But let us get back to the circular. You open it and at the first glance of the heading, down it goes deep into your pocket while you sneak off to read it.
I say sneak off, because that is about what you do. Then you read in the circular what your awful doom is to be. As you read on you tremble, and there comes over you the feeling that every bit of real life is leaving you. Once again you read those cursed lies and then commences the habit of looking in the mirror when no one is around, to notice your pale face and those tell-tale pimples. You feel your pulse, which is, of course, now going at a rapid rate, and get into exactly that fright the fakers knew you would get into and so send them money for their “cure” of “Lost Manhood.”
If I could have my way, I would send to prison for life every criminal who advertised or sold stuff for “Lost Manhood Restored.” These vampires are criminals, soul-murderers and body-destroyers, and just as guilty as though they stuck a knife into every youth and boy.
Then you read in the circular about the awful effects and signs of “Seminal Losses at Night,” and know for certain that they are fast telling on your face. “Surely,” you say to yourself, “I must show how rapidly I am failing, for someone has noticed it and sent to these doctors to have them tell me what to do. Oh! what shall I do; can I ever be cured?”
Poor, scared and suffering boy! Why have father, mother and teacher left you to be the prey of these criminals? Ask them!
No, these blood-suckers did not get your name from anyone who knew you; that is, in the way you think. This is the way the names of boys and youths are procured: All through the land, especially in the weekly papers which circulate in the country towns, are to be found advertisements saying that if you will send your name—“only send your name; no money is wanted” is the general way they put it—you will receive the catalogue of the goods these advertisers have to sell. Sometimes it is some form of puzzle you are to solve and get a prize—“Just send us your name,” that is the trick. Others will offer you “A gold watch, 18-carat,” if you send a list of your young friends who would like to earn a little money selling soap, or canvassing for books or journals.
Rarely it is a fake sporting-goods house which advertises to send catalogues if you will send a list of names. But you all know the real ones; these are honest, absolutely straight houses. When you send these reputable houses your names they are safe from being bought by these quacks and criminals.
All these advertisers want is to obtain the name of every boy and girl between fourteen and eighteen years of age, so as to mail them their circulars. Some of these advertisers are the firms selling the “Lost Manhood” fakes and other nasty fakes; some are in the disreputable business only to get the names and sell them to the blood-suckers, and once they get your name, they will follow you up to the last minute of your youth; then, if you have been easily bled, they will follow you up into your married life.
They work the Sunday School teachers by offering to send samples of mottoes or some other tempting bait to catch the unwary young woman who has a class of boys—yes, and girls. All they want is the name of each scholar for some contest—the winning class to get a prize; or else it is to introduce some new line of CHURCH work—and to introduce it in their city, samples will be sent free to each pupil.