BIRTHDAY LETTER TO SUSIE 123

shows, one would conclude that both sexes live
in a universe composed mainly of adulterous
solicitations, where the young men spend their
time in attacking the chastity of the young women,
while these, on their part, begin to yield at the
first assault. The outstanding feature in this
picture of young people is their feebleness; they
have no wills; but just drift along helplessly in
whatever direction the gusts of sex passion happen
to blow them. No wills and, I must add, not
much intelligence.

" This report, Susie, I don't believe, I don't
believe it in England, and I don't believe it in
America, No doubt a collection of specimens
could be made in this age as in any age, in England
or in America, answering fairly well to the above
"description. But as a general account of youth
in either country I hold the story a scandalous
libel at all points, and strongly suspect that the
people of whom it is mainly true are the authors
of the libel themselves, who, having made a mess
of their own lives, think to bring all to a level by
persuading the young to be partakers of their
plagues.

" To make things worse many of our pastors
and spiritual guides in both countries have
accepted this libellous picture as true and com-
bining it with other data of like questionable
origin have worked up a first-class pulpit scare
on the basis of it all, being mostly hard up for
something to preach about and in a sad state of