The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-05-23

Rescue him From His Pitable Con.
dition-lt is Rather Late to Begin the
Work of Reformation but He .Iay
be Happy Yet.
The statement by Prof Algie X.
Crook, OF the Northwestern Univer-
sity, Chicago, that he has never kiss
cd a woman, has never INDUCED in a
''swear word" taken drink or used
tobacco, has called forth comments in
credulous, sarcastic and plying in
ali parts Of the country. Professor
Crook is only 81 and is said to be
quite good looking, and it has been
! suggested that if his statement is
true he ought to be in a museum. A
late dispatch from Chicago represents
him as explaining that while he has
never kissed 4 girl he did not say
that none OF them had never kissed
him.
Commenting on Professor Crooks
original statement, Senator Chauncev
Nj. Depcw is quoted as expressing the
hope that missionary movement
would be started to rescue the Pro-
fsssor. Pretty missionaries. tlirtati-
Gus girls with kissable lips. he says,
must save the unfortunate Crook for
the sake of the sex. Professor Crooks
statement to class of undergradu-
ates at the Northwestern University,
! in Chicago last week, that he had
never ''chewed. smoked, used pro-
fame word, drank liquor, or hugged
or kissed Il girl has aroused the
| deepest omnlisstration Of the Sena
! tor.
! And he says he's 81 said the
Senator We'll, it i. not too late.
Still he can never know the JOY, the
thrill, the bliss Of boys first kiss
Poor fellow!
Il have read about Professor Crook
with the deepest concern for mis-
guided fellow-man. He almost brings
me back to a doctrine which for
many. many years have been trying
to get away from-the Calvinistic doc
trine OF total depravity.
just to think that for 81 year. a
fellow being has existed, with heaven
all about him on every side. the por-
tails all open and inviting, and that
he has never hugged or kissed a
girl,
why, worlds couldn't buy the
memory of my first kiss there on the
river at Peekskill, in the moonlight!
l remember it yet with an exquisite
thrill. | can feel the brush of her
curls against my cheek, feel the thrill
of her touch, see her blush and her
roguish eyes before me now. Pity.
pity, the poor creature who has never
had an experience like that!
when | wa. boy in my teens, [
was a great oarsman, and | was often
on the Hudson in my boat. This
night my little bright-eyed sweet
heart was with me. The moon was
shining. Have you ever seen the big
round moon shining on the Hudson
at Pcekstill on June night? II you
do you know what it is for boy to
be out alone with his sweetheart in
that moonlight.
Il remember how | pulled out into
the silvery stream, her mischievous
eyes upon me. A king on his throne
was never happier and he never had
half the right to be. A young man
with pretty sweetheart who likes
him just little bit and loves to be
in the moonlight with him is the most
blessed Of mankind.
well, we talked. After a while
we let the boat drift, | rather think.
Maybe her pretty eyes drew me nearer
to her. Maybe her loose curls touch
ed my cheek. Maybe we were saying
tender nothings, Maybe | touched
her hand.
Then it happened. 1t is the touch
that does 1.-THE electric thrill. A
young fellow could no more help it
than he could stop a storm, ond the
girl couldn't either. Why should
they. There is the silyery quiet,
there is the pretty girl daring him,
there is the young fellow - then
there's kiss. Don't ask me just
how it happened. ! don't know, but
, know that it did happen, and that
it is one Of the sweetest memories OF
my life. All, what pretty girl she
was. and how her ewes stirred some
thing in me.
1t wa. the old story of Eve and
the apple. 1t always is. The right
o sort of young fellow can't resist ths
forbidden fruit. and Evedoesn't want
him to.
The condition and the provocatior
must be right for kiss. The gir
must like the fellow little. 1t must
:, be moonlight or something like it. II
never happens in open sunlight
never, unless it is at 3 picnic in the
woods. They get out alone together
creature in the world, and means il
every word. His eyes show he mean!
it and his manner shows it. Anc
her dancing. mischievous eyes show
that she likes it, whatever she may
saw Then there is the touch-ano
, the kiss. Every fellow can tell yo,
about it if he will-that is, everyon,
besides Crook.
1T is very late for Crook to begin
He can never come the way of blis
that every other man has come. HI
can never enjoy the challenge from
the roguish eye of youth. Now h'
must be the aggressor. Still, it il
not too late for even a sinner lik'
Crook to repent and reform.
He must be saved. The girl
must do it. They owe it to the Sc,
; to wipe out the stigma of this maj
; getting up and proclaiming that in :
;; life of 81 years he has never hugge'
nor kissed girl. 1t is direct re
Election on all the women that Crool
has ever known. Even now the por
tails of heaven are open to him.
Il have heard of men abstainin,
from tobacco and whiskey becaus
their parents, maybe, had been hor
rible examples of their effects. The
havA tia