Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-08-12
A WORD TO YOUNG LADIES.

We wish tu say Il word 10 you, young H.
dies, about your influence over young men.
Did YOU ever think Of it2 Did you ever
realize that you could have any influence at
all over them We believe that q young
lady, by her constant, consistent, Christian
example, may exert an untold power. You
do not know the respect, and almost wor-
ship which young men, no matter how wicked
they may be themselves, pay to consis-
tent, Christian lady, be she young or old.
A gentleman once said toa lady who
boarded in thesame house with him, that
her life was : constant proof of the truth of
the Christian religion. of'cn the simple
request of lady will keep a young man
from doing wrong. We have known this
to be the case very frequently; and young
men have been kept from breaking the Sab
bath, from drinking, from chewing, just be-
cause lady whom they respected, and for
whom they had an affection, requested it. a
tract given an invitation to 60 to church a
request that your friend would read the BIZ
bic daily, will often be regarded, when more
powerful appeals from other sources would
fall unhecded upon his heart.
Many of the gentlemen whom you meet
in Society are away from the influence OF
parents and ssters-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 gentlemen companions have
over him. We believe it is all true, that d
gentleman's character is formed to q great
extent, by the ladies that he associates with
before he becomes acomplcte man of the
world! We think. in other words, that !;
young man is pretty much what his sisters
and young lady. friends choose to make him
We knew family where the sisters encour
aged their youngar brother to en,ekr, think
ing it was, manly, and to mingle with gay
dissipated fellows, because they thought il
smart" and he did mingle with them, un
til he became Just like them, body and soul
and abused the same sisters shamefully
The influence began farther back than with
his gentlemen companions. 1t began with his
sisters, and was carried on through the form
ing years of his character. On the other
hand, if sisters are watchful and affectionate
they may, in various ways-by entering
into any nttle plan with interest, by intro
ducing their 20 niger brothers to good ladies
society-lecd them along, until their charac
ter is formed, and then a high toned respect
for ladies; and manly selfrespcct will keep
them from mingling with low society.
If a young man sees that the religion
which in youth he was taught to vencrate
is lightly thought of, and perhaps sneered
at, by the young ladies with whom he asso
ciates, we can hardly expect him to think ii
is the thing for him. Let none say that they
have no influence at all. This is not posi-
bic. You caEuot live without having some
sort of influence, any more than you can
live without breathing. One is just as un
avoidablc as the other
Beware, then, what kind of influence it is
that you are constantly cxerting An invi
tation to take glass of wine, or to play a
game of cards, may kindle the fires of in
temperance or gambling, which will burn
forever. A jest given at the expense o
religion, in y light, triflng manner in the
house of God, or any of the numerous waysi III
which you may show your disregard for the
souls of Others may be the means Of ruin
ing others for time and etcrnity.-Gsaio C.
Scott, IN the Home Journal