Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-06-11
NUMBER XIII.
A WORD to Young Laaics.

We wish to say word to young ladies
about your influence over young men,
Did you ever think of it? Did you ever
realize that you could have any influence
at all over them? We believe that q
young lady by her consent, consistent,
Christian example, may exert an untold
power. You do notknCw the respect, the
almost worship, which young men, no
matter how wicked they may be them
selves, pay to a consistent Christian
lady, be she young or old. A gentle
man once said to q lady who boarded
in the same house with him, that her
life was a constant proof of the truth
of the Christian religion: Often the
simple request of lady Will keep d
young man from doing wfong. We have
known this to be the case very frequent
ly; and young men have been kept from
breaking the Sabbath, from drinking,
from chewing, just because lady whom
they respected, and for whom they had
an effection, requested it. A tract Civ
en-, an invitation to go to church, re.
quest that your friend would read the
Bible daily, will often be regarded, when
more powerful appeals from other sour
ces would fall unheeded updt his Eeaft:
Many of the gentlemen whom you meet
in society are far away from their own
homes-away from the influence of par
ents and sisters-and they will respond
to any interest taken in their welfare
We all speak Of young mans danger
from evil associates, and the very bad
influence which his dissipated gentle
men companions have over him. We
believe it is just as true that the gentle
mans character is formed, to a very
great extent, by the ladies that he ass6-
ciates with, before he becomes a COM
plete man of the world. We think, in
other words, that a young man is pretty
much what his sisters and young la
dy friend chooses to make him.
We knew a family where the sisters
encouraged the younger brother to
smoke, thinking it was manly, and to
mingle with gay, dissipated fellows, be-
cause they thought it ''smart," and he
did mingle with them, until he came just
like them, body and soul, and abused
the same sisters, shamefully. The in-
funce began farther back than with
his gentlemen companions. 1t began
with his sisters, and was carried on
through the forming years of character.
On the other hand, if his sisters are
watchful and afectionate, they may, in
various ways-by entering into little
plans with interest, by Introducing their
younger brothers into good ladies soei-
ETY., lead them along until their chardc=.
ter is formed, and then a high toned
respect for ladies, and manly self-rcs:
pect, will keep them from ming Cling with
low society. If a young man sees that
the religion which in youth he was
taught to venerate, is lightly thought of
and perhaps sneered at, by the young
ladies with whom he associate, we can
hardly expect him to think that it is
the thing for him. Let none say that
they have no influence, any more than
you can live without breaking. One is
just as unavoidable as the other. Be-
ware, then, what kind of influence it is
you are constantly exerting. An ihvi-
tation to take glass of wine, or to play
game of cards, may kindle the fires Of
intemperance or gambling which Wi l
burn forever. A jest given at the ex-
penses of religion; light trifing man.
ner in the house of God, or any of Che
numerous ways, in which you may show
your disregard for the souls of others;
may be the means of running MANY for
time and eternity.-HOnsc Journal