A group of boys, some time ago, were playing games in a church basement,
and the time began to lag just a little. A young man, who happened to be
present, was appealed to for a new game, and he taught them to "skin the
snake." It "caught on" immediately, and the group of boys grew hilarious
in their enjoyment. After a while, however, they stopped to rest, and
one of the boys turned to the man who had taught the game, and said,
"Where did you get that dandy stunt?" The reply was, "Oh, that's one of
the games that the fellows play over in China." There was silence for a
moment or two, and then one of the older fellows said, "Gee, do the
Chinks over there know enough to play a game like that?" Questions
followed thick and fast for a little while about the boys of China, and
the admiration of the boys increased with their knowledge. The boys of
China are a little closer, too, to the American boys of this particular
group whenever "skin the snake" is played. It is altogether too bad
that the play-life of the adolescent in non-christian lands is so
meager, for here in physical prowess is a real contact for the American
boy. The bigness of life is the sum of its contacts.

A boy between sixteen and twenty years is essentially social in his
interests. It is then that the call of the community, business life,
vocation, etc., to say nothing of the sex and the home voice--make their
big appeal. It is his own personal relation to these that makes them
real, and the closer his relation the deeper is his interest. The social
appeal stirs his thought and leads him to investigation. The similarity
of problems at home and abroad gives him contact with other lands, and
makes for him "all the world akin." The best approach to China's need is
the need of the homeland. Good government here is a link of Manchuria
and Mongolia. The underpaid woman in the shop, store and factory of
America is the introduction to the limitations of the womanhood of India
and the Orient. The problem of Africa is real only through the
economic, social and moral demands of Pennsylvania, Illinois, or
California. The value of all of these in his thought is the relation
which he holds individually to any one. The circle of his interests
grows by the widening of his knowledge. The law of his being is to
accept nothing on hearsay. He must prove all things and cleave only to
that which he finds true. This, however, is the path to missionary and
all other interests.

H