Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28

point of physical efficiency, not only that
we may render the maximum of service
but that we may, as link In the end
less chain of existence, transmit to pos
terity even A larger store or physical
wealth than we inherited.
But I needn't dwell upon the first ana
second factors. The third-the conserva-
ton of that which We inherit and of that
which We add to it--this deserves special
emphasis 1t is an awe-inSpiring thought
that the Creator has put it in our power
to dissipate our strength, to destroy the
body. If young man inherits fortune
and squanders il We say, 'Foolisn young
man. but only Il few In a generation
are i'm a position to throw away for
tune. But every young man when he be-
j comes master of himself Is put INTO pos
session of a body which is worth more 10
him than any fortune, and he can waste
this body, squander it, throw it away, as
effectually as one can dispose of Tor
tune in money-and some do so.
How can / impress upon the young men
who honor me by their attention the tur-
ptude Of such conduct How can i bet
ter make them conscious of the obliga-
ton which possession of such wealth I'M
poses upon them than by showing them
how much il costs to raise boy TWO
wears ago ] heard a statement that is III
point here-the strongest statement
have ever heard outside of the Bible. 1t
was this: That the suffering which wom-
an endures as a penalty for motherhood
by all the wars of all the world; that the
agonies which she voluntarily takes upon
herself to be the mother of race sur
pass all the agonies of all the battle.
fields Is that not a startling statement:
And vet, upon reflection, l believe that IL
is true We have in the United States
more than ninety millions of human De-
ings That means that on more than
$1,000 900 Of occasions Il mothers life
trembled in the balance at a child's birth.
And this is Just the beginning. Compute
the value of the time-from third to a
half of the average womans life is de-
voted to the rearing Of children. Calcu-
late the worth of the nerve force and
energy employed In child raising and then
estimate ii you can the wealth OF love
that woman pours out upon her children
Add all this together and then tell me
how much boy is worth when ne Is
ready to throw himself away!
Is it not strange that any young man
would do 50? And yet many do. Ana.
what Is even stranger still, there are those
who eagerly assist in the work of ruin
there are those who lie In wait Tor the
young man. set snares for him and make
money by dragging him down and shat
tering the hopes that have been built
upon his life, Christians-for | may as
sumo that ! am speaking TO Christian
audience-we have not done all that We
might have done to strengthen these
young men and save them.
/ remember when a boy to have heard
nv mother tell a story OF very chart
table woman who always defended a per-
son criticised in her presence. Her chill
dren decided one day to put the mother
to test and So assembling by agreement
In her room. they began one after an
other to find fault with the devil. They
had not gone far, however, before the
mother stopped them with the remark.
WELL children. IL we were all as indus
trious as the devil is, we would accom-
plish more" Yes, IL we were as indus
trious in our efforts to save young men
as the devil is in his efforts to lead them
astray not so many would go wrong.