February Twenty-Second: A Poem

THE BOY PROBLEM. 299 contributed either directly or indirectly to this great cause is to have failed miserably and utterly in the work of life." The divorce and separation of parents is an evil, the effects of which are far-reaching as causative factors in the boy problem. It is not the purpose to enter into any labored discussion of this matter, but only to say that if young people, after suitable educational preparation, would enter into the marriage relation with a full understanding of its duties and obligations, especially the duties and obligations which attend upon the launching of new lives into the world, there would be fewer divorces and separations of parents. What necessity would there be for juvenile courts and probation officers to look after incorrigibles, truants, run-away s, and those guilty of idleness and crime, if we had earnest, thoughtful, and well prepared home-makers directing the destinies of ideal homes? The ideal home is the unit of an ideal civilization. Salt Lake City, Utah. FEBRUARY TWENTY-SECOND. {For the Improvement Era. ) This picture I behold, — Thro' the thick smoke of guns, Thro' stem eyes and set lips, Where bullets hive like bees, — A man upon his knees! Over the din of war, Over the quick command, His supplicating voice Swells like a chorus grand. America, God-given! 'Tis thine to say: Shall God be e'er forgot, Since Washington was not Ashamed to pray? Kaie Thomas. New York, N. Y.