
the household, who presides in the nursery, and exerts a constant
influence! No one can estimate it.

Acton remarks on this point, "I need hardly point out how very dangerous
this is. There seems hardly any limit to