The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-09-29

I My hearers-the old proverb says
l"Train up child in the way he should
90, and when he is old he will not depart
from it." but this modernized, reads,
"Train up a child in the way he aDould 60,
and before hebeold he will 60 it." Yes
my friends there is no mistake about it
|if you let a child run loose over the fence
less fields ofhis own inclination, he will
wear out more moral shoe leather in one
day than an old man will in six weeks,
who walks moderately along the gravelly
high way of sin. lwould however, have
you understand that l have no objection
tothe sons and daughters of earth going
it while they are young, provided they
don't 60 it too strong, for l know that the
,honey-suckles of pleasure grow only in the
green valley of youth, and that they all
shed their sweetness in the morning Of
life; that the declining sun of age casts but
a sickly glare on the tomb of worldly en-
ioyment; and that old men tottering to-
ward the lone tenement of death, are Of.
ten times compelled to bear the insults
and jeers of thoughtless juveniles, who run
after them shouting, "Go it ye crippIesp
when the young rascals know that the
wheels of life were new-when every
thing in the physical machinery operated
without squeeking-and when theirheart's
tallow was always kept melted by the
warm blaze of youthful enthusiasm.
My dear children go it while you are
young. but be careful hop you 90 it. Lie
down and roll over as much as you please
upon the perfumed beds of indulgence,
but mind and not roll into the brambles of
everlasting misery. Kick up your heels
along the gay walks of Pleasure, but don't
crush the tender buds of virtue, beneath
your careless tread; and, above all don't
run SO swiftly as to produce combustion
of moralty-for when that spiritual es-
sence is once destroyed, you are Just as
surely done up and bursted as though you
were obliged to borrow shirt to keep up
appearances. Drink deep from the cup
of rational enjoyment, but shun the ine-
briating bowl as you would the small pox
or the double width me sles. Don't med
die with it, my young friends for when
you once get your sucker in, you will have
1t scorched before you can get it out
your fine sympathics crisped to sindcrs-
and your reputation blasted forever. In
spirit of mildncss, mercy and modesty,
| warn you against that worst of all vices,
gambling. 1t is Of the devil to entce you
into his slaughter house. 1t induces you
to lie, cheat, and indulge in profane lam
guage; and it moreover offers you an in
vltation to get your living by other means
than those prescribed in the golden deca-
logue of honest industry. Be careful, al
so how yon 90 it in your approximations
towards the female sex. Let your love
be of the purest and most exalted nature.
Instead ofhankering after the flesh, you
ought to have your affections placed on
those heavenly virtues with which tits
stufed-for 1t is the stufing alone that
contains the true spice ofreci iprocal love.
Go it young man now in the days of
your youth! Revel in the sweets of en-
joymcnt while Fancy'sfowers arein their
fullest bloom--whlle pinions of hope
dronp not in the cold storms of adversitv
while the sun of ambition still shines up
on the far distant summit of fame. Let
your heart abound with cheer-banishe ev-
cry suicidal thought from your mind-and
let the soul surfeit upon the luxuries of
mental bliss; but while you are partaking
fthese bounties you must try, young
friend to lay up portion of them to feast
upon when you become old andno longer
able to 60 it with that looseness with
which you are now privileged. The time
will come when the sweetest soup of life
will taste as insipid as dish water-when
every lump Of joy will lose its seasoning
-when your bread of hope won't rise for
want of leaven-and when like a dried
sapling, you will have grown so stiff and
old that you cant bend without cracking.
Ny dear friends-when youare oidyou
can't go it any more than broken down
stage morse; and if you don't enjoy yourself
while you feed upon the oats of youthful
anticipation, you will find out that you can
never do it when you come to Craze in the
barren pasture of age-if compare you
to horses, my respected hearers, ! trust
you will forgive the comparison, inasmuch
as the mortal part of man is subject to
the same decay which horse flesh is heir
to. Yes, the juice ofour bodies become s
driad in alItumnal winds of ,ro our