272 THE MEANING OF EVOLUTION 
many are awakened to the sense of their duty to so- 
ciety. Persons who, of themselves, might be willing 
to live low and godless lives, dare not do so in the 
face of society when our social ideals are finer. I 
believe there is the utmost hope that within two gen- 
erations our young men and young women will scorn 
meannesses which we are accepting with entire com- 
placency. 
A close acquaintance with thousands of young men 
and young women running through an experience of 
twenty-five years has taught me to believe that our 
young people of to-day are altogether cleaner of 
mind, of tongue, and of life than were their parents. 
There is freer, franker discussion of many things 
that their parents would scarcely have dared mention, 
yet I feel sure the moral tone is distinctly higher. 
I look with entire hopefulness to an early season 
when the young man who asks a woman to share her 
life with him will be met with the entirely proper 
question, “Have you kept your life clean for this 
event?” I believe that unless the answer can be in the 
affirmative the young woman will not be able to have 
admiration enough for the young man to cover un- 
cleanness in his life. 
There is one temporary phase of present life which 
seems discouraging. The increase in the cost of liv- 
ing, and still more rapid increase in the standard of 
