Confidential Chats with Boys

by William Lee Howard

What the hookworm is to the unfortunate troubled by this parasite, the air in the top of the cheap theaters is to the boy and youth. It is worse than the hookworm, for along with the foul air he takes into his system go the fouler suggestions of the stage.

Every evil suggestion, spoken or acted, works great harm to your brain-tools. I do not intend to say anything to you about the moral side of evil—that is the Sunday School side—and I want you to get this fact well in your minds. I am trying to tell you what are the many causes for not getting along, as well as about those conditions of brain that will put you toward success. To do so I have to warn you about evil suggestions and companions. The moral side of your life will be taken care of if you avoid all those conditions which go to make a weak brain and body.

If the girls who frequent the PUBLIC dance halls were your equals, if they were fit to be your future wives, I should have no objections to your going there—provided the ventilation was of the best. But you all know in your hearts that you would not want your sister to go to these PUBLIC dance halls, and that a mother who brought up her daughters in the right way would not allow them to frequent such places and associate with strange men and youths. There are a large number of girls who frequent these places unknown to their mothers, others lie to their mothers about these matters. Now, you can put this down as a fact, a girl who will lie to her mother and disobey her will do the same to you if she becomes your wife.

You know all this, I dare say, but I want it deeply stamped upon your mind by one who has had a large experience with these kinds of girls and women. They are not wholly to blame, but we will not go into this subject here.

Now if this is the solid truth, do you not see that in these associations you are bound to see and hear things which fill your mind with thoughts and ideas which do not help your mental growth; more, they injure it. It is the same fact over again—the brain is a sensitive photographic film.

When you go to dances see that the hall you go to is well ventilated, that no smoking or drinking is allowed and that those you dance with are girls you can introduce to your mother and sisters. For dances and fun you should have, but see that they are of the sort that the next morning when you take up your work nothing evil enters your mind, that remorse and shame do not crowd out the teaching of yesterday and that you feel more ambitious to work to-day than the day before. If this state of mind is held day by day, you are certain to achieve success. If the contrary state of mind takes hold of you there is a going backwards, and kept up, this state means FAILURE.

Then there are those nasty holes, the public “poolrooms.” There is no objection to playing pool, billiards or any games, but there is objection to hanging around in the foul air—you see I am at your health again—the dead cigarette smoke, and listening to the animal language and ideas of the useless youths who make these places their “hang-outs.”

Don’t hang around with “the gang” unless you want later to hang with the gang.

The country boy needs this advice as much, if not more, than the city boy. He more frequently becomes fascinated by the evil attractions which reach him than the boy who is surrounded by good gymnasiums, teachers of manual labor and open-air playgrounds. But at heart he is a good boy.

There was a time when the boy who lived on a farm was free from evil suggestions, associations and shows. It is not so now. In fact I believe the country boy has more temptations thrust in his way than the city boy. He has not been brought up to see the outside world as has the city boy; hence, when these evils reach his neighborhood, all is new and fascinating to him. The trolley has penetrated his district and established “White Cities,” dance halls have been erected, moving picture shows and other dubious attractions follow the trolleys and are not always under the control of these railways. I have seen picture shows at these places which would not be allowed in the cities. The country fairs have many side shows that cannot but injure every youth who witnesses them, but to explain where the injury comes in is never the duty of school-teachers or parents—at least they will tell you so.