Rovering To Success

ROCK NUMBER THREE

WOMEN

	THE Danger is the risk of forgetting the chivalry due
to women.
	The Bright Side is the development of the manly and
protective attitude to the other sex.

SEX INSTINCTS AND RISKS
THE MONARCH OF THE GLEN

	One of the finest sights that you can see of animal life
on the moor or in the forest is a full-grown stag in the pride of
life. He is the king of the herd-the Monarch of the Glen, as Land-
seer has pictured him.
	He is the embodiment of courage, strength, and virile beauty as
he stands roaring out his challenge to all rivals to "come on".
	In the "rutting" or mating  season  in autumn it is an excite
ing sight to watch the stags when they are calling and fighting
each other for possession of the hinds. They seem to go off their
heads for a time, running  hither and thither, restless and
excited, for weeks unable to settle down to feed or to sleep
till utterly worn out. It is the strongest and finest which
come out on top. In the combats that follow, with the rattle
and clash of antlers and the grunting of struggling com-
batants, the weaker are pressed backwards by their more
powerful opponents until they are driven off in flight,
leaving to the victor the choice of wives as lord of the herd.
	And he takes his responsibilities, ready at all times-and
able-to protect his hinds and fawns against all aggressors.
	The defeated weaklings can then only sneak about trying
to get what joy they can among the outcasts of the herd.
These poor, under-sized creatures, are not thought much
of by stalkers, who value rather the finer animals with
their greater strength and activity.
	The same kind of thing goes on in a greater or lesser
degree among other animals  of  the jungle, among the birds in spring, and
even among the fishes in winter.
	Even plants, trees, and flowers come under the
same law of Nature, and in their mating season, the spring,
the sap rises and spreads itself through every branch, leaf
and tendril, and the flowers blossom out, so that the female
pistil can receive the pollen dust from the male stamens,
which is a small germ that unites with the female germ, and
they jointly make the young seed for a new plant.
	Even the throwing out of beautiful flowers by the plants
in springtime is similar to the habits of animals and birds,
which put on their brightest plumage in the mating season,
and this we see reproduced again among human young
bloods, with their bright socks, fancy ties, and well-oiled hair.

MANHOOD
	Man, however, differs from others of nature's creatures
in that, whereas in most animals there is a definite mating
season, in man the instinct is always at work and there is no
definite mating season. The woman's "monthly periods"
are due to the rhythm of the organism but are not the same
as the definite periods of "heat" that we see in other animals.
	When the adult sexual instinct shows itself in the growing
youth, it brings about emotional changes which often feel
upsetting. But remember these impulses are natural. We all
have them and we must all learn how to deal with them.
I get lots of letters from young fellows who have never been
told what to expect when they are growing into manhood,
and consequently they have felt worried by finding it an
upsetting time for them. They get nervy and unsettled in
their mind without knowing why. They can't settle down
properly to their work, they get shy of other people and feel
miserable, and occasionally think that they are going off
their head.
	I am only too glad that in their trouble they have
thought of writing to me, because in many cases I have
been able to reassure them and to help them to take it
calmly. There is nothing in it to be upset about. It all
comes from quite natural causes.
	When a boy grows into manhood his whole body under-
goes a gradual change which anyone can see for himself.
His voice becomes deeper, hair grows where it didn't grow
before, his muscles become set and hardened, his organs
develop, and so on.

SEXUAL DESIRE COMES FROM PERFECTLY NATURAL CAUSES
	The change is brought about by the secretions from the
organs of sex, which influence the development of the whole
body and may be compared to the flow of sap in a tree.
It gives the vigour of manhood to his frame, and it builds
up his nerves and courage.
	The actual fluid secreted by the testicles and adjoining
glands is called semen, which is Latin for seed.

THE WAY IN WHICH LIFE IS REPRODUCED
	This fluid contains the male organism, which is respon-
sible for fertilising the female organism called the ovum,
which is Latin for egg. In order for life to be reproduced
throughout the animal kingdom and a large part of the
vegetable kingdom too, it is this union of the male organism
with the female that starts the process of a new life develop-
ing. In man the male organism is called the spermatozoon
and there are many thousands of these spermatozoa in a
single drop of semen. Nature appears to be extravagant
in malting so many of these, of which only one actually
fertilizes the ovum.
	You can get some idea of the process by looking at
these pictures of the fertilisation of the hen's egg and
the growth of the chick which uses up the yolk as
it grows.  The "white" contains the actual ovum,
which is fertilised by the spermatozoon of the cock
bird when it "covers" the hen. By a similar process
in the human being, from the joint germ there emerges
a living, breathing creature of flesh, blood and bones,
with eyesight, brain and mind, and even with many points
of likeness in appearance and character to both of its parents.

THE GERM IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR CARRYING ON THE RACE
	And this young creature carries within it again the germs
for reproducing further children in its turn, when it has
grown to the riper age.
	The whole of this marvellous and complicated process
is a work of God the Creator. The germ from which you
were made was passed down by your father just as he came
from the germ of his father before him; and so away
back into the Dark Ages.
	And you have that germ in you to pass out, when the
time comes, to join with that of your wife in making your son.
	So it is a sacred trust handed down to you through your
father and his fathers from the Creator-The Great Father
of all.
	Sometimes, when this semen is forming over-rapidly,
you may find that you pass some of it out in your dreams
while you are asleep. This need not alarm you; it is the
natural overflow. If brought on by oneself the act is called
"self abuse" or "masturbation".

MASTURBATION
	Young men are sensible enough, and are willing, to take
advice if they can only get it, and I am certain that if only
these things which I have mentioned above were better
understood by them they would avoid many of the dis-
tressing and sometimes agonising times they go through.
It often used to be taught that self abuse is a very dreadful
thing leading to insanity and, at any rate, causing per-
manent and severe damage to the system. Now this is a
grossly exaggerated picture to say the least of it. Self
abuse is obviously brought about by unnatural conditions.
If we were living in a primitive state of nature, boys would
behave about sex matters just as our friend the stag!
	There would be no moral or social check to sexual inter-
course. They cannot do this for moral and social reasons,
but that does not take away the primitive sexual instinct
which is at the bottom of their desires. No, to have the
desire is natural, so don't blame yourself for this and don't
waste time in self torture if you have abused yourself£
The tension is sometimes so great that many fellows have
at times practised masturbation. What is it really? It is
the gratifying of the sexual instinct by giving oneself the
feeling of satisfaction. In other words it is a form of self
love, which is obviously not a thing to cultivate.
	Now we are members of a community governed by cer-
tain moral laws and social conventions. Promiscuous
sexual intercourse is forbidden by these moral laws, so
here is the dilemma. Primitive desires versus moral and
social laws. We have granted we cannot escape the desires.
If our aim is to lead a healthy decent life for ourselves and
others, we shall soon adjust these difficulties. Sex is not
everything in life, and other energies take the place of sex
and relieve the strain. The energy that the primitive male
animal puts almost solely into sex, in the human, is turned
into all sorts of other activities, such as art, science and
a hundred and one other things. So the more interests
you have and the more you follow them with keenness
the less will primitive sex urges worry you and when the
time comes you will have the delight of sharing them
naturally with the woman who will surely be your mate.
Now you can see how Rovering comes in. Instead of aimless
loafing and smutty talks you will find lots to do in the way
of hiking and enjoyment of the out of door manly activities.
Without knowing it you are putting something in the place
of sex.

VENEREAL DIsEASE
	One almost invariable result from loose talk among lads
is that they get to talk filth, and in this way lower their
ideals and thoughts to a beastly standard, and one which
they will be ashamed of later on when they have grown
to be men.
	It puts them back on their road to happiness, because
they will have so much leeway to make up in getting out
of the mud into which they have floundered. And mud
always sticks to some extent.
	Then lads are apt to joke airily about venereal diseases
which are sure, sooner or later, to overtake those who
indulge their sex desires unwisely.
	But these diseases are no joking matter; however slight
their first effects, they are desperately dangerous to a man.
	There are two principal Venereal Diseases: Syphilis
("Pox"). Poisonous infection that can be caught by
connection with a person already infected. The disease
shows itself in a sore at first; this develops in a few weeks
into other sores; then in from one to twenty years it causes
diseases of parts of the body or of bones, and frequently of
the heart, if not properly treated. Gonorrhoea ("Clap").
Nearly always caught by connection in the same way as
Syphilis. Shown by discharge of matter from the organ
and inflammation of the organ itself. Further inflammation
is likely to follow in the bladder, etc.
	Syphilis is often inherited by children from diseased
parents, with the result that they are blind, or deaf, or
paralytic, or insane. It has been estimated that twenty-
five per cent of people who are blind from infancy are so
as the result of parents syphilis. The sins of the fathers are
indeed visited on their children.
	When once syphilis has got hold of you, none of the
quack medicines as advertised will save you. The only way
is to go at once to a good doctor and tell him straight
out what has happened. If he takes you in time he will be able
to cure you.
	But the danger is not one which anyone will joke about
once he knows the depth of it, is it? A visit to any Lock
hospital will give you such examples of venereal disease as
will persuade you, better than any words of mine, to
avoid having anything to do with women of the street if
you would save yourself in body as well as soul.
	The folly of taking such a risk is largely the result of
being carried away by the weaknesses of the herd.
	It is like drinking or gambling~a disease which you
pick up from letting yourself drift too far without thinking,
in the company of a lot of other unthinking young fellows.
	Many men come to grief from supposing that if they go
with a girl who is not a regular prostitute of the streets,
there will be no danger of being infected with the disease.
But the reports show that the danger is actually greater.
The girl who has once been deceived by some blackguard
of a man loses her sense of shame and is willing occasionally
to go with other men. But in her ignorance she is more
liable than the professional to harbour disease, from not
knowing what precautions to take. Therefore, she is all the
more dangerous to herself; poor creature, and to others
with whom she comes in contact.
	A man may be continent and resolve to remain so. He
may then by chance, or by boon companions, be led to
take that fatal "sixssth" glass, and, with brain and senses
clouded, do the very things he meant not to do.
	That is where so many a good fellow has come to grief
and ruined himself not only morally (in his character) but
physically (in his body) as well.
	There is a play called "Damaged Goods" which deals
with the venereal question in an open, common-sense
way, and is a good education for a young man. It tells of
a young man's infecting his wife and child, and the child's
nurse, through ignorance. The pathetic cry which there
comes in, "If I had only known in time!" is one which is
echoed in hundreds of cases every day.

SINS OF THE FATHERS VISITED UPON THE CHILDREN
	When I was writing this chapter a friend asked me
whether it was really true that syphilis was passed on by a
father to his children to the extent suggested.
	I only had to show him a letter that had appeared in
The Times that morning from a coroner, in which he said
that the loss of life or of reason and the infection of innocent
children from this awful disease "is terrible in the extreme

MANLINESS
CHIVALRY
	You will, I hope, have gathered from what I have said
about this Rock "Women," that it has its dangers for the
woman as well as for the man. But it has also its very
bright side if you only manoeuvre your canoe aright.
	The paddle to use for this job is CHIVALRY.
	Most of the points which I have suggested as being part of
the right path are comprised under chivalry.
	The knights of old were bound by their oath to be chival-
rous, that is to be protective and helpful to women and
children.
	This means on the part of the man a deep respect and
tender sympathy for them, coupled with a manly strength
of mind and strength of body with which to stand up for
them against scandal, cruelty or ridicule, and even, on
occasion, to help them against their own failings.
	A man without chivalry is no man. A man who has this
chivalry and respect for women could never lower himself to
behave like a beast, nor would he allow a woman to ruin her-
self with him by losing her own self-respect and the respect
of others. It is up to him to give the lead-and that a right
one; and not to be led astray.
	I have known such chivalry on the part of a man to give
further than this, even to the point of raising a woman who
had fallen; where she had expected him to join her in
debauchery his courteous respect for her, which overlooked
her faults and was given because she was a woman, caused
her once more to think of her own self-respect and so
restored her to her place.
	Chivalry, like other points of character, must be developed
by thought and practice, but when gained it puts a man on
a new footing and a higher one with himself and with the
world.
	To be chivalrous he must put woman on a pedestal, and
see all that is best in her; he must also have sympathy for
the weaker folk, the aged and the crippled; and he must
give protection to the little ones.
	For this he must use his self~control to switch off all that
is impure from his mind and ensure that his own ideas are
clean and honourable, that his sense of duty is so high that
ridicule and chaff will mean nothing to him.

NOT MY JOB
	"Not my job" is usually the camouflage under which
a coward endeavours to conceal his want of chivalry. But
for a man anything that can be helpful to anyone is his
job.
	I don't mean by that that he should therefore poke his
nose into other people's business, or ask them, "Are you
saved?" and so on.
	But if he can lend a hand to a woman who is down, or
help a young fellow who is trying to keep up and clean, then
he can do a great good through his chivalry. And, more-
over, he can be of service to others by the very example
he sets of leading a clean, upright life, and by showing
that he is not ashamed of so doing.

IT IS UP TO YOU TO BE MASTER OF YOURSELF

	The thing is to remember, as I have said before, that
you are YOU, and you have got to make your own road for
yourself if you mean to gain happiness. Come out of the
herd and take your own practical steps towards dealing
with the desires that come upon you in the course of
Nature.
	Keep away from loose companions, whether men or
girls; take on lots of other occupation and healthy exercise,
such as boxing, walking, hikes, football, rowing, etc.
Keep your thoughts off lewdness by taking up hobbies
and good reading in your spare time; keep off drink and
over-smoking, over-eating, sleeping in too warm or soft
a bed, since all these help to make the temptation worse.
	Athletics are also a great outlet to one's natural forces.
They have the elements of struggle and victory by physical
force, which accompany war, but they should take its place
and not be used as training for turning boys into "Cannon
Fodder".
	You all know about scouting and the immense value that
it has, so we need not go into that any more.
	Now one word about tolerance~we are all different and
we must not think that because other fellows seem inferior
to us, they are to be despised.
	For example, you may be a good athlete and Smith may
be a poor one, but very good at books. Don't despise him,
but "Live and let live".
	Now we have taken a pretty good look at the problems
of sex as they arise in boyhood. I hope you feel happier
about them. Life should be natural and easy, and the
healthier a life you lead, the less these problems will arise
and bother you.
	Remember that if you do get troubles that worry you,
the best way is to take them to an older man-your
Father, if you can talk to him, or an understanding Doctor
or Master.
	Brooding over troubles never does any good.
	If one really lives up to the Scout's Code, one can't go
far wrong.
	There is an old tag in Latin, which we might do well to
close with:
		"Mens sana in corpore Sano".
		"A healthy mind in a healthy body".
		A good thing to aim at!
	Keep yourself clean inside and out by daily washing,
and swimming if you can. Constipation and neglect to
keep the racial organ cleaned daily are apt to cause slight
irritation which leads to trouble.
	It will be a struggle for you, but if you are determined
to win you will come out of it all the better for the experi-
ence; you will have strengthened your character and your
self-control; you will have come through clean-minded
and wholesome; and you will have fortified your body
with the full power of manhood.
	Remember also that you have done this, not only for
your own sake, but because you have a duty to the nation,
to the race, that is, to beget strong, healthy children in
your turn; and to do this you have to keep yourself
pure.
	Some fellows seem to think that if they don't let them-
selves go now and then, they will not be able to perform
when they get married later on. This is absolute nonsense.
Continence does not weaken your powers.
	I have had so many letters from young men on the
subject that I quote a reply that I have sent them, as it
may meet the anxiety of others:
	"I am very glad indeed to hear that you have managed
to keep yourself straight in spite of the continued tempta-
tion. In reply to your question, I don't think you need
have any fear about being able to marry, provided that
you go On as you are now doing. Lots of fellows have, to
my knowledge, been afraid to marry thinking that they
might be impotent, because of their having indulged in
self-abuse when young. But they found that they were all
right after all, and so I hope and expect it will be in your
case."

AUTO-SUGGESTION
	Imagination runs off into day-dreams, and these may be
suggestive ones which bring on temptation.
	Yet imagination is the important part of auto-suggestion
or self-cure, and therefore the lad who is given to day-
dreams is really the one who has the best power for curing
himself if he only sets about it on the lines that I have
suggested.

THE PARENTS' INFLUENCE
	A large proportion of the men who have risen to eminence
in the world admit that they have owed very much of their
character and success to the influence of their mother.
	And this is natural, since in any case she has been the one
who cared for him and watched over his upbringing from
his earliest childhood. She has given of her best for him.
	The man owes a debt to his mother such as he can never
fully repay. But the best that he can do in this direction is
to show that he is grateful and prove himself worthy of and
bring success to her efforts.
	She has probably dreamed ambitious dreams to herself of
what her boy would do in the world, and disappointment, as
bitter as it is secret, will overshadow her where he turns out
a waster or a failure.
	Boys don't think of this enough. They are cruel without
intending it; they are apt to forget how much she has done
for them and how grateful she would be for the smallest
return.
	I remember Sir Thomas Lipton telling me the story of
his life, and I realised how he made his mother a happy
woman when, as a shop-boy, he brought her the first week's
wages he had earned. "Why, Thomas," she said, "you
will be getting me a carriage and pair next I"
	That little remark caught his imagination, and on it he
built up his ambition. His whole effort was then devoted to
the one aim of making enough money to buy a carriage and
pair as a surprise-offering to his mother.
	He told me that, among the many exciting incidents of
his life, the proudest and happiest moment was that when
he was able to actually hand over to her the prize that he
had gained for her.
	So in making your own way to success remember that as
you progress it will not be merely a satisfaction to yourself
but it will bring a real happiness in a quarter where it is
most deserved-in your mother's heart.
	And when some of these difficulties or temptations of
which I have spoken are troubling you, turn your thoughts
to your mother. Think what her wish would be. Act upon
it, and it will pull you through.
	If problems arise which you feel you cannot cope with
by yourself, talk them over with your father. Remember
he has been through the same difficulties as you and will
be able to help. If for any reason your father is not avail-
able there will be some older man you can trust to whom
you can go.

SAVE YOURSELF AND HELP TO PRESERVE THE RACE
	Now, as I have said before, in giving you these ideas I
am only trying to help you to get happiness.
	Happiness depends to a large extent on health, though it
also depends on knowing that you are aiming to help the
general well-being of the country as well as of yourself.
It is no use your getting married, indeed in some cases it is
a crime to do so, unless you are fit and healthy and able to
beget healthy children. And part of your responsibility as
a parent will be to teach your children how to grow up
healthy.
	Well, there is an awful lot of happiness missed in our
country through ill-health, and most of that ill-health could
be prevented if fellows only took reasonable care of them-
selves.
	Do you know that only one man in three is really healthy,
and that one in every ten is an invalid?
	Out of eight million young men-young men, mind you,
not the old worn-outs-called up for army service in the
Great War, over one million were found to be medically
unfit for service!
	A large proportion of these were born healthy, but were
allowed by their parents or they allowed themselves to
become weak and feeble.
	A further proportion were born defective because of the
defects in their fathers or mothers-very largely from
veneral disease.
	If you added up all the working hours that men lose
through sickness in Great Britain every year, it would
amount to fourteen million weeks. Just think what this
means in trade and wages, and yet that loss is largely pre-
ventable if fellows only knew how to take care of them-
selves and had the sense to do it.
	If you are an engineer you know what tremendous care is
necessary in keeping the machinery properly lubricated,
fed with fuel, gentle use of levers, thorough cleaning of all its
parts; constant care and attention are necessary, together
with a close knowledge of each particular bit of the machi-
nery, if you are to have it in good working order, running
smoothly and efficiently.
	But in your own body you have a machine more wonderful
than any man-made engine and one that needs still closer
attention and better understanding if you are to keep it
well. And what is more, you can, by taking care of it,
improve it and make it bigger and stronger, which is more
than the engineer can do with his engine.
	Yet how few fellows understand anything about their
inside and its wonderful mechanism: they try to drive an
engine that they know nothing about, they give it all sorts
of wrong treatment and then expect it to keep sound and to
work well!

HOW TO KEEP HEALTHY AND STRONG
	When I was serving in the fever jungles, both on the
east and the west coasts of Africa, I noticed that many of
us were healthy enough so long as we were on the march
every day, but that whenever we had a day's halt and
rested some of us were sure to get fever.
	I argued it out in my own mind that our blood got
cleaned and freshened every day through the daily rear and
sweating out of waste stuff in one's system.
	A day of rest meant less perspiring and more feeding
than usual and therefore less drainage of one's inside.
	So I always made a point of going in for a good bit of
exercise on a rest day, and sticking to my usual small
amount of food and drink.
	I never had a day's sickness, and at one time averaged
twenty miles a day marching for over a week in a pretty
soggy atmosphere. Never felt fitter.
	I had one white officer with me, but he had to be re-
placed five times by fresh men owing to sickness.
	Well, I put it down to keeping my blood clean and pure.
It is pure blood that makes your body, muscle and fibre
grow and keep strong.
	And the heart that pumps it through the body is the
most important organ that you have. The "Scout's Pace,"
i.e., alternate running and walking for short spells of
twenty or thirty paces, saves men from the heart strain
of long-distance running, which is not a sport that every-
one is physically fitted for.

FRESH AIR
	The blood needs loads of oxygen-that is fresh air-to
keep it fresh. Living indoors without fresh air quickly
poisons the blood and makes people feel tired and seedy
when they don't know why.
	For myself I sleep out of doors in winter as well as
summer. I only feel tired or seedy when I have been
indoors a lot. I only catch cold when I sleep in a room.
	The British Medical Journal has reported that living in the
open air improved the metabolism (There's a word! It
means getting the best chemical value from the food we
eat) of patients in one hospital to the extent of 40 per cent
above the average.

CLEANLINESS
	I have said clean yourself from inside, but also it is im-
portant to clean yourself outside if you want to be healthy.
	Cavalry soldiers used to be noted for their cleanliness, the
truth is they learnt from grooming their horses and cleaning
them up at least twice a day how very important it is to
health and freshness, to have the skin and parts properly
cleaned.
	A bath cannot always be got every day, but a wet and
scrubby towel can always be made available and should
be used without fail.

BREATHING
	The Red Indians used to train their children while they
were yet babies to breathe through the nose and not through
the mouth. This was partly with the idea of teaching them
not to snore and so give themselves away to the enemy in
the night, but also because they believed that an open mouth
reflected on the character of the man. My Red Indian
friends once told me of an Englishman who wanted to
fight a duel with a Red Indian, but with true idea of fair
play he declined to use pistols or other weapons that the
Red Indian was unaccustomed to. So he suggested that
they should strip and be armed with a knife apiece and
fight it out in that way. The Indian smiled and said he
would fight if the Englishman still wished it, but that it
would go badly with the Englishman.
	When asked his reasons for this he said that he had
noticed the Englishman habitually kept his mouth half
open and he had no fear whatever of a man who did that. It
was the sign of a weak character. Whether or not an open
mouth is an indication of weak character I would not know
but it is certain that the man who breathes through his
mouth sucks in poisonous germs from the air, instead of
getting them caught up in the moisture inside his nostrils.
	The way to catch 'flu or any other disease that is flying
about is to breathe with your mouth open.

TEETH
	It is said that nearly half the ill-health of the nation may
be traced to bad teeth. Although people start with good
teeth as children, there are very few that have a sound set
after twenty-five, and this is mainly because of their own
want of care of their teeth.
	Children are not taught the importance of cleaning their
teeth THOROUGHLY alter meals; and grown-ups don't bother
about it. Diseased teeth and gums not only prevent you
from properly chewing your food, but breed germs and
microbes in your mouth which go down with your food and
give you continual small doses of poison which gradually
make you seedy and depressed without your knowing the
reason.
	If you want to see what you have in the way of germs in
your mouth it is an interesting experiment to put some
hydrogen peroxide with water in a glass and dip a clean
toothbrush into it. Nothing happens.
	Brush your teeth over with the toothbrush and dip it
again into the glass and you will see myriads of bubbles
rising in the water, which means so many germs being
knocked out.

EXERCISE
	I was asked once by a high authority in education whether
I did not think that the cost of erecting gymnasia in every
town-though it might amount to millions-would be
money well spent because it would develop the health and
strength of manhood.
	I replied that the two strongest, healthiest races I
happened to know were the Zulus and the Bhutani peasants
of the Himalayas; but in neither country had I ever noticed
a gymnasium. There was plenty of God's fresh 'air, and
lots of walking and running and climbing to be done in
the daily work of these people; and I believed that these
were good enough tonics for any man.
	But both fresh air and exercise are absolutely
essential to health, both when you are growing and when you
have grown up. I always begin the day with a little bit of
body twisting, in the open, when I tumble out of bed-but
that is only a start.
	Some men go in for physical drill, and some
for dumb-bell and other muscle-developing exercises till
they come out all over lumps that look fine in a photo
when you brace them up, but are not of the slightest
practical use to you.
	And this work is generally done indoors.
	Your exercise must be out of doors in the fresh air, and
the very best you can get is at the same time the easiest and
cheapest, namely, walking. Week-end walking tours are
the very best thing for health of mind as well as of body.

THE RUCKSACK
	I know nothing more enjoyable or more cheering and
health-giving than a good old tramp every week-end. A
knapsack on your back makes you absolutely free and
independent. You load it with only the essential things
and no luxuries. It is not merely every pound but every
ounce of weight that tells on a long march. Nothing
can beat the Norwegian type of rucksack with its light
wooden or metal frame which holds it securely in posi-
tion without galling or overheating your back. It will
take in addition to your clothing a light little tent that can
be set up on your staff or on a tree stem, and your sleeping
quilt and waterproof sheet. Thus equipped week-end hikes
are possible, and what is more enjoyable all the year round.
Weather? Can anything be better than a
good long tramp on a cold blowy day? If it is
wet, all the better; you get a very real enjoy-
ment out of a good fire and shelter in a snug
farmhouse or inn at the end of the day. I tell
you, you get so hardened by practice of the out of doors that
you really don't notice the weather very much and you
mind it less. Whatever it is, hot or cold, rain or shine,
you gain strength, vitality and cheeriness by it.

BE A MAN
	A clean young man in his prime of health and strength is
the finest creature God has made in this world.
	I once had charge of a party of Swazi chiefs on their
visit to England. At the end of their stay, when they had
seen most of the interesting sights of the country, I asked
them what had struck them as the most wonderful of all
that they had seen.
	(They were, incidentally, wonderful sights themselves,
having discarded their fine native dress for top hats and
frock coats!)
	They unanimously agreed that the finest thing in Eng-
land was the London omnibus. They were so taken with
its brilliant colours and the idea of its being entirely for
joy-riding!
	The next best thing in their judgment was the troupe of
gymnastic instructors at the Gymnasium at Aldershot.
	When they saw these men performing their various exer-
cises they were tremendously taken with them, but they
were not fully satisfied until they had had the men stripped
and had examined for themselves their muscular development.
	And I must say these gymnasts were magnificent specimens
of what a man should be, and active and alert in mind as well as in
body.
	 God has given you a body-no, He has lent it to you-
to make the best use of; to take care of; to strengthen
and build up into a really fine figure of a man and a father of children.
	You can do this if you like. It is up to you. And what a
splendid adventure it can be.
	St. George fighting the dragon won't be in it with you,
who fight the dragon of temptation and down him so that
you may in the end present yourself a man, clean and
strong and chivalrous to the girl whom you love. You will
also have taken a further step towards happiness, and will
have fitted yourself bodily for the service of God in carrying
on the race on the best lines.

MARRIAGE

	You are bound to have your.....

LOVE ADVENTURES
	I know the difficulty that you are faced with. There is
little enough of romance and excitement in the ordinary life
of a town or village, and at your particular age, woman
comes into your thoughts in a new and alluring way.
	It is a great adventure, therefore, to a young lad to seek
out a girl for himself.
	Sometimes he likes to show her off before the others as a
sign of his manliness, in other cases he prefers to get her
all to himself. Don't think this unnatural. It is all in the course
of Nature. As I have said above, it is in accordance with the
law that governs animals as well as man.
	But in the case of man there is this difference. He has a
mind and intelligence which the animal does not possess;
he sees romance in selecting a mate to whom he can give
his admiration, love and devotion. These are far above the
mere animal instinct. They form human love instead of
animal lust; and the higher he raises himself above the
animal instinct the less he is of the beast and the more he
is of the man.
	A main step to happiness in this direction is to select
the right kind of girl. There are women and there are dolls.

CALF-LOVE
	As a very young man you will of course go entirely by her
face and figure and you may fall in love with one girl after
another-desperately in love; and sometimes will have
perhaps two or three on your string at a time.
	Probably you may think it the most glorious adventure
and most probably a few days later the most disastrous
tragedy that ever happened to anyone. It comes to most
young fellows about this period to feel like committing
suicide over a love quarrel-but they don't do it!
	You may comfort yourself by knowing that all this is
what comes to every lad, and is known as "calf-love".
There is no harm in it, and nothing to be ashamed of nor to
be depressed about. Indeed in a short time, when the really
right girl has come along, you will laugh at your first
ideas of love-making.
	But in that calf-love period don't forget you are a man.
Behave like a man. Play fair and square with the girl and
remember your future son for whom some day you will be
responsible.
	And you will be on the right side if you only take on
with a girl whom you can bring to your own home without
shame, among your mother and sisters.
	Remember that whoever she is, she may be someone else's
sister; think of him and behave to her as you would wish
him to behave to your sister.

HOW TO GET THE RIGHT GIRL
	The right girl will come along sooner or later-if you
have kept your head. Your calf-love will have disappeared.
You will find a girl whose character you admire and respect,
whose tastes are like your own and whose comradeship
you long for. It will not be merely her person that attracts
you but her personality.
	You will find a new, calmer and deeper form of love
that links and binds you to her~ne which, if you are
wise, will never grow less.
	And you will expect her to come to you pure and clean,
won't you? But what about yourself? Are you going to
expect of her what you cannot offer in return yourself?
	That would neither be manly nor fair. No, if you are
going to enjoy real happiness in life that is the supreme joy
of being married to a really good woman from whom you
hope for love and respect.
	Don't begin your married life with a lie, else you will be
lying all through it, and there will be an end to trusting
each other.

WARNING FROM A PORK-BUTCHER ON GETTING ENGAGED
	If you have never read a book called A Self-made Mer-
chant's Letters to his Son you've got a treat in Store for you.
It is a most amusing bit of reading, but at the same time full
of jolly sound advice.
	The merchant is an American pork-packer, writing to
his son who holds a junior post in the business. He hears
that his son is hanging about after a certain young lady.
	So he says: "I suppose I am fanning the air when I ask
you to be guided by my judgment in this matter because
while a young fellow will consult his father about buying a
horse, he is cocksure of himself when it comes to picking a
wife.
	"Marriages may be made in Heaven, but most engage-
ments are made in the back parlour with the gas so low that
a fellow really doesn't get a square look at what he's taking.
While a man doesn't see much of a girl's family when he is
courting, he is apt to see a good deal of it when he is house-
keeping.
	"Your Ma and I set up housekeeping in one of those
cottages you read about in story books, but that you want
to shy away from when it is put up to you to live in one of
them. There were nice climbing roses on the front porch,
but no running water in the kitchen; there were plenty of
old-fashioned posies in the front yard and plenty of rats in
the cellar; there was half an acre of ground at the back,
but so little room inside that I had to sit with my feet out
of window. It was just the place to go for a picnic, but
it's been my experience that a fellow does most of his
picnicking before he is married.
	"But one way and another we managed to get a good
deal of satisfaction out of it, because we had made up our
minds to get our fun out of everything as we went along.
	"With most people happiness is something that is always
just a day off, but I have made it a rule never to put off being
happy till to-morrow. [I have italicised that.]
	"Of course when you are married you've got to make
an income, and this is going to take so much time and
thought that you won't have a very wide margin left for
golf. I simply mention this in passing, because I see in the
Chicago papers that you were among the players on the
links one afternoon a fortnight ago. Golf's a nice foolish game
and there ain't any harm in it so far as I know; but a young
fellow who wants to be a boss butcher hasn't much daylight
to waste on any kinds of links-except sausage links.
	"Of course a man should have a certain amount of play,
just as a boy is entitled to a piece of pie at the end of his
dinner, but he don't want to make a meal of it.
	"Of course your salary isn't a large one yet, but you can
buy a whole lot of happiness with fifty dollars a week when
you have a right sort of woman for your purchasing agent,
and, while I don't go much on love in a cottage, love in a
flat with fifty a week as a starter is just about right if the
girl is just about right. If she isn't, it doesn't make any
special difference how you start out, you're going to end up
all wrong.
	"Money ought never to be the consideration about
marriage, but it always ought to be a consideration. When
a boy and girl don't think about it enough before the cere-
mony they're going to have to think altogether too much
about it after; and when a man is doing sums at home,
evenings, it comes kind of awkward for him to try to hold
his wife on his lap....
	"There is nothing in this talk that two can live cheaper
than one. A good wife doubles a man's happiness and
doubles his expenses, but it is a pretty good investment if
a fellow has got the money to invest...
	"A married man is worth more salary than a single one,
because his wife makes him work more. He is apt to go
to bed a little sooner and to get up a little earlier; to go
a little steadier and to work a little harder than the fellow
who has got to amuse a different girl every night and can't
stay at home to do it.
	"That's why I am going to raise your salary to seventy-
five dollars a week the day you marry."
	On the other hand, in Enchanter's Nightshade you find:
	"Men all seem to want to make money directly they get
to a city."
	"Well, they must marry."
	"You don't need a deal of money-unless the girl is all
wrong."

	There is truth is both ideas, but the advice from the old
pork-packer is sound, if less romantic, and it is your business
before marrying to see that you are in a position to keep a
wife and family, otherwise you will be condemning these as
well as yourself to a struggle for existence.
	Success in business is not a matter of luck or favour or
interest, nor even of learning, so much as of ability and
character. Expert skill in your work is bound to tell, but
for promotion to higher grades, character-that is absolute
trustworthiness, tact, and energy-is essential.
	This applies practically to every trade or profession. I
was asked the other day what I meant by tact, and I could
only reply by quoting the old example of the tactful plumber
who, on entering a bathroom which had carelessly been left
unlocked by the lady using the bath, promptly said: "I
beg pardon, Sir. I didn't know you were here," and strolled
out again.

A MAN'S DUTIES ON GETTING MARRIED
	Someone once told me my fortune by looking at the lines
on the palm of my hand, and he said: "Your line of head
is stronger than your line of heart," meaning that I should
not be carried off my legs by the first beautiful girl I saw
but that I should think as much about the character of the
girl I admired as about her appearance; and that is, I am
certain, the way to make your choice. Take care lest, in
making your choice, you think too much of what you would
require in your future wife and forget her point of view
and what she would like of you as a husband. Think of that.
	When I got married, an old friend, on giving me his
congratulations, also gave me a new vision of my future
state when he said: "My dear fellow, I have been married
over twelve years and it is still a honeymoon with us. Life
has gone on getting happier and happier for us."
	And in my turn I too have since found the truth of this.
I should hope that it will be the case with you who read
this, but it means using your "line of head" as well as
heart; it means getting the right girl to start with.
	Mind you, it is only a little step to ask a girl to say yes,
but on that word depends a layaway sentence to both of
you,consigning you both to happiness-or hell.
	Then, as I said above, "Be wise"; that is, in taking the
girl to be your wife for "better or worse" you are rather
apt in the rosy sunshine of it all to forget that "worse".
	Clouds may come and you've got to be prepared for them
-that's what I mean by being wise.
	Have no secrets from your wife and she will have none
from you-and all will be plain sailing.
	There may be times of trouble, little difficulties in the
home which you don't foresee at first. Before you married
you only did things for yourself; now that you are married
you've got to chuck your self and do things for your wife~
and later on for your children. You have got to catch
yourself up in little bits of selfishness on your part, such,
for instance, as grousing at the food because it isn't exactly
to your liking, and that sort of thing. Look at things from
her point of view.
	Grousing won't mend matters. Give instead some of the
little love gifts of your courting days, of admiration and
praise; give and take and SMILE all the time, but most
especially at that time when most women get a little off
their usual line, just before the first baby arrives. You've
got to show your manliness and chivalry as her comforter
and protector then.
	If she is a little fractious it is through her love for you
that she is so. To such attention she will respond. Women
are not only more grateful than men, but their character
shapes itself according as it is led by their man.
	If he be nasty she will nag; if he be nice then she will
be nicer, and then there's love and laughter in the home.

CHILDREN
	Have you ever read Rudyard Kipling's story They? I
read it long before I was married, away out in the bush in
Africa. The point in that story that went home tO me was
not the delightful description of English scenery, of the
old-world home and garden, etc.; it was where the man
imagined that he felt the clinging of little children's fingers
in his hand; he only imagined it, but it thrilled him to the
core.
	And I had that imagination in my mind for years as
vividly as in the story. But when it came to pass that I
actually felt a tiny hand in mine, the hand of my own little
child, it gave me something more than a thrill-a feeling
that has never worn off with custom, for it still does so-
the heart-filling joy of it never grows less....
	But, there! Try it for yourself, in your own home, of
your own making-and you will know what happiness is.
	There is nothing like it-and it cannot be described, at
least not by me.
	So, as I have already said before, Heaven is not just a
vague something somewhere up in the skies.
	It is right here on earth, in your own home. It does not
depend on riches or position, but rests with you to make it,
in your own way, with your own brain, and heart, and
hands. And you can do it if only you like to use these
aright.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTHOOD
	But the joy of being a father brings with it a big re-
sponsibility. Children learn mainly by the example of
their elders.
	A grousing, selfish father must not be surprised if one
day his son swears at him and goes his own way; the father
will get later on what he gives out to-day. Train your
children through Love rather than Fear.
	A kindly parent gains a loving daughter and devoted
sons. As I have suggested before, you will be happier if
you aim to leave this world a little better for your being
in it.
	One step in this direction, and one which is within your
reach as a father, is to make your boy a better man than
yourself, by teaching him all that you know, what to aim
for and what to avoid. Especially he will want your
helpful advice when he, in his turn approaches Manhood.
	Think how much or how little your father did for you
and go one better with your son.
	You will be the happier for it.
	But are you prepared for this? You may have been
educated, or you may have educated yourself for your pro-
fession in life, which after all can only last a certain number
of years, but have you gone through any training for this
much more important point, on which depends so much
the future lives of your children?
	Have you had any practice yourself in the training and
upbringing of boys? Of knowing their ways, of judging
their temperaments, of developing their character?
	This is all of grave importance to you in your responsible
position as a parent.
	I hope in the concluding chapters to give you a few
practical suggestions about it.
	Many parents object to their sons being told about sex
matters and venereal disease. I have heard men curse their
parents for not having told them. Personally I don't think
that any parent who has seen something of the effects of
ignorance, or of what is worse, the wrong notions which
boys pick up all too soon from their fellows, would hesitate
about warning his sons.

A FINAL TIP FOR HAPPINESS
	But I warn you that there is still another item needed
to make your Heaven complete.
	A man came to me who had been a big-game hunter
and naturalist in Central Africa; he had been a farmer
in British Columbia; he had started a tobacco plantation
in East Africa; and he had seen the world in a life of
adventure and romance. He had now settled down in
an island of his own in the Indian Ocean in a glorious
climate of sunshine amongst beautiful and healthy sur-
roundings. One might well have thought, as he did at
first, that this was going to be a heavenly haven after all
his strenuous wanderings, but he had now come to discover
a fly in the ointment.
	He realised that he was living comfortably merely for
himself. This conviction had now brought him to give up
that Existence and exchange it foLifeat is, for activity
in doing something for others.
	I had myself gone through much the same experience
when I finished my career as a soldier. It had been a
pretty varied and strenuous one, bringing a good deal of
the rough along with the smooth, and I had loved every
minute of it.
	At the end my ambition was to settle down in a little
farm in some out-of-the-way corner of the world.
	I planned it out, but then the second thought arose
which made me realise that idleness and indulgence of self
did not mean happiness-that true happiness could only be
got through Service.
	So there is another chapter to this book.
	To sum up:
	Sex is universal in all forms of life~man, the "lower"
animals, birds, fishes and reptiles. It is also found in the
vegetable kingdom and in the most primitive forms of
living matter. There is no sin in sex. The sin arises when
sex is abused.
	In primitive, unspoiled man, where sex is simply taken
as a matter of course, the same problems do not arise as
in "civilised" men. Here there has always been a certain
shame and mystery about this matter. This must lead to
much guilt and abuse. The problem of prostitution comes
in and venereal disease appears. This form of disease is
'mknown among really primitive, unspoiled races. It is
only when these races get contaminated by "civilisation"
that such diseases appear. They are indeed dreadful
afflictions. Syphilis if not promptly and properly treated
may not only affect the person who contracts it, but he
may pass it on to his offspring. Blindness, paralysis and
insanity are all possible after-effects. Gonorrhoea, in the
same way, may have lasting effects, and babies who are
infected from the mother are often hopelessly blind. It
is right that you should know about these diseases and
what may be the consequences of promiscuous sex. It
happens fairly often that a girl who has been with men and
who is not a real prostitute, may have a slight form of
venereal disease, which shows so little that she may not
even realise she has it. You see how dangerous this sort
of thing can be. If by unfortunate folly you or your friends
ever acquired any form of venereal disease, the only thing
to remember is to go at once to your Doctor. With modern
methods of treatment these diseases can be cured when
taken in time.
	Remember that the ideal to aim at is for a man to be
clean as the girl he is going to marry. If there were sex-
equality in this matter it would be a great step towards
a healthier attitude. However, you cannot expect to solve
all these difficult problems which social reformers and others
have studied for many years with little result up to the
present! You can each one of you, however, do your bit
in bringing about a better state of affairs. Sex is often the
matter for sly, obscene jokes when there is really nothing
funny about it. As we have seen it is part of all living
things and only requires proper management.

WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ON THE SUBJECT

	Men ought to be mighty good to women, for Nature gave
them the big end of the log to lift and mighty little strength
to do it with (Abraham Lincoln).

	Have a heart that never harden,, and a temper that never
tries, and a touch that never hurts (Charles Dickens).

	Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and the favour
of the Lord (Proverbs xviii. 22).

	Health is worth more than wealth.

	Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

	A "Gentleman" is a bloke wot keeps even 'is toenails clean.

	Fear of a father does not necessarily mean respect for him.

	The cane often makes the coward and the liar.

	Men! With the help of God, be MEN (Heard at St. Gervais
		Church, Paris).

	As man was created for Health, so was man created for
		Happiness (Maeterlinck).

	Let not thy fancy be guided by thine eye, nor let thy
		will be formed by thy fancy; let thy understanding moderate
		between thine eye and thy fancy (F. Quarles).