The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-02-04
Beware of Drifting.

ing deliberately and wilfully. They
glide into them By degrees and almost
unconsciously, and, before they are aware
Of danger, the habits are confirmed and
require resoute and persistent effort to
effect change. "Resist beginnings "
was a maxim OF the sncients, and should
be preserved as landmark in our day.
The Baltimore Sun has a good article
on tho slight beginnings Of danger which
end in fatal ruin:
1t was only the other day that a
man fell asleep in bis boat on the Mag
ara river During his slumber the boat
broke loose from her moorings. and he
woke to find himself shooting down the
rapids directly towards tho cataract. In
vain he shrioked for holp in vain he
tried to row against the current He
driftcd cn and on til, his light craft up
set, when be was borne rapidly to the
abyss, and, leaping up with q wild cry,
went over and disappeared forever.
ln the great battle Of Gibraltor.
when tho united fleets of France and
Spain attacked the imprognable fortress,
one Of the gigantic floating batteries
broke from her anchorage and began to
drift directly into the hottest Of the
British fire. The thouaand mon who
formed tho crew Of the unvicldy mass
vainly strove to arrest its progress or
divert it from its ps,b. Every minute
it driftcd nearer to the English guns,
every minute some new part took fire
from the rod-hot shot, every minute a.
mother score of its hapess defenders
wero swept like chaf from its decks. The
most superhuman efforts failed to pre-.
won't its drifting with its human freight
to inevitable death
A ship was wrecked at sea. The
passengers and crew took refuge on raft.
the boats having been stove in the attemp.
to launch them. For days and wooks
these uDfortunates drfted about with
out oar or sail on the hot broken tropl.
cal ocean. At last thoir provisions fail.
ed, and then their water. Still they
driftcd about, voiDly looking for sail
or hoping for sight of land. The timo
had now come when that fearful alterna.
tive became inevitable - death from
starvation or feeding on human flesh
and they we're just beginning to cast
lots for :ictim, when a vessel was seen
on the distant horizon. They abandon
cd their terrible design the stranger
would approach. The ship came 10.
wards them she drew nearer and near
er. They strove to attract her attention
by shouts, and by raising their clothing;
but the indoleu. look out saw them not.
They shouted louder and louder, still
they were not seen. At last tho vessel
tackled. With frantic terro. they rose
in one body. shouting and waving their
garments. 1t was in vain tho uncon,
scious ship stood steadily awny. Night
drew or, and as the darkness fell, the
raft drifted aud drifted in tho other di.
rection till the last trace of the vessel
was lost forever.
" So it is in life. The Incorporate
man who thinks he at least kill never lio
a drunkard, whatever bis neighbor may
do, only wakes to fiud himself drifting
down the cataract, and all hope eono.
The scnsualisi, who lives merely for his
own qualification drifts into an emascu.
lated old oge, to be tortured with pas
sions be cannot crafty, and perish by
morciless agonzing diseases. The uh-
disciplined who never learned to control
themselves, who are spendthrifts, or pas
sionate, or indolent, or visionary, soon
make shipwreck of themselves, and drift
about the sea of life the prey of every
wind and current, vainly shrieling for
help, till at last they drift away into
darkness and death.
Take care that you are not drifting.
See that yon have fast hold of the helm.
The breakers of life forever roar under
the Ice, and adverse gales continually
blow on the shore. Are you watching
how she heads2 Do you keep q firm
grip of the wheel ? If you give way
bnt for one moment you may drift help.
lessly into tho boiling vortex Young
care 1t rests with yourself
alone, under God, whethor you reach
port triumphan,ly or drift to ruin,