A CHAPTER FOR BOYS 387 



could walk but a few steps. They reeled and stag- 

 gered about like drunken men, falling down upon each 

 other, and going through the most agonizing contor- 

 tions in their attempts to work their way from one 

 chair to another and thus about the room. Their heads 

 were no longer erect, but drooped like wilted flowers. 

 On their faces was a blank, imbecile expression, with 

 few traces of their former intelligence left. The mouth 

 was open, by the drooping of the lower jaw, and the 

 saliva constantly dribbled upon the clothing. Alto- 

 gether, the sight of them was a most appalling spec- 

 tacle. 



"We at once set to work to discover the cause of this 

 dreadful condition, believing that such an awful pun- 

 ishment must certainly be the result of some gross 

 violation of nature's laws somewhere. The most care- 

 ful scrutiny of the history of the parents of the un- 

 fortunate lads gave us no clue to anything of a hered- 

 itary character, both parents having come of good 

 families, and having been always of sober, temperate 

 habits. The father had used neither liquor nor tobacco 

 in any form. The mother could give no light on the 

 matter, and we were obliged to rest for the time being 

 upon the conviction which fastened itself upon us that 

 the cases before us were most marked illustrations of 

 the results of self-abuse begun at a very early age. 

 The mother thought it impossible that our suspicions 

 could be correct, sayihg that she had watched her sons 

 with jealous care from earliest infancy, and had seen 

 no indications of any error of the sort. But we had 

 not long to wait for confirmation of our view of the 

 case, as they were soon caught in the act, to which it 

 was found that they were greatly addicted, and the 

 mystery was wholly solved. 



