than this in the influences of food, clothing and
sleep, which it almost inevitably brings; and added to these, girls in
idleness, and left to amuse themselves, are often in such places thrown
into contact with persons of both sexes, whose conversation is the
worst possible in its effect on mind and body.[12]

But, according to the general principle of education, we must not
repress imagination in one direction without furnishing it some rational
food in another; for education, as has been said, consists not in
destroying but in training the natural man, and any system which aims at
destroying any natural impulse only defeats its own end. For this
purpose, and at this period of life, it were well to draw the
imagination to "the enjoyment of the beautiful through an actual
contemplation of it, and for this purpose the study of painting and
sculpture is of pre-eminent value. * * * * * Through their means the
allurement which the wholly or especially the half-undraped form has for
us, becomes softened and purified. The enjoyment of beauty itself is the
enjoyment of something divine; and it is only through a coarse,
indecent, and already infected imagination, belonging to a general
sensuality, that it degenerates into excitement."[13] "Let our artists
rather be those who are gifted to discern the true nature of beauty and
grace, amid fair sights and sounds; and beauty, the effluence of fair
works, will meet the sense like a breeze, and insensibly draw the soul,
even in childhood, into harmony with the beauty of Reason."[14]

There is another matter which can scarcely be passed over in silence in
this discussion, but the evil effects of which are seldom recognized.
There are many men in middle life against whose character no whisper has
ever dared to raise itself, men of culture and power, men of strong
personal "magnetism"--I use the term because no other will express
exactly what I mean--who often attract the almost idolatrous admiration
of young girls and young women. They may do this at first unconsciously;
but they are pleased by it finally, and seem to enjoy being surrounded,
as it were, by a circle of young incense-bearers, and they seem to see
no harm in, to say the least, passively permitting this excessive,
sentimental, and unnatural admiration. No harm is done? But harm is
done, and that of the most insidious character. There is a time in the
life of a majority of girls and boys when the half-conscious and just
a