Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1858-08-26
Sowing Wild Oats.

Many yorIrg man has been lured from
the palh OF virtue, and enIced into the road
that leads, by ~ easy descent, into the ac-
cursed valley of destruction, through the
honghtIess speech Of some person talking
fippaniy about SOW ing wild oats, as thing
10 be expected in youth.
a had one lesson on this subject from
the lips of an aged counsellor" said val
ued friend 10 me not long since, (which has
never been forgotten. The timely warning
saved me. was nineteen years of age,
and had just entered college. Young mel.
were there from nearly every State in the
Union, and some Of them sadly corrupted.
/ vas social, in high health and spirits, and
and with an imagination forever carrying
me beyond the actual and the present. Be-
fore had time for reflection, and before
even CONSCIOUSNESS Of wrong had reached
me, l was aAoat on dangerous sea, my
boat gliding swiftly forward, and the Sy-
ren's song already in my ears.
Oneinight we had wine party in the
town, which ended in, excesses, the thought
of which has called burning blush 10 my
cheeks hundred times since. had not
been very well for some days previously,
suffering from constant headache and low
lebrile symptoms. The dissipation of a
night turned the scale upon the wrong side,
and was SO i'll on the next day that it was
thought bes: TO call in a physician. He
was an old man, of the old school OF gentle
men, and wise, thoughtful, and kind. He
commenced, at once, the business of finding
out everything in regard TO my habits,
principles and modes Of thought, and Tiers
was something in him that SO inspired me
with confidence that concealed nothing
He looked grave, and offered a remonstrance.
oh said l, almost lightly, young men
must sow their wild oats. The ground
will be SO much better prepared for seeding
wheat after the cropis taken
An error Of the grayest character, he re-
piled, seriously, and one that has ruined lis
thousands and lis tens Of thousands OF young
men. Is o garden better prepared for the
reception OF good seed Tor having first Ier-
n:tled TO grow weeds? put the question
1 10 YOUR common sense. Are there not sOme
soils so filled with all manner Of evil seeds,
that the gardener, with his utmost toll ana
care, can scarcely remove the vigorous
plants that spring 10 life in the warm sun.
shine and rain? /, is no mere comparison,
that Of the human soul to a garden. Il is,
in reality, spiritual garden. Truth is the
good seed which is sown in this garden,
false principles the evil seed, or wild oats,
which the enemy's hand scatters, if per-
mitted, upon lis virgin soil. Now, is ii not
an insult 10 reason 10 say that the man will
be wiser, truer, better man for having false
principles, leading at once 10 an evil lie,
sown upon the ground OF his mind in youth,
Il, it would be To say that a garden would
be Eore thrifty IN after years Tor being first
permitted TO grow weeds!
My stranger friend. have almost lived
TO the completion ol he, earthly cycle, and
have seen a sad number "a young men lost
Ia the World, lo>t 10 tht m>e.ye>, and lost,
fear, To Tho company az Gods blessed an
gels, il cou>tqurUcs Of tirar single false idea
>own INTO the rar'l, - ,heir minds. Oh,
cast ii out at cnce! Keep yourself pure
Let right principles, cha,,e thoughts, noble
purposes, manly aims, grow in your gar
den-not the accursed Wild uatst Be lem
perare, prudent, viriuous, obcdient TO supe-
riors, honorable, kind. Aim 10 be a man-
not sensualisr. Govern yourself as u
man, instead of letting passion, appetite, or
any sensual desire rule you as tyrant.-
Sow no more wild oats. You will find
trouble enough in your after lie with the
seed already scattered in your fields"
"The scales" said my friend, dropped
at once from my eyes. j saw that the good
old physician was right, and that this cant
about sowing wild oats involved one Of tile
most dangerous fallacics INTO which the
mind of a young man could fall. II was my
last folly Of the kind
Col. TITus, AGAIN.-The Sherman
(Grayson co., Texas, Patriot has the fol-
lowin0.