Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-02-05
NUMBER V.
Beware Of Drifting.

ing deliberately and willfully; they glide
into them by degrees and almost uncon-
ciously, and before they are aware of
danger, the habits are confirmed and re-
quire resolute and persistent effort to eff
feet a change. "Resist beginnings" was
maxim of the ancients, and should be
preserved as landmark in our day.
The Baltimore Sun has good article
on the light beginnings of dangers which
end in fatal ruin:
fei4 asIeep ii bis bost 5''s III 1is7slE
river. During his slumber she broke
loose from her moorings, and he awoke
to find himself shooting down the rapids
directly towards the cataract. In vain
he shrieked for help, in vain he tried to
row against the current; he drifted on,
and on, till his light craft upset, when
he was born rapidly to the brink of the
abyss, and leaping up with wild cry,
went over and disappeared forever.
In the great battle of the Gibralter,
when the united fleets of France and
Spain attacked the impregnable fortress,
one of the gigantic floating batteries
broke from her anchorage and began to
drift directly into the hottest of the
British FIRE The thousand men. who
formed the crew of the unwieldly mass,
vainly strove to arrest It's progress or
divert it from its path. Every minute
it drifted nearer to the English guns,
every minute some new part took fire
from the red hot shot, every minute an
other score of its helpless defenders
were swept like chaff from its decks
The most superhuman efforts failed to
prevent its drifting with its human
freight, to inevitable death.
A ship was wrecked at sea. The pas
scngers and crew took refuge on raft,
the boats having been stove in the at
tempt to launch them. For days and
weeks these unfortunates drifted about
without oar or sail, on the hot, broken
tropical ocean. At last their provisions
failed, and then their water. Still they
drifted about, vainly looking for sail, or
hoping for sight of land. The time
had now come when that fearful alterna-
tive became inevitablc-death from star
vation, or feeding on human flesh, and
they were just beginning to cast lots for
a victim, when a vessel was seen on the
d;.tant horizon. They abandoned their
terrible design; the stranger would ap,
proach. The ship came towards them
She drew nearer and nearer They
strove to attract their attention by shouts
and by raising their clothing; but the
indolent lookout saw them not
They shouted louder and louder, still
they were not seen. At last the vessel
tackled. With frantic terror they rose in
one body, shouting and waving their
garments. 1t was in vain. The uncon-
scious ship stood steadily away. Night
lrew on, and the darkness fell, the raft
lrifted and drifted in the other direction,
ill the last trace of the vessel was lost
'ore7er.
So it is in life. The Incorporate man,
sho thinks he, at least, will never die i
10, only wakes to find himself drifting
lown the cataract, and hope gone. The
'ensualist, who lives merely for his own
drifts into masculated old
'ge, to be tortured by PASSIONS he cannot
crafty, and perish by merciless agoni-
ing diseases. The undisciplined, who
Ire spendthrifts, or passionate, or indo-
ent, OF visionary, soon make shipwreck
IF themselves, and drift about the sea of
ifc, the prey Of every wind current;
7ainly shrieking for help, till at last they
irift away into darkness and death.
Take care that you are not drifting.
See that you have fast hold Of the helm.
The breakers Of life forever roar under
he lee, and adverse gales continually
)low on the shore. Are you watching
low she heads? Do you keep firm
grip on the wheel? If you give way
out for moment, you may drift help
cssly into the boiling vortex. Young
nan take care! 1t rests with yourself
lone, under God, whether you reach port
or drink to ruin.