The reading-room and institution established by the young people of
the Jerusalem Church had accomplished its mission, and was absorbed
into the larger one established by the citizens, where boys and girls,
men and women, could hear good music, uplifting talk, and helpful
entertainment; where good citizenship, good health, good morals, were
all taught in the name of Jesus. The institution was free in every
department; visitors were restricted only by wholesome rules that in
themselves were educational. Co-operating with the city officials,
it separated the vicious from the unfortunate, and removed not only
the influence of evil, but the last excuse for it, by making virtue
a pleasure, and tempting the public to live wholesomely. And as the
traveling man testified, it paid from a business standpoint; or as
Uncle Bobbie Wicks tells his customers from other towns, "Folks come
to Boyd City to live 'cause they 'aint 'fraid to have their boys 'n
girls walk down the street alone." And after all, that's about the
best recommendation a place can have. And perhaps the happiest couple
in all that happy, prosperous city, as well as the best-loved of her
citizens, is the young manager of the Association, Mr. Richard Falkner,
and his beautiful wife, Amy.
But Dick will soon leave his present position to enter a field of wider
usefulness at the National Capitol. For the people declared, at the
last election, that their choice for representative was "That Printer
of Udell's.
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