learned it of an infantile school-mate. 

We were acquainted with one instance in which a primary school in a 

secluded and select community was nearly broken up by the introduction 

of this vile habit through a corrupt student. Many a watchful teacher 

has seen the light of growing intelligence suddenly dim and wane in 

the eye of his favorite student just when he was giving the most promise 

of developing unusual talents in literature, mathematics, or some one 

of the natural or physical sciences, and has been compelled to watch 

the devastating influence of this deadly upas tree that often claims 

the best and fairest human flowers as its victims. 

Wicked Nurses.--In those cases in which the habit is acquired at a very 

early age, the work of evil is usually wrought by the nurse, perhaps 

through ignorance of the effects of the habit. Incredible as it seems, 

it is proved by numerous instances that it is not an uncommon habit 

for nurses to quiet small children by handling or titillating their 

genital organs. They find this a speedy means of quieting them, and 

resort to it regardless or ignorant of the consequences. 

Not an Uncommon Case.--Prof. Lusk, of Bellevue Hospital College, New 

York, related to his medical class in our hearing a case which came 

under his observation in which all of the children in a large family 

had been taught the habit by a wicked nurse for the purpose of keeping 

them quiet after they were put to bed. The vileness that would lead 

a person to thus rob childhood of its innocence, and blast its prospects 

for this life and the next, is base enough for the commission of almost 

any crime. Indeed, the crime could hardly have been a worse one had 

the nurse referred to in the above case in cold blood cut the throats 

of those innocent children; perhaps it might have been better for the 

children. 

A gentleman once declared that if he should detect a person teaching 

this crime to his child he would shoot him on the spot; and if homicide 

is allowable under any circumstances, it seems to us it would be 

extenuated by such an aggravation. If occasional bad associations will 

work an immense damage to the youthful character, what terrible injury 

may be wrought by an agent of sin, an instructor in vice, who is within 

the household, who presides in the nursery, and exerts a constant 

influence! No one can estimate it. 

Acton remarks on this point, "I need hardly point out how very dangerous 

this is. There seems hardly any limit to the age at which a young child 

can be initiated into these abominations, or to the depth of degradation 

to which it may fall under such hideous teaching. Books treating of 

this subject are unfortunately too full of accounts of the habits of 

such children." 

In not a few instances the "hired man" has been the means of 

communicating to innocent little boys the infamous knowledge which, 

fortunately, they had not acquired in babyhood. With no knowledge of 

the evil they are committing, they begin the work of physical damnation 

which makes a hell of life and leads to endless death.