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Show Clly LL"jcnl Its L"if!acncc3. ; In the current number of Success Dr. E. O. Mar-den Mar-den ni&ies- the plain, unqualified statement that lthe tendencyiof city. life is to deteriorate physical and moral manhood." Dr. Marden's assertion is .that most dangerous of all pronouncements, a half-truth. half-truth. A direct I falsehood is usually' self-evident, ft statement like that.quoted requires some analysis before its absurdity .becomes apparent. In every city there is a class, of . persons among which vice and crime flourish. But these' unfortunates would und do deteriorate anywhere. All the fresh air, blue skies and shady wwods of the wide world could not inspire in them a single noble thought, their suls are warped andi shrunken from birth. And these mental and spiritual malformations live not alene in cities. The pness reports of the day show that many of the most' horrible crimes are committed' commit-ted' by persons far removed from city influences. On the other hand, the average wage earner of the , city enjoys, if he is so disposed, advantages in the way of sanitation, home comforts, literature, music . and art that are open only to the wealthy of the country. Uural life is not without its attractions, certainly, but it is under the sharp spurs of competition compe-tition and ambition in the great centers of population popula-tion that strength of spirit is developed. Magazine writers who pretend to speak with authority should be' careful of positive unproved statements. |