The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-05
TO SAVE THE BOYS
ONE OF THE TOPICS SCUssED AT
BETHANY YESTERDAY.
Election of Officers POstpOned-Prof.
WiIIetts's Bible TaIk-TaIked-Of
Changes at Acton Park.

INV AAC Qdy > NOIh Will ICllCNOO ~ NoSs
"A number of visitors were on the grounds
and several hotel arrivals were registered.
AT $40 o'clock Professor Willett gave an
address on Hosea; an Experience and a
Message" Following this an hour was
given to the boys of the order of the
Prineely knights. Rev. D. R. Lucas, of
indianapolis, spoke on The Peril of Boys"
He presented the evil influences of bad as
sociations that led boys into drinking,
gambling and other vices. He said the
cities are full of such temptations ready to
spoil the life of the youth of the land; he
said boys must and will have associates,
and that it was a fact much to be regretted
that these evil dens were easier of access
with their poisonous atmosphere than are
the places of good. He declared that the
boys must be helped and taught the right
way of living.
Rev. w. F.. Switzer, of Danville, then
reviewed the Princely knights work. He
said: The work of the Princely knights is
largely done in local castles; the keynote of
the order is found in the name Character
Castle. The old idea of a knight was a
mailed and sceptered man who went out to
fight some imaginary wrong; but the new
knight has to fight a battle within; the
building of a good character is the center
and goal of his work. In order to do this
the work Of the order is so planned that it
covers the life of the youth from the age of
twelve years up to manhood. There are
seven degrees and each is an advance in the
school of character.
"Other orders select their members, but
the Princely knights issue the invitation to
all boys of twelve years who will subscribe
10 the pledge. The secret of character is
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truths and principles of life. For each
one of these degrees there is a lesson from
some great character, and tests applied so
that the influences of these master minds
may be instilled into the lives of the boys.
Truths to become our own possessions must
filter down into the soul and nourish the
better motives of our being. The pledge of
the order binds every member to become a
helper of boys; the boys are not simply
statues for family decoration, but are ac-
lively engaged in an uplifting work. One
great truth is taught in Character Castle
that life is a sacrficial thing; the boy learn
ing this is easily led to see the perfect re-
lation between the Princely knights and
the followers of the Prince of Peace"
MUST BELIEVE IN THE BOYS.
Mrs. T. S. Adams made a glorious stand
for the protection of the boys. After de-
ploring the fact that only sixty minutes of
the time at Bethany was allotted to the
boys work, she asked the question, How
much time do our statesmen give to con-
sidering the boy trust? How much time,
money, thought and heartache are eXpend-
ed to reclaim the fallen man?" She pleaded
with the parents to hold the love and trust
of the boy from his infancy to his perfect
manhood. That is the great pivot on which
the wheel of success turns. She said:
You must believe in him.. Tell him he is a
scamp, and he will soon show you that he
is. Tell him that he is a nuisance and a
worry about the house, and he will be a
worry until he decides to remove the nui-
sance out of your sight; then you will sell
dom see him at home. But tell him that
you can't run the house without him. that
you love him and believe him, and you will
find at once that he is q real man in en-
bryo. He will swell with Importance, and
the first thing YOU know he will think inst
like all the other men-that he is a lord of
all creation" She begged the mothers to
of trees, in the sowing of seeds in the gar
den, and to let them care for these things.
She asked that they have a room of their
own and fitted up just as nicely as the
daughters, where they might entertain
their boy friends, have their own books and
make it a real den" She told the parents
to set aside one part of the evening for a
sort of family council for the purpose of
hearing the child's account of the days
CNCAllo DIG Sulu. 1IllS SlNluS account OIL
the days life cultivates the habits of re-
viewing the day in the light of the progress
made. The great central aim essential to
progress must be the building of character.
Give the history of great men and move
ments into the hands of the boy. Set a
standard of reading and study that looks
to the development of character"
n speaker denounced the noxious lit
%erature that is being published and thrown
INTO the hands OF the young, and said: I'VE
all rejoice that the period of our country's
history is passed when one can go out and
scalp Indians, and, in truth, while a SEEM
lngly necessary part of our growth, it was
surely not a very ennobling pastime. The
courage that supports a man while he
peeps from behind a tree and shoots a poor
1ndlan VIII not DO much to strengthen him
to say NO to the devil. Heroism! Why, a
Deerslayer could not give one definition of
century dictionary. Kit Carson, David
Crockett and others We're adventures. not
patriots. Teach patriotism, real, true love
her possibilities" Mrs. Adams spoke of the
wonderful opportunities the mothers and
sisters or this Nation enjoy, and closed by
saying: Truly, women have served their
years, of captivity. They have been led out
and have sojourned in the wilderness Of
stuQy ana thought. But of what avail is it
that our intellectual forces are strength
ened, our souls uplifted and our concep-
TONS broadened by knowledge of all ma
lions and peoples if we do not now direct
our powers to the uplifting of the world?"
A TALK BY PROFESSOR WILLETT.
In place of the regular assembly lecture
Professor Willett gave an address ON THE
Bible and the English Language In MARI
he said:
Among the encouraging signs of the
times, there is to be noted a widespread
and increasing interest in the study of the
Blble. Many causes have contributed to
TINS result; the preparation Of the induc-
tive system of Bible study; the fresh light
that is being turned upon the biblical rec
ords as the result of researches in the
Orient; the aid rendered by historical and
literary criticism to a better understanding
OF the Scriptures, and the renewed ampha-
sis being laid upon the study of the Scrin-
in other organizations, both for the young
and the old, projected under the auspices
of the church. But while this renaissance
d biblical interest is so marked a feature
OF our directly religious activities at the
present time, it is also to be noted that
there is as well a growing effort TO study
and teach the Bible on the part of those
who bring to the Investigation a literary
interest, and 1t is being recognized, practi-
caIIy Tor the first time, that the Bible is
not only the greatest moral textbook and
the record of the Self-diSclosure of God to
the race, but 1t is also one of the greatest
collections of literature, and that its in
fuence on the worlds language has been
most marked and fruitful. 1t is one of the
commonplaceS of linguistic knowledge that
the sacred books of the East, especially
the Nedas and the Koran, have set the
standard of literary excellence among the
sources of religious authority respectively.
1t is often noted as we'll how the Latin
translation of the Scriptures made by Je-
rome set the form of ecclesiastical Latin
preserved. and that the version made by
Martin Luther into the German created the
standard of that anguage for his own and
subsequent days as effectually as did the
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