Really we are living in a wonderful lime. The whole world is in a state of evolution, reform. There has been practically a world-wide victory for prohibition; woman’s suffrage is com ing into Its own; and important in deed to all mothers is the vigorous fight against vice. When we pause for a moment in the conflict and take an inventory of past and present conditions, we can not but realize, if we be fair and thoughtful observers, that really tre mendous strides have been made in the crusade against vice in all of its forms, especially in our large cities, where it has its biggest strongholds. Recently, In our own and other large cities, the Board of Health has enacted a law Isolating men and women affected with social diseases. This should affect the health and hap piness of generations to come. Red light districts are being abol ished In all cities. It is true that, as a result of this action, houses of evil are being run in respectable neigh borhoods, but are not respectable neighborhoods better equipped to re sist and prevent the inroads of vice than the poor and submerged quarters that have long been victimized by en trenched systems of vice, police pro tected and officially maintained? Moral committees have found the social evil to be systematized busi ness. The reason, more than anything else, that girls go wrong is that some one (not the girls themselves) has a money interest in their going wrong. Hence, attacks are being made upon this vice in its commercial phase. The pulpit and the home have long fought against vice, and now that the press, the city, the Htate and the na tional government have ull become allies, victory at last is in sight. War has formally been declared, the forces of reform have actually been mobilized, and several actions have already been fought. The powers of vice are being steadily pressed back ward and put more and more on the defensive. Indeed, we may say that organized vice is on the run!—L. S. E. THE REQUISITES There has recently appeared a book, written by the dean of women in one of our colleges, that deals with the op portunities open to the college-trained woman and with the necessary mental, physical and temperamental equip ment for different kinds of work. Per haps nothing in it is more striking than the steadiness with which it dwells upon the danger of reljing too much upon talents. “That most un fortunate young person with the many talents,” “There is nothing in the world so common as talent”—over and over again the warning : „ounded. What, then, are the fundamental requisites of a true success — the things that are in no danger of trip ping a person up, the things that count everywhere and always for ric tory ? In the first place, good health. Next to character itself that is the best and should be the first investment for every girl. Second and together, courage and common sense. No enduring success ever can be gained without those two. And finally and always, willingness to work patiently at difficult and un congenial tasks. There are many other qualities that are desirable—that may, indeed, be recessary for certain occupations; but the girl who has character, health, courage, common sense and industry can be sure that the world needs her, that there are large opportunities open to her, and that she can go con fidently on toward the kind of success that makes life really worth while.— Youth’s Companion. ' ' ■ ■ ■ -—' ■ ■■ - - MUSIC Growth of Musical Interest and Intel ligence in America. BY FLORENTINE F. PINKSTON. For years musical art in America made its way w'ith great difficulty and against prejudice. It is of record that many Puritans believed Christians should not sing at all. Gradually col lections of sacred music were intro duced and the worship of song became common. It was not, however, until 1770 that a Congregational church al lowed an organ to be used in its serv ices, and it is interesting to note that even as late as 1790 when a Boston church of that denomination had or dered an organ from London a parish ioner offered to reimburse the church and give alms to the poor if he might be permitted to hurl the offending contrivance into the depths of Boston harbor. How great an advance has been made in musical taste may be seen from the fact that this very Boston is now the home of what is probably the world’s finest orchestra. A distin guished citizen has dedicated to it a considerable part of his fortune, and a special hall, one of the “show places” of the town, has been built to accom modate its audiences. All this in a little more than a century. Today in America a greater outlay is made for music than in any other country of the world—willingly, if not always wisely. Operatic performances are being given in cities that never knew them before. Towns of second or third rank in population are start ing symphony orchestras. The study of music is made a feature in public schools. Our universities have opened ! departments for instruction in