WHICH BO AD? 197 



view beyond its own. The man with a spiritual 

 purpose may have better health and live longer 

 than the man who lives only to cultivate the phys- 

 ical. Thus we believe that the dominance and 

 the subordination of the physical may be thor- 

 oughly harmonized as a method of normal life 

 for both. 



So we plead for the reinstatement of the spir- 

 itual as a program of life. We plead for the guid- 

 ance of parent and teacher, following their convic- 

 tion as to what is good for the young life rather 

 than the control of the non-moral and uninstructed 

 inclinations of boys and girls as to what should 

 be the discipline of their life. The pendulum of 

 control has swung too far toward the impulses of 

 nature. In doing so it has missed its way and will 

 never reach the goal of life. Inclination, as ex- 

 pressed in youthful life, is not always the same as 

 nature's course. What children clamor for is 

 not always and, after its course has been followed 

 for a time, is seldom the demand of nature for 

 their true development. Parents should know the 

 laws of the child-nature and act accordingly; but 

 in so doing they must not mistake the requests of 

 the child as being the statement of those laws. 

 Children may know what they want; but their 

 wants are seldom under the control of a broad 

 life-program. Parents are better able to arrange 

 that. To allow mere clamor to change their course 

 from the known good to the known evil is inexcus- 

 able weakness, however insistent the commotion, 



