He desired to be a worthy
link in the generations, and that he might not destroy by his
weakness that vigor and purity of blood which had been achieved at
the cost of much self-denial by a long line of ancestors.
He was required to fast from time to time for short periods,
and to work off his superfluous energy by means of hard running,
swimming, and the vapor-bath. The bodily fatigue thus induced,
especially when coupled with a reduced diet, is a reliable cure for
undue sexual desires.
Personal modesty was early cultivated as a safeguard, together
with a strong self-respect and pride of family and race. This was
accomplished in part by keeping the child ever before the public
eye, from his birth onward. His entrance into the world,
especially in the case of the first-born, was often publicly
announced by the herald, accompanied by a distribution of presents
to the old and needy. The same thing occurred when he took his
first step, when his ears were pierced, and when he shot his first
game, so that his childish exploits and progress were known to the
whole clan as to a larger family, and he grew into manhood with the
saving sense of a reputation to sustain.
The youth was encouraged to enlist early in the public
service, and to develop a wholesome ambition for the honors of a
leader and feast-maker, which can never be his unless he is
truthful and generous, as well as brave, and ever mindful of
his personal chastity and honor.
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