=The meaning of passion.=--The consciousness of passion is the voice of nature telling you that you have an extra supply of creative energy on hand, that you can use in performing physical, mental and moral service. If this energy is wasted, it will unfit you to perform the service. It is for you to decide what use you will make of this energy. Would you prefer momentary pleasure? Then, you can find it in sexual gratification. But you should remember that pay-day comes later. Inferior manhood, disease, suffering, sorrow, regret and failure lie in the road of all who live in vice. Only perverted ideals and views of life would lead one to seek pleasure on the plane of an animal. Man’s highest, truest and sweetest pleasures come from the consciousness of perfect physical, mental and moral development. Self-management, self-control, self-government will keep us in harmony with nature and God and result in true happiness and success. CHAPTER XXV FATHER’S FIFTH TALK--THE TRUE YOUNG KNIGHT =The true young knight.=--A true young knight is a boy, or young man, who is strong, brave, ambitious, intelligent, gallant and pure. The knights of the Middle Ages were strong men. They practiced athletics, took their outdoor sports and were proud of their physical strength. In those days, one with a weak, defective body could not be a knight. They were also, brave men. They would die for what they believed to be right. They were very gallant toward women. They would offer every courtesy and respect to girlhood, womanhood, wifehood and motherhood. They had to be pure men to be strong, brave, gallant and manly. A knight would die in defense of womanhood. The purpose of this chapter is to inspire you to become a true knight in your social relations with girls and ladies. The proper social relations of boys and girls, men and women, is one of the best ways of developing the social side of our lives, of improving the mind and strengthening our moral natures. God has made us social beings. He wants us to enjoy life. [Illustration: DEVELOPING KNIGHTHOOD] =Treat all girls as you would have boys treat your sister.=--Until girls are sixteen and boys are eighteen, when thrown together, it is wisest and best for them to engage in plays and games as children without any thought of being sweethearts. Small boys should learn that it is not manly for them to squeeze the hand of a girl, tease, pinch or pull a girl’s hair and he should not think of such an ungentlemanly thing as to try to kiss a girl. The reason for this advice is, these relations tend to create in the mind thoughts that a true knight will not entertain. You would not want a boy to treat your sister in this way. A boy who would treat another boy’s sister as he would not want her brother to treat his sister, is not a true knight. Nature and God teach that man is woman’s protector.