The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-04-21
A Good Name.

In the action of many young men NAV otter
be detected a recklessness as to the opinions OF
| Others and the reputation they may form by
their conduct. Practically, there are few hard
er lessons to acquire by the young than that
their present conduct will build them UP q
reputation from which they may wish hereafter
to escape, but cannot When a young man
learns this lesson thoroughly, he has acquired
a knowledge, the value of which he shall know
better by and by than he can now. This seems
to be the line which divides wisdom from folly,
and we think some popular authors have com
| mttcd an indiscretion in the manner in which
they speak of young mans "sowing his wild
oats" as ii it were necessity for him TO in
dulSe in vice to some extent before he settles
down into the sobricty and virtue of we'll bred
christian gentleman. We protest against the
pe,nicious error as one which has ruined thous.
ands, who but for this would have escaped. It
IS indeed very singular notion TO graft into a
young mans mind that in order to become a
model oftcmpcrance, he must have been stung
| by the adder of drunkenness =; that in order to
be model of virtue, he must first enter " the
house which is the way to hell" In respect OF
honesty. temperance, virtue, and every other
grace which one desires to be reputcd as hav.
| ing, we hold that the Scripture rule is the only
safe one, as given in the character of Joseph
| as announced in these words, Whatsoever q
man soweth that shall he also reap" We hold
| and teach that blot on the moral character OF
even young n an is very hard to remove and
| that therefore he should be warned not to touch
| that accursed thing.
| Not long since we conversed awhile with an
old friend, and spoke of a mutual acquaintance
| who had attained eminence in one of the great
| christian denominations in this country. His
| fame as preacher and a man of piety was
widely known. but our friend remarked
81 knew him when he was young man, and
| cannot rid myself of the notion that he is a
hypocrte now, as he was cOnfrssedly then.
am not alone in this opinion all who knew him
| when he was young feel as do
We could not symPathize with this feeling,
for we believed then, and do now, that the per.
son alluded to is an exemplary christian but
we perceive in the case al emphatic testimony
| to the truth we have announced, that it is a sad
thing for young man to act so as to require a
bad reputation, because that reputation will
haunt him like his shadow as long as he lives
We have known instances not a few in which
| young men have been led to commit what a
mawkish charity calls indiscretions, but which
| the truth must call abominable crimes. Some
OF these to all appearances have rerented sim
| ccrely and have entered on virtuous life. Of
| this number few have entered some one of
the learned professions. and yet we find that
those who knew their early crimes stand in
doubt Of them to this day. 1t was not long
| since we met such man it was years since
| we lad see him, AM it was thousand miles
from the place of his sin. He has of late years
led steady and sober life; but when those
who knew him years ago see or hear of him
now, they find it difficult to shut their eyes npon
the sins of his youth. That stain is indelible,
and its memory will hardly be buried in the
grave. By this we do not mean to discourage
the efforts of the fallen to rise, but simply to
| warn the innocent to beware how they cloud
their names with the reputation of crime. A
good name is better than great riches it is
| letter than ointment poured 70 tn.
In looking over the list of our early compan-
ions, we are surprised to find SO many Of them
firing the retribution of early crime. Two
of them were tempted to dishonesty. and fell.
One OF these two has since occupied high Office
| in western State, but that early crime could
| not be left at home. 1t has followed him west
| ward. Another became secretly addicted to
card playing, and when on his way south on
| Mississippi steamer in pursuit Of school,
| surprising himself unknown to all on board, he
INDUCED in gambling. A gentleman on the
boat was on the point Offering him lucrative
situation. when he saw him seat himself at the
card table. This young man has since become
a vagabond. Another on similar voyage on
|
but has since led better life and yet the
memory Of his misdeeds has not persisted.
Many are afraid of him. Another fell into a
sin we will not mention, and though for years
he has sought to cover up that crime, he may
live a hundred years a life of good works, and
yet shall find it true that
| 'The evil that men do lives after them"
Our age is one peculiarly marked with temp.
tations to the young. The thoroughfares OF
our cities, and even the quiet streets of our viii
| lagos, abound in cnticements to evil. This is
an age of extravaganza in apparel, in meats and
drinks. in houses, and, in a word, all the appli
ances OF luxury. journals are not blameless
in this respect. They have too often sounded
the praises Of wealth, and in some cases have
sought to palliate crimes Of men in high posi
ton. AS we see the youth growing up around
us beset by SO many and peculiar temptations
we feel called upon TO warn them to beware
lest they yield to these temptations to Their
lifelong sorrow. We would counsel them
when tempted, to say as did JOSEPH, "How
can do this great wickedness, and sin against
God ?'-Eoaugel;a.
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