Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-08-13

character, might be ranked among the most
respectable, and be. useful citizen, seems to
prefer using his tongue to his hands, but alas
for him, he has chosen his companions from
among the vile. Jim the third of this group,
is not at all repulsive in his looks, and evil
IDENTIFY he is just being initiated into this
particular school of vice. 0 young man, re-
turn And thus l might multiply to an al
most endless extent, but forbear.
Reader, does not this picture rise before
your Imagination living specimen of what
Won have seen and heard? have no doubt
but it does. And now, should company Of
boys, who are so fortunate as to be farmers
sons, and who have plenty of business to alb
sorb their attention, happen along in thu VI
cinity OF the above mentioned group, who are
now ripened for FUSS" and are only wait
ing for an opportunity, and as Satan was
never at loss to know how to accomplish
his internal purposes, he now instructs Burt
to mock and deride, jeer and ridicule them
until provoked beyond all point Of endurance,
they dare resent the insult, then those by
standing rowdies ieel justified in stepping into
the arena of the conflict and satating their
vengeance in most shameful manner, and
perhaps drive them home, while Tom, Jerry,
Dick and Harry look derisively on, seeming
to say, served 'em right"
l intend this as SANDER to no one, yet
should any ones conscience say, Thou art
the man," let him know that this was intend
ed expressly for him. | have seen instances
like the foregoing, and doubtless the reader
has, if not, may he never satisfy his curlos-
ity by his own experience.
Reform, in such cases, if it begins at all,
must begin at home. Sabbath Schools do all
they can, perhaps, but they can never remedy
the evil. The proverb says, {" Train up a
child in the way he should 60, and when be
is old he will not depart from it," and it is
morally certain that child trained in the
way he should not 60, will never, in after
years, depart from it. Andif parents wholly
neglect the training of their children, and
permit them to associate with whom they
CHOOSE, unadvsed and unrestrained, they will
most certainly receive training not at all
calculated to elevate their moral character
or make them useful members Of society," and
soon the unsuspecting parent will be startled
from his mental slumber by the awfully alarm
ing fact that his son, whom in his Ignorance
he supposed perfectly innocent, has departed
= from The path of virtue has gone astray, be-
come dissipated, transgressed the laws of thu
land, aud is now to receive that punishment
which is pronounced but sufficient to expiat,
his guilty crimes.
: An instance of this description occurred ;
few years since: A widows only son, whom
she loved with the most devoted fondness, an,
. who was her only earthly object Of affection
and in him she placed the utmost confidence
for he was an active, intelligent lad of som
fourteen years, possessing an amiable DISPOSE
ton, pleasant, agreeable manners, which
combined with his intellectual superiority
$ gained him many friends; but alas! even h
g did not prove impregnable to the assault c
: vice. He became connected with evil assC
o ciates, and was gradually led on, by almos
i imperceptible degrees, becoming profane an
n vulgar, and at last having some diferenc
It with a gentleman in their vicinity, they d'
e termined to have exquisite revenge; so the
n set fire to his dwelling. The widow son wi
Is detected as the incendiary, and sentenced
he fifteen years in State Prison. But who ca
y tell the anguish of that mother when 81
heard the melancholy news? Her matern
al affection had hitherto blinded her to his faults
= but now the awful truth forced inself upt
OF her unwilling soul, and made her almost fra
a. tic with grief; but neither tears nor entrea
I'd les could alleviate his punishment, for Il
ST stern decree Of the law was memorable, al
ID he could but abide his fate The grief-stric
q, en-, broken-hearled, and worse than childles
IL widow could not survive the dreadful bio
es and ere two years had elapsed, the gra
pc closed over her troubled heart The wick
to son, when he learned of his mothers deaf
he felt the keenest pangs of remorse. His me
10 tai anguish was so great that he contracted
o. disease from which he never recovered
Ell How much a guilty soul, trembling on t
a verge Of eternity, suffers from remorse no p
he can describe, no Imagination conjecture!
IL Methnks | hear some sceptical reader |
IL mark that this is an extraordinary case.
let Well, admitting it to be so, if this you
is man was utterly ruined by the influence
SO evil companions, can you expect to esca
III uncontaminated? Certainly not. Eth
Hn you will raise your companions to your lev
W. Or you must sink to theirs. Minds, like a
'st seek an equilibrium. When | see you
~ man beginning to have fondness for l
III wholesome society, secretly inclining to
lis where vulgar wit, impertinent jokes, a
JUS profanity are mingled with, and, in fact, sex
elr to be almost the only theme of conversatit
IN l know that young man is in the first circ
* Of the mighty whirlpool, each gyration C
rying him still nearer the fatal vortex VIII,
're 50 many promising youths have been destroy
We and unless some kind warning will induce h
EN- to abandon his perlous situation he will m
'es surely be wrecked. Perhaps you consi,
"a this strong language. So do | yet tn
'gt compels me so to speak. Young men can
Ii be too sufficiently warned to avoid bad &C
en- pany there is no greater incentive to {
a than this, hardly excepting Intemperance,
is if he avoids one he will most likely shun
INT other. Pardon my presumptuousness, k
parents, if | earnestly entreat you to gu
ic- against the dangers of your sons, compel tn
OF to give an account Of how their time
ar, been spent; otherwise they will go, you kr
ail not whittier, and ere you are aware they ,
Ihe become ruined forever, and, perhaps, find
'ct' untimely grave. The immortal soul has G
ry' no one dares mention where. Your heart
IRE volts from this sad picture, Try then
Is make it otherwise as far as lies in your p
ma er, and so will [.
Is Tunbridge.
dy.
he
ule a Mothers last PRAYER.