Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-01-28
Beware of Drifting.

| "Few people form habits of wrong doing de
lberately and wilfully. They glide into then
by degrees and and almost unconsciously, and
before they are aware Of t;anger, the habits are
confirmed and require resolute and persisten
effort to effect change. "}.4
"Resist beginnings was maxim OF the an
clients, and should be preserved as land marx
in our day. The Baltimore Sun has good ar
ticle on the slight beginnings of danger which
end in fatal ruin:
SIT was only the other day that. man fell a.
sleep in his boat on the Niagara river. During
his slumber the boat broke loose from her moor.
iugs. and he woke to find himself shooting down
the rapids directly toward the cataract. In
vain he shrieked for help, in vain he he tried tc
row against the current He drifted on and or
till his light craft upset, when he went over and
disappeared forever.
siIn the great battle Of Gibraltar, 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 urwieldly mass vanly strove
to arrest its 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-lot shot, every minute anoth-
er score of its hapless defenders were swept like
chaff from its decks The most superhuman ef-
forts failed to prevent its drifting with its human
freight to inevitable death.
ga ship was wrecked at sea. The passen-
gers and crew took refuge in raft, the boats
having been stove in the attempt to launch them:
For days aud weeks these unfortunates drifted
fl,a hnf hrfSk an
tropical ocean. AT last their provisions failed,
and then their water. Still they drifted about
yainly looking for a sail or hoping for sight OF
land. The time had now come when that fear
ful alternative became inevitable-death from
starvation or feeding on human tiesl--and they
were just beginning to cast lots tor victim
when vessel was seen on the distant horizon.
They abandoned their terrible design; the stran-
ger would approach. The ship came towards
them; she drew nearer and nearer. They stroye
to attract attention by shouts and BY raising
their clothing; but the indolent looking, out
saw them not. They shouted louder and loud.
err: 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 unconscious ship stood steadl-
" away. Night drew on, and as the darkness
fell the ralC QrICcu anu uTIllcu i'll lIS oIhoi VII
rection till the last trace of the vessel was lost
forever.
$50 it is in life. The Incorporate man who
thinks he at least will never die drunkard,
whatever his neighbor may do, only wakes to
find himself drifting down the cataract and all
hope gone. The sensualist, who lives merely
for his own qualification, drifts into an emascu-
late old age, to be tortured with passions he
cannot crafty and perish by mercless agtonizing
diseases. The undisip]ined who never learned
to control themselves, who are spend-thritts, or
passionate, or indolent, or visionary, soon make
shipwreck of themselves, and drift about the sea
of life the prey of every wind and current, vain
y shrieking for help, till at last they drift 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 the lee, and
adverse gales continually blow on the shore
Are you watching how he~heads2 Do you
keep a firm grip Of the wLeela Ifyou give way
but for one moment you may drift helplessly in.
to the boiling vortex. Young men take care!
1t rests. with yourself alone, under God, wheth.
er you reach port triumphantly or drift to ruin.