Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-27

lis pIludry luHctIOu 10 W cncouf-
age and develop wholesome life
among young men, whether 1t be in
growing city or in a city of fine
streets and admirable institutions,
most of the appeals of vice and FEW
other appeals are directed specifically
to the young man.
The social instinct which character
ICES young men. the inclination to
work, live and enjoy recreation in con-
genial groups, the instinct that finds
such complete satisfaction as in the
undergraduate years at mems col
lege, is developed and stimulated by
all the circumstances of city life. To
this instinct the saloon is always ap-
pealing, to it the churches almost
never.
In every city there are large num-
Der of young men away from home.
They are at the same time free from
the conventional restraints imposed
by the standards of propriety main
tanned by thier acquaintances, and yet
limited in thier opportunities for a
wholesome activity by the very fact
that they are strangers. To take fell
low of this sort, who is adrift, and
give him chance to go straight, and
then, whether he is adrift or at home,
to give his gregarious instinct a
chance to satisfy itself under whole
some conditions, is the double service
which the Young Mems Christian AS
ISOLATION has rendered and is render
ing to the young men of American
cities. 1t has, indeed become involved
in a much larger service than this, 1t
is, in places serving more than young
men, it is using young men to serve
the community.
Religious concerns not only what is
called the timer life" and is what is
regarded as eternal destiny" but also,
very directly the life that is now. In
other words, nature, the body, pleas
ure, labor, society are God-like or may
be made So
"The accent Paganism, which found
wonder and delight in the lives of a
mans body and in the strength of his
arms, that sets forth the Gods as toll
ing, as exulting in contest, as untang-
ling hard problems, and as participat
ing in common life, has been revived
and made moral and spiritual in the
wholesome form of Christianity, that
is in these days the product of the
Young Mems Christian Association"
In the art of developing the human
body, the Young Mems Christian AS
ISOLATION is eminent if not pre-eminent
The most successful leaders in this de-
partment of Association activity are
not content, however, with developing
muscle and sinew They recognize
they have in high state of develop
ment an organization for profoundly
affecting the attitude of men toward
the world and toward each other
They are not content to make the gym
nasium place where men can in
crease thier chest measure and learn
to do stunts on some sort of an appa-
ratus. Their conception of their
function is bigger than that. They re-
cognize that what man does with his
muscles affects his character.
The association encounters men
away from home, it finds them a lodg-
ing or builds them one, if it is wise,
it does more-it makes itself their
home. 1t encounters young men at
home in search of compainship, 1t sup
plies them with comrades. 1t encount-
ers working men who are anxious to
get little instruction, that will make
them economically less dependent, 1t
establishes classes which range form
reading and spelling to the practice of
law, and almost invariably includes
courses in mechanical drawing. 1t
encounters business men who feel the
need of exercise in the middle of the
day, it forms a Business Mems Gym
nasium Club, with special lockers, and
baths, trained attendant and congen-
ial membership and sets them at work
pulling weights or at play with hand