True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-11-26
Sflisfellang
The Begianing and the End.

The following is from the New YOrl
Observer @ &
About thirty FIVE years ago | was a
teacherin one Of the large Villages il
the west. While thus engaged, two boys
whom | shall call Nathan and John, cam,
TO school from the same neighborhood
They were then about dozen years old
and there was not much difference in then
capacity for improvement. Both were
fair scholars, and generally behaved with
agood degree Of propriety in school, and
bOlh might have been respectable and use
ful ulmembers Of society. Nor did think
that when they should become men, there
would be much difference in their standing
and usefulness. After they had been in
school year or more, removed to anoth-
eI part Of the village, where it was moi
convenient to attend upon my instruction.
Now let us, for the present, pass over the
history Of these two boys, twenty years
from the time they left my school, and
see where we shall find them.
Within Eve days of the same time,
Nathan was ordained minister of the
gospel, over large church and John was
hanged. No doubt you would like 10
learn the causes that led to such widely
different results in their history. Nathan
was obedient to his mother, (she was a
widow,) was regularly found in the Sab.
ath School and the sanctuary on the Sab
bath, nor did he absent himself from
home at night without her permission, and
then was al home at an early hour. John
broke away from his parental restraint,
was seldom seen in the sanctuary or the
Sabbath School, but roamed abroad in
the fields and orchards, or wherever in
elinatiOn or wicked associates led him.
He Of course fell into bad company. |
said Of course, for good boys are not ordi-
narily found abroad on the Sabbath, nor
at unreasonable hours at night. He
learned to play cards when he should have
been at church, or at Sabbath School. if
not at home with his parents, and in few
years became gambler and ablack leg.
He failed, however, 10 get money as fast
as he wanted it by gambling. So he,
with two other men Of like character,
killed man to obtain money. The mur.
der was committed on dark night. and
no eye but Gods saw them, and they no
doubt, thought that they should escape
punishment. But very remark able
train Of events soon led TO their detection.
They were tried, found guilty, and all
three were executed together.
And now my young friends, allow me
to say to you, that John, when he was
in the same school with Nathan, had no
idea but when he should become man,
he would be rs respectable and happy as
his associate. And so he might have
been had he avoided the company of bad
boys, and properly observed the Sabbath.
And when he began to play at cards, he
was not aware to what extent his course
was tending and only played for small
sums al first, But the first step in the
wrong course once taken, there is no stop
ping place and the only safe way is to
avoid the society of bad boys, and not
take The first step in course Of sin, and
constantly keep in mind, that however
You may succeed in hiding your actions
from men, God sees all you do, and seldom
allows sin to go unpunished, even in this
world.