BRAIN BUILDING, SOUL GROWTH. 71 



The popular idea that every man must sow 

 wild oats in youth in order to have a strong, vigor- 

 ous character in maturity is wholly wrong. Ex- 

 periences are conducive to character building only 

 when they develop the higher sentiments. 

 does not control his appetites easier for having 

 indulged them in youth, but with greater diffi- 

 culty. Every experience in dissipation tends to 

 strengthen the nerve paths of vice and thereby 

 make it easier for him to do the same thing again. 

 Too much cannot be said in favor of good home 

 influences and early surroundings. Pure thoughts, 

 high ideals and noble aspirations are easily built 

 into the plastic brain of youth. When these are 

 .firmly established they become the determining 

 factors of the future conduct and character. 



Dr. DeMotte, in his most excellent lecture on 

 "The Harp of the Senses, or The Secret of Char- 

 acter Building," says: "The Physical Basis of a 

 vicious life is a net- work of Trunk Lines in which Brain Tracks, 

 the incarrying waves of stimulation waken in the 

 soul a host of accustomed activities, such as vile 

 memories, alluring imaginations, craving appe- 

 tites, and their like, having well worn routes 

 through the outcarrying nerves to whatever lines 

 of conduct have been followed in their develop- 

 ment. The Physical Basis of a virtuous life is a 

 net work of Trunk Lines where the incoming pfa sicaIBasis 

 waves of stimulation on reaching the cerebral of Vice, 

 hemispheres of the brain find their well worn 

 tracks, with switches already set, leading to the 

 God-given higher possessions of the soul holy 

 memories, pure imaginations, concentrated am- 

 bitions, righteous judgments and a Will, whose 



