The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-03-14
WISE AsB HOPEFTL SENTIMENTS.

The following Is taken from a recent
paper upon The Work of the Young
Mems Christian Association in Our
Colleges by Chancellor Edward
MAyes. Like all of the productions OF
his pen it will cause thought and carry
conviction with all readers. Ii is COM
mended TO our readers most earnestly
Another peculiar difficulty springs
from the fact that want of sympathy,
TO a greater or less extent, exists be-
tween this class of young men and
those of maturer age, who eonsti-
tute the the great mass of Christian
workers. That want is one for which
no one is blamable. Ii does not Inn
port a wilfull Withholding by either of
aught that is recognized to be due to
the other. 1t is fundamental but
natural inability of each to enter into
the mental and moral processes Of the
other. Every rule has its exceptions ,
and there are such in this existence /;
but the general fact is as stated. The
boy, that is the yorng man who is
about to close or has recently complet-
his second decade, is as a general rule
(not alwaysl in very curious condi-
ton. lie has more wit than con-
science. His intellectual side has out
grown his moral side. lie is distorted
IIsa ncvabfaaI ,Nut;ttou l. ...l..,..,,.
to the physical condition of an ordi-
nary man, whose natural tendency
Zone side being stronger than the
other) is to walk in circle He is
prone to levity, TO objectless and I'M
reasonable mischief. His views Of
right and wrong seem often to be un-
accountable, and his whole conception
of life to be out of prospective. Nor
is he responsible for this fact, or censur-
able for it. IL is the simple result of
simple law; which is that the intellec-
tual part ofa man responds more rap
idly TO cultivation than the spiritual.
The boys moral side, developing later,
often overtakes the other; aud then
is presented that most excellent of
natures productions, a man wise both
in head and in heart. Meanwhile,
this resuls: the boy cannot take the
point Of view of the Christian man,
because II Is outside the pale Of his ex-
perience; and usually, the man cannot
take the boys point of view, because,
although he was once himself such
boy, such experience as he had then
was not conscious experience, aud
left no effective capacity for re-assum-
ing the boys nature. Thus, there Is
misunderstanding, discord. Each in
clines to judge the other with undue
severity, and to indulge in baseless
criticism. The difficulty experienced
IN overcoming this want of harmony,
is generally the great obstacle to the
mans good and saving influence over
the boy.
The special psychical condition Of
the adolescent youth which has been
remarked upon, Is made more mani
fest and is much emphasized IN every
way by the organization Of the Col
lege community. This for the reason
that boys are there collected into large |
crowds, and at the same time isolated |
to a considerable extent from those
outside influences which would other
wise act as correctives. II Is q phe-
nomenon frequently observed and
commented on, that all passions and
all idiosyncracies are wonderfully In
tcnsitled whenever the persons affected
by those passions or ldiosyncracles
are gathered into crowds. That Is the
philosophy of the mob, of the army, of
the assembly, whether political or re-
ligious Given thousand individuals,
each OF whom Is possessed by mo.
tive of passion whose intensity Is ex-
pressed by X If they be brought to-
gether, and the subject OF that passion
come before them for action, the ag-
gregated intensity of the crowds
emotion will be vastly more than 1000
X. Each individual acts as an irritant
and excitant ON the Others. Thus IL
happens frequently that mobs commit
acts OF violence far outside the normal
capablity for evil of any individual Of
the mob. This is the cause the mad
rush of charging squadrons In The wild
fury of battle. II explains the con-
duct, often irrational and brutal, of
gentlemen assembled in political meet
ings. IL accounts for the rapt spirit
al exatation sometimes seen iu re-
ligious congregations.
College life presents one phase of
this curious and interesting phenome-
non; the difference being one not of
kind, but of degree. II Is this phe-
nomenon which makes II dlillcult TO
control college students. AS a mass
they ignore or reject influences, argu-
ments, suggestions, which would win
the prompt acquiesence aud observ-
ance of each of them as individuals.
BY some process, inscrutable TO them
selves, but perfectly accountable to a
philosopher, they come to feel things,
say things, and do things, which none
Of them would feel, say or do If alone.
And this fact Is another difficulty in
the way of all efforts to impress them
by influences from the outside the
power of resistance being augmented
A very distinguished educator who
Dnce resided In this State, had q saying
10 the effect that ain this world there
are two kinds of fnature-human nature
md boy nature" The saying was
ocular allusion to the phases presented
by school-life; but il contained the
hint of profound truth.
Still! another difficulty to be over
,ome, and IL Is the last which shall be
is the fact that the methods OF
,ollege life render the students, to a
extent, physically mac
,essible to the older men. 1t is hard
o get to them. Practically II is inn
possible, in most instances, 10 come
nto these intimate relations of daily
md hourly converse which are neces-
ary to enable one soul to impress itself
m another.
All the subtle but potent influence
# observed example as distinguished
rom "preachment," all of the exquisite
dor of pure and noble life, all of the
and undersigned but most
Elective forces of sustained aud un- I
emitting moral pressure-are lost or r
mainly lost. The sudden blow de- +
....oI ooat,,af a ofs, rnav tootla Il but