Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-07-23
SOWING WILD OATS.
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

Many young man has been lured from
tha path of virtue, and enticed into the road
that leads by an easy descent into the ac-
cursed valley of destruction, through the
thoughtess speech OF some thoughtless per-
son, talking fippanrly about sowing wild
oats, as thing to be expected in youth.
"I had one lesson on this subject from the
lips of an aged COUNSELOR" said valued
friend to me, not long since. "which never
has been forgotten. The timely warning
saved me. | was nineteen years of age and
had just entered college. Young men were
there from nearly every State in the Union,
and some of them were already sadly cor
rnpted. l was social. in high health and
spirits, and was in inauguration ever arry-
ing myself beyond the actual and the pres
eat. Before had time Cor reflection, and
even before a consciousness of wrong had
reached me, was afloat on dangerous sea,
my boat gliding swiftly forward and the sy-
ren's cong already in my ear.
One night we had a wine party. in the
town which ended in excuses, the thought
OF which has called burning blush to my
cheeks hundred times since. ] had OF
been very well for some days previously, suf-
fering from constant headache, and low
fehrile symptoms,
The dissipation of night turuedthe scale
upon the wrong side, and was SO i'll on the
next day that il was thought best to call a
physician. He was an old man, of the old
school gentlemen, and wise, thoughtful and
kind. He commenced at once, the business
OF finding out everything in regard to my
k.l 81, 4
there was something in him that so inspired
me with confidence, that concealed moth
ing. He LOOKED grave and offered remon-
stra n'ce:.
t'oh.'' said |. almost lightly. ayoUnng men
must sow their wild oats. The ground
will be SO much better prepared for seeding
wheat after the crop is taken.''
CAN error Of the gravest ckaracter,s he
replied, seriously, sand one that has ruined
its tens of thousahies of young men. Is a
garden better prepared for the reception of
good seed, for having first been Permitted 10
grow weeds! 1t is no mere comparison, that
of the haman soul to a garden. 1t is really
spiritual garden. Now, is it not an insult
to reason to say that a man will be n wiSer
and better man for having false principles
leading at once To an evil life, sown upon
the gro6nd Of Iris mind in youth, as il woa7a
be to say that a garden would be more fkfif-'
ty in after years, for being irst permitted to
grow weeds!"
"My stranger friend! have lived almost
the completion of kfe's earthly eycls and
have seen sad number of young men lost.
to the world, lost to themselves, and lost, /
fear, to the company of Gods blessed angels,
in consequence of that single idea sown into
the earth of their minds. Oh, Cast IL of4 at
once! Keep yourself pure. Let right prin-
eiples, chaste thoughts, noble purposes, man.
ly aims grow in your garden-not the ac-
cursed wild oats! Be prudeui, temperate,
virtuous, obedient to superiors, honorable,
and kind. Aim to be a man-not sensual
list. Govern yourself as a man, instead of
letting passion, appetite or any sensaai de-
sire rule you as a tyrant. Sow no more
wild oats. You will find trouble enough in
our after life with the seeds already scat
tered in your fields"
"The scales." said my friend. "dropped at
once from my eyes. / saw that the good
old physician was right, and that this cant
about sowing wild oats involved one Of the
most dangerous fallacies into which the mind
of young man could fall. 1t was my last
folly of this kind"