a naturally gifted scholar by this blighting influence. The most 

dangerous period for boys and girls exposed to temptations of this sort 

is that just following puberty, or between the ages of twelve and 

eighteen or twenty. This period, a prominent educator in one of our 

Western States once denominated, not inappropriately, "the agonizing 

period of human puppyhood." If this critical period is once safely 

passed, the individual is comparatively safe; but how many fail to pass 

through the ordeal unseared! 

The most painful phase of this subject is the tacit--even, in many cases, 

active--encouragement which too many parents give their children in 

this very direction, seemingly in utter ignorance of the enormity of 

the evil which they are winking at or fostering. Parents need 

enlightenment on this subject, and need to be aroused to the fact that 

it is one of the most momentous questions that can arise in the rearing 

and training of children. 

Polygamy.--One hundred years ago the discussion of the public propriety 

or impropriety of a plurality of wives would have been impossible. 

Polygamy had not obtained a foothold as an institution in any civilized 

land. Being well known as not uncommon among certain heathenish and 

barbarous tribes, it was looked upon as a heathenish and debasing 

institution, the outgrowth of ignorance and gross sensuality, and a 

relic of a sensual age. Now, this is no longer true. Even in this, the 

most enlightened of all lands, where there are most ample facilities 

for culture, for moral and mental development, polygamy holds up its 

hideous head in defiance of all the laws of God and man. It is true 

that the perpetrators of this foul crime against humanity and Heaven 

have been driven by the indignation of outraged decency to seek a 

lurking place in the far-off wilderness of the Western territories; 

yet the foul odors from this festering sore are daily becoming more 

and more putrescent, and in spite of the distance, are contaminating 

the already not overstrict morals of the nation. 

No better evidence of the blighting, searing effect of this gross social 

crime could be found than the fact that not only is polygamy coming 

to be winked at as something not so very bad after all, but men from 

whom we have a right to expect something better are coming forward in 

its defense. 

We have just been perusing a work written for the express purpose of 

justifying and advocating polygamy, which was written by an evangelical 

clergyman. He was evidently not willing to own his work, however, since 

his name is carefully excluded from the title-page, and his publisher 

put under an oath of secrecy. The arguments which he makes in favor 

of polygamy are chiefly the following:-- 

1. That it is approved by the Bible. 

2. That a robust man requires more than one woman to satisfy his sexual 

demands. 

3. That there are more women than men; and since every woman has a right 

to have a husband, the only way all can be supplied is to allow several 

women, two or more, according to the capacity of the man, or as they