The Washington times., 1918-03-10
THE VALUE OF
CLEAN MIND
Teach Your Children
to Cultivate Whole
some Thoughts.
By William A. McKeever,
One Of the nations forenOgt SoeiO-
Logical authorities.

Logical authorities.
~ oARsE-MINDEDNEss IS most
serious Addiction, Is usually
~ acquired in childhood. II at all.
and Is q canker which finally eats
into the soul. This stain cannot be
washed away through physical
cleansing, or can It be absolved
through Advancement OF the victim
10 4 place Of material success.
Your boy thinks in words and
phrases, in silent or mental repeti-
tons Of the sxpyessioRS he hears
others use. These quiet reflections
are not chosen by him. He is. their
victim. But as they course through
his memery these sentiments tend
all the while to 20 cut in action.
BY coarse-mindednessI mean the
hAbitual thinking Of unprintable
expressions which are the stock
phrases Of those who employ vulgar
Spjthets. Unfortunately this blight
Of the mind has spread Its poison
Gus Infection during boyhood among
thousands who appear outwardly
decent and respectable.
Recently I met a man OF middle
years. IN some respects brilliant
type Of intellectual personality.
He was . leader and organizer IN
. certain reform movement among
Workingmen. an emotional agitator
OF strong persuasive powers But
, during the hrst i've minutes OF con-
versation this respectable appear
ing man cursed and damned Il num-
Der OF persons and things. and he
used other vile phrases calculated to
shock the SensibIlities Of all but the
dweIlers In the calloused under
world.
That told volumes Leader and
organizer! Reformer! What shock
ing misus Of words. And yet at a
eertaIn tender age your boy and
mine. II unrestrained. will pick UP
this sort of language with great
avidity. We parents must set up a
rigid defense against such a pos
sible weakening OF the character OF
our boys. We must know where
they spend their time, whom they
associate with and what kind OF
speech they are acquiring.
We can make a quiet and effect
I've inquiry. We can keep up u
sympathetic heart-to-heart relation
with these young sons OF ours and
thus always learn OF the poison
that may be entering their speech
and thought forms in time to pre-
vent the possible acquisition OF the
degrading habit Of coarse-minded-
ness.
Purity Of thought. purity OF speech
and purity OF life are all simply
phases OF tire same thing. There are
many men who well exenplify this
high standard Of personal integrity.
and they are not confined to any par
ucular class.
Among the so-called rich and poor,
the great and snall. and them.
And, whatever their calling. their lives
are . clean, bright light unto this
world Of many dark things. We must
study carefully the ways o. these good
men and try 10 bring our young boys
into Close personal contact with their
like. We must not forget that the
good. the pure and the beautiful In
Character are quite as contagious as
all the forms OF vileness.
sBeE!n early to test your boy out at
evening. in order to learn what new
expressions Re has picked up during
the day. Teach him to dislike and re-
tect the coarse ones and TO be fond
OF the choice ones.
ne will thus begin TO cultivate a
refined taste In the choice OF words
ana will enter upon 4 phase OF self
deN e!opment