Along with the emotions related to romantic love there is a rapid development of the religious side of the nature, of a consciousness of the race as a whole, of a spirit of chivalry and disinterestedness-- all emotions that bear a tremendous motive power which needs to be guided into suitable channels. Never before and never again has the individual the endurance and the energy for such self-sacrifice, for such devotion, for such exertion in behalf of the purest of ideals. At the same time, the increased sensitiveness shrinks from every sneer and every evidence of misunderstanding or unsympathetic reproof. It is therefore unwise to tease the girl or boy about the "friend" of the opposite sex; it is cruel to sneer at their ambitions, and it may be positively demoralizing to ridicule their ideals. A mother of unusual intelligence, who had devoted herself not only to the routine work connected with her household and the care of her children, but had made special efforts to keep informed on what was going on in the world of thought and practical affairs, and who had a busy life of varied activities, was walking along a city street with her youngest son--just fifteen. The adolescent, who was rather free in his comments on what went on around him, made this pretty little speech to his mother: "Mother, I think you have a very petty mind. Here you fuss around trying to help out that poor V---- family by getting together clothing for the children, and an odd job for the old man once in a while. And you have been trying to raise a fund to complete the education of the W---- boy, and all things of that kind. But all you have done does not help to solve the problem of poverty." The mother, who had indeed been carrying on these various good works, alongside of many other activities, naturally resented the criticism of her son. But what she minded most was the "inconsistency" of the boy when, a few minutes later, they passed a street preacher with a crowd about him. They could not hear what the man was saying, but the wise young adolescent remarked, "I wish I had some money to help that fellow with." Now, thinks the mother, what do you know about this man's purposes; what is he working for? The boy did not know; but he wanted to do something "to help the cause." What cause, he did not know--and did not care; for him it was enough that here a man is devoting himself to a cause. And this incident illustrates nearly everything that makes the adolescent so puzzling and so exasperating to older people.