h of it before.

"I move we dispense with everything but the business in hand," said one,
and as the meeting concurred, the petition was presented by one of the
most promising young men of the church, named Hayes. In it the
petitioners set forth that they, feeling the need of proper social
entertainment and mental improvement, wished to organize for that
purpose, and most respectfully asked the use of the Lecture-room.

The secretary had no sooner uttered the last sentence, than brother
Smith arose and protested against any such desecration of the Lord's
temple.

"Social entertainment! What did that mean, but a parcel of boys and
girls without a speck of grace in their hearts, wantin' a good
courtin'-place where their father's and mother's wouldn't see them. For
his part, no child of his should join them.

"There's carryin's on enough under our very noses, in the hearin' of the
word without givin' any more license," he continued, waxing warmer.

"That's so," said brother Snowden, and one or two others grunted an
assent.

Then the young man named Hayes arose and calmly said: "It is well known
that the young seek enjoyment. Their minds are fresh and active; they
will turn in one direction or another. We cannot control them; we can
only seek to guide them. Many of our young are going to ruin, because
there are no well directed efforts put forth to meet the wants of their
impulsive natures. The world offers to gratify them. It stretches out
its arms and says: 'Come to me. I have pleasures for all at my command.'
And already many have turned and accepted the proffered good. We
Christians groan over these and talk of their final doom; yet what do we
offer those, whose eager, hungry natures cry out to us for bread?

"We say, 'Go to church on the Sabbath, and to prayer-meeting; that is
well; but they want more than this and so do we. That will do for the
spiritual part of our nature. But there is a social and intellectual
part which must be cared for. And let me tell you, brethren, until the
church makes provision for every want of the young, it can never gain a
proper hold upon them.

"It is not for me to stand here as the teacher of those older and wiser
than I. But it seems to me if we had the Apostle Paul here, he would
define our duty in broader and more decided terms. And still a greater
than Paul says: 'What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread
will he give him a stone?' That question applies to every