Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-01-10
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The first Wrong Step

Inc IlfSC FOIs Gttn
Could the curtain be lifted that %conceal5 th1
tory of individuals as the light Of a future WytId
will re veal it, Of how many young men who have
made wreck of character, conscience and soul,
would the following confession be a graphic out
line. This sketch Is offered as a beacon voice, to
say to every young man, "Beware of the first step
in SIN"
"Take care,' said a father to his son, "of the
first step in SIM" Good as the advice was it was
forgotten or neglected. The son, confident in his
own strength of mind, felt indignant at the impli-
cation that he could be guilty of dishonorable act.
Years passed on, the venerable father had long
been reposing in his grave, and his son, at the age
of fifty, reduced by disease to the last verge OF life,
made the following dying confessions:
ellie draws to Il close my career has been
miserable, and death finds me without hope. A
misspent life is about to be succeeded by a terrible
reckoning. An afiectionate father earnestly eau
toned me, in the days of my seIf-confding youth,
to guard against the first step in sin. His advice
was thoughtlessly rejected, and to this may all my
subsequent miserles he traced. While under my
fathers roof, and impressed by his example, |
thought that | could never be induced to utter Il
falehood; but when engaged in business, | was
tempted TO secure purchasers by eXaggerating the
quality Of my goods, and this SO weakened the NOR
al sense that | could soon without compunction
habitually deceive purchasers by palming upon
them inferior articles, This prepared the way for
direct ialsehood. and at this learned never to hes
ltate, when | conceived it to be for my worldly pro-
fit. BY constant practice, / soon lost all rever-
ence for the sacred character of truth, and at length
on more than one occasion, | p%crjured myself for
gain, with no other counteracting feeling than that
of the fear Ofdelection. Between perjury and the
first departure from strict truth there is a wide diff
ference; and yet | can now see the descent was
gradual and easy. The first step led to the last"
THE SECOND STEP.
"In regard to profaneness, | had been taught 10
regard t as disreputable aud wrong. But mixing
with men of the world, | soon initiated their exam
pie in confirming my word with strong a%ssevera-
tons. These are regarded as innocent by many,
but they led to greater departures from the propri-
ties of speech. An occasional oath seemed to give
force to a declaration, and God was appealed to on
slight occasions. Soon all reverence for the divine
name wore off, and in common conversation it was
used in a profane and impious manner. Swearing
became a habit, until at length my conversation
was interlarded with oaths, and my anger was ex-
pressed in the most terrible imprecations. Thus,
also between the first and the last there was a nat
ural connection"
THE THIRD STEP.
"CouId | ever commit "A wilful fraud? The time
was when would have spurned the insinuation.
felt strong in conscious integrity. The articles
of business, however to which | referred, not only
involved IA departure from truth, but led to the
abandonment of common honesty. Praising goods
beyond their value to tempt purchasers, was fol-
lowed by more direct and positive frauds; and
from frauds of minor kind, was finally led to
cheat my creditors out Of a large amount, by a pre-
tended and fraudulent insolvency; All the public
odlutn consequent upon such a was en-
countered without IA blush, and for the sake Of
present gain ! was willing to throw away all the
reputation | had"
THE FOURTH STEP.
"Often had been cautioned against the insidi-
Gus approaches of intemperance; and my fathers
maxim was, they only are positively safe who re-
frain from taking the first false step. This eau
ton soon learned to ridicule. 1t was well
enough, | thought, for those who had no power of
selGcontrol, to avoid all contact with the exhilar-
ating cup; bur as for myself, | had too good an
opinion of my own resolution to doubt my power
of abstinence, whenever | pleased to exercise it..
felt no difficulty in enjoying myself in this way in
moderation, and even should |, for the sake of
good companionship, indulge in occaSiona excess,
could prevent it from degenerating into a slaVish
habit. Thus reasoned, aud thus | blinded my
self. | made the first false step; for some time |
advanced. but still could perceive no danger. |
began moderately, and only increased in quantity
as | felt my system, from a little practice able to
bear it. For several years | was sensible of no
very serious evils resulting from the enjoyment.
Dut AT leustn l suffered the shame OF Il pubic eX-
posure in a state of beastly intoXication. For a
moment relented, and determined to tax my reso-
luton for an entire reform. 1t shall e so, | said;
but it was not so. / felt chained like a galley
slave; my efforts to abstain only convinced me that
had placed myselfunder the power of a demon
who could retain his prisoner. | was, in short, AN
ir~recIaimabIe drunkard; and each succeeding day
only sunk me deeper into the abyss of degradation
and ruin, from which might have been saved by
Guarding the first step.
"SiniIar has been my career in other vices; the
lustful thought has entaiIed licentious habits; an
ger in the heart has led to malice and revenge; and
here, at length, lies the victim of those vices worn
out in body, broken down in reputation, lost in
seIf-respect, shocked at the recollection of the past,
a~hrighted in view of the present, horror-stricke
in view of the future. Oh! how different might il
have been, had been careful to guard against the
first step IN sin"