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��The Boston Young Meii s Christian Association.
��[April,
��to the continuous stream of comers for welcome, membership, or informa- tion. The hbrary is a large, handsome, sunny room, well furnished with shelves, but not these so well with books ; and yet, from twenty to fifty men are here quietly reading. The next room is for general reading. Around the walls on every side are papers from almost every- where, and on the tables all, the peri- odicals of this country, and many from abroad. All about the room sit or stand the readers, many, for the time, at home again as they gather the local news of their own town or village. The room beyond is called the "game-room." At each little table sit the chess or draught-players, while many interested are looking on.
Here is the lavatory, complete in all its appointments, except, perhaps, that the long towel on the roller has been already this evening used by too many hands. The smell of blacking, too, in- dicates the wearer's pleasure in his cleaned and polished boots. In that little hall, which seats about three hun- dred, a lecture is being given to young men, on the care of the body, by
Dr. . This is one of six which
are given gratuitously by Boston physicians.
We mount the stairs to the next story. These two rooms are rented to a commercial college. This door oppo- site admits you to the hall, which has seats for nine hundred persons. It is extremely simple, but the tints of the walls and ceiling are delightful, and you have only to listen to those members of
the Club, who have leased it for
their concerts, to realize that its acous- tic properties are perfect.
Still higher, we find the room of the board, where, once at least in each month, the directors sup at their own
��expense, and manage the affairs of the Association. Here, too, its various committees meet. In the room adjoin- ing, a French lesson is going on ; in that, German ; in this, penmanship. Still higher up we find the "Tech" Glee Club practising, and this large room adjoining is filled with those who are learning vocal music. The build- ing seems a very hive — something going on everywhere.
Let us now descend to the basement. The gymnasium is here in full blast. Men in every kind of costume and in every possible and, to many persons, impossible position, while the super- intendent is intently watching each to see that he is properly developing ; every kind of bath and many of them are right at hand, and dressing-rooms with boxes for eight hundred persons.
And this great building and all these appliances are the gift of the citizens of Boston to the young men from the country. Many of the donors remem- ber the time when they came lonely to the city, and determined, if they could prevent it, that no young man, to-day, in the same position, should be Avith- out a place where all of which they so greatly felt the need is supplied.
These needs are thus supplied. Early in the history of the Association, a circular was sent to every evangehcal pastor in New England, asking him to give information of each young man coming to the city, that he might be met at the station or received at the rooms.
Let us sketch a case : We have
received word that John is to
arrive from G by such a train.
During the journey, thoughts of the dear ones he has left crowd upon him. He is already sick for home, as he looks about him and sees no familiar face.
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