social nature, which means removal from parental restraints. Where numbers of children play together, careful supervision is needed to prevent the acquirement of bad habits and selection of bad associates. The games were: dolls, 66; hide-andseek, 49; ball, 39; jump-the-rope, 39; see-saw, 39; jackstones, 21; marbles, 19; ring games, 11; croquet, 10; swing and craps, 9 each; poison, 7; cards, housekeeping, and running games, 6 each. Mumbletepeg, hockey, kites, leap-frog, tops, hoops, etc., had each one or two adherents. There were but few toys used, and the games were simple, involving no complicated elements or apparatus. "Hide switches" is a game peculiarly their own, as is also "poison." Little or no use is made of play to develop such qualities as tolerance, self-control, patience, and unselfishness, except as the children teach one another.

For the childhood of these children, who have become criminals, there are found: defective education, meager moral instruction, little or no reading, unfavorable conditions (as related to home training and opportunities), harsh punishments, restriction to the laboring classes, and unrestrained and undirected recreation. This being true, what influences are found in the adult life of these same criminals that may counteract these early ones?

The recreation in adult life was divided into drama, music, and art. The horizon was so narrowed that it was difficult to secure results, but they represent fairly the conditions. Two preferences were allowed each subject, in order that the results might be more trustworthy, and they are here grouped together. The kinds of recreation preferred were: church festivals, 36; picnics, 18; shows, 13; excursions, 13; fairs, 10; "never went anywhere," 4; concerts and dances, 3 each. Some of the reasons given were: "have fun and enjoyment," "likes church doin's 'cause are better places," and "more quieter." In drama they gave their preferences in the form of "likes sad parts best," or "likes funny parts most." In attempting to secure more definite facts the following resulted: 46 admitted that they had seen no plays, 8 liked minstrels, and 4 had seen

circuses. Some of the plays seen were: "Ten Nights in a Bar-room," 3; "Monte Cristo," "Devil's Auction," and "Two Orphans," 2 each; and "White Salve," "Skipped by the Light of the Moon," and a dog-show, I each.

The field of music was more familiar to them. The results were: church music, 58; instrumental, 32; band, 20; lovesongs, 13; string instruments, 10. Art was dubious ground again, for 28 preferred pictures-like photographs, crayons, etc.; Biblical pictures, 25; paintings, 16; pictures of Nature, 6; decorations, 4. Pictures of people, buildings, in wax and in hair, were also mentioned. Art meant to them "all pretty things," and in this they included a great array of bright colors, varied designs and decorations, and articles used in domestic art. It is seen that the bulk of their social life centers in the church, the incentive being a desire for a "good time." Their music is for pastime, and is not a cultural influence; drama is almost unknown, and their taste in art is similar to that of primitive tribes. The kind of associates is also of importance. It was necessary to explain carefully what was meant by good and bad associates. Forty-seven believed their associates were bad and 32 that they were good. Results were unobtainable for the remainder. Forty-nine were decidedly in favor of "social times," 14 were semi-enthusiastic, and 11 were not sure if it was a "good thing."

The kind of temptations is a question naturally related to the associates. The results are much at variance with the actual facts, for it was difficult to make them understand the nature and scope of the question. They believed, for instance, that temptations were only such when yielded to. Twenty-two of the records were considered unreliable and were set aside. In the remainder, only grave temptations were given, such as immorality, use of alcohol, stealing, dancing, carousals, and fighting. They placed no emphasis upon the smaller temptations. The habits reveal, more clearly than do the temptations, the moral standards. These numbers are undoubtedly too small, as a few of the criminals would not openly admit their bad habits: immoral, 45; swearing, 38; smoking and use of

snuff, 32 each; alcohol and chewing tobacco, 23 each; morphine, 5. Some of them had as many as five of these habits— and the average was over two each. Some of the ways in which they were acquired were: in prison, II; tobacco for toothache, 5; taught by relatives, 4; bad example, through illness, and at school, 3 each. Other answers were: "on the farm," "in bad company," "own desire," and "always had them." Tobacco is furnished all convicts in the South, so there is a constant temptation to use it.

Facts for recidivism were unsatisfactory. Only one-seventh admitted having been previously arrested, and of these twothirds were offenders against property. For the offenses against person the penalties were so severe that there had been but small opportunity for a repetition of the offense. This throws but little light upon the question of habitual criminality.

The habits of the parents included such as: For the fathers-smoking, 36; chewing tobacco, 35; alcohol, 19; gambling, 7. For the mothers-smoking and snuff, each 22; chewing tobacco, 8; alcohol, 3. The relatives of 20 others used alcohol, and epilepsy was not infrequent. Morphine is rarely used, and only in the cities; while cocaine is unknown. From these factors in adult life it appears there was little or no improvement in the environment, and that the results were but the logical outcome of the earlier surroundings. FRANCES A. KELLOR.

The University of Chicago.

TOPICS OF THE TIMES.

By B. O. FLOWER.

THE SUCCESSFUL MEN OF THE AGES.

It has ever been as it is to-day. The truly successful menthey who mold civilization and elevate humanity, who move the world onward and upward, and who live in the lore of the ages-work in comparative obscurity, or encounter the savage and brutal opposition of Church, State, and conventional society, and their greatness or the measure of their magnificent service is not realized until long after they have passed beyond our vision. Let me illustrate by two or three typical cases out of thousands that might be cited.

Between the years 60 and 66, while Nero, seated on the throne of the Cæsars, was lord of life and death and, commanding unlimited millions, was living a life of luxury, license, and dissipation surrounded by multitudes of flatterers in a city that wildly applauded the brutal spectacles with which he regaled the populace, there was brought before his judgment seat a prisoner who came from far-away Palestine. We can easily imagine that there was little that was attractive in the exterior of the man in bonds, who belonged to a race for whom the Romans entertained supreme contempt. Still less could there be found any bond of sympathy between the ideal worlds in which they lived; for Nero was a typical representative of egoism, surrounded by the majesty of law, clothed in power, and at the summit of what shallow conventionalism would call success, while the prisoner was "a disturber of the peace." Men said of him that he fomented sedition. He had been driven from Ephesus because he had imperiled the trade of certain crafts, for then as now the market was more important to conventional society than manhood and morals. Certainly he antagonized the State religion of the Romans and the habits, customs, and morals of the Imperial City. Moreover, he was a typical altruist. He was dominated by the spiritual nature. On the way to Damascus he had been overmastered by the

Light, and henceforth his life was given, and gladly given, to the cause of all rather than to the interest of self. This man, who awakened the varying emotions of indifference, contempt, scorn, anger, and hatred among the upholders of law and order and the conventionalism of his day, was one of the real leaders of the ages.

A few years elapsed, and the emperor and the prisoner had perished. The egoist had fled from the fury of those over whom he had ruled and died an ignominious death. The altruist probably found a martyr's grave. martyr's grave. For two thousand years the name of him who in the year 60 stood as the type of what conventionalism ever labels "success" has awakened no feelings save those of horror, loathing, revulsion, or pity in the mind of normal manhood, while the life, the words, and the work of the obscure prisoner, the "disturber of the peace,' have proved an inspiration and an upward lever to millions. upon millions of lives. In the light of history, which life, think you, was the more successful? Which man was the true leader?

From Paul to Nero we turn to Epaphroditus and Epictetus. The former was a rich freedman who basked in the favor of Nero. He was a man envied by thousands because of his influence at court. His wealth, power, and popularity doubtless made conventional instructors of that age point to him when teaching the young as a fine example of success, for he had once been a freedman and had now become possessed of all the things that shallow conventionalism esteems most highly. Among the many slaves who thronged the luxurious home of Epaphroditus was a crippled Phrygian named Epictetus. He was a high-minded youth who early came under the influence of the pure philosophy of Stoicism. He renounced the ephemeral pleasures that occupied the egoists, from Nero. and Epaphroditus down to the most ignorant of the slaves around him. He chose the path of altruism. He who is overpowered by the "love of the best" cannot remain idle or concerned with self-interest. Henceforth he must seek to brighten and ennoble other lives; and thus we find Epictetus following the path of purity and virtue in the midst of unequaled corruption and guiding others along the pathway of holiness. After the ignominious death of Epaphroditus, who was executed for complicity in the death of Nero, Epictetus gained his freedom and became a teacher of ethics in Rome until Domitian banished the philosophers. Then he went to Epirus, where he long taught his disciples and where he delivered those masterly dis