Youth, Sex and Mr. Goody-Goody

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1164, 3 November 1917, Page 7 (Supplement)

Youth, Sex and Mr. Goody-Goody

HORN of its theology and goody-goodi-y ness ' " A Waybook for Youth" might navc proved a most timely hand-book * <)r P arents at the present hour. As stands it will be offensive to a few, and rather pathetically ludicrous to the healthy majority. MiLush, or whoever has rewritten his book, has a very extraordinary vision of the world for the twentieth century. But even if the world were the place he would like it to be—a shady strip of consecrated earth stretching from Sunday School to Church—this would not be the book for nine out of ten of its habitual and actual inhabitants. Sex need not be sicklied o'er with such pale groping doubts and fears—and must not if ever we are to face it like free men. Mr Lush's gospel is morbid in the extreme. Youth is to creep round breathlessly in a kind of endless funk, praying if there is time, but not even pausing to pray if the Ogre appears too suddenly. If that is the way to help a healthy boy, most of us have not yet met one. (Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd.)