The Handsboro Democrat. [volume] (Handsboro, Miss.) 1858-1878, 1859-03-08

man has been lured from the
path Of virtue. and Cniieed into
the road that leads, BY an easy de-
scent, into the aecurscd valley of
destruction; the thonghiless person
talking fiippanfly about sowing
wild oats. as thing 10 be expect
ed in youth.
81 had one lesson on this sub
icct from the lips of an aged conn
sollor,n said valued friend - tne.
not loag since, which has never
becm forgotten. Tie timely warn
ing saved me. | was nineteen
years Of age. and lad just entered
college. Young men were there
from every state in the Union.
and somc of them sadly corrupted.
/ was social, in high health and
spirits. and with an immaginaiion
forever carrying me beyond the
actual aud the present. Before /
had time Cor reflection, and before
even consciousness Of wrong had
reached me, | was afloat on a dan
gcrous sea, my boat gliding swift
ly forwards, and the Sirene 'ssongs
already in my ears.
One night we had a wine par
~ In tie town, which ended in
excuses. the thought Of which
has called burning blush 10 my
checks a hundred times since. !
had not been very well for some
days previously, suffering from
constant headache and low iebrlle
symptoms. The dissipation Of a
night turned tile scale upon the
wrong side, and | was so III the
next day that it was thought best
10 call in a physician. lie was an
old man. Of the cid school = gen
ilemcn, ard wise, ihouzlifal, and
kind. lie commenced, AZ oace.
the business Of finding out every
thing in regard 70 my habits, pr.n-
ciples. and modes oi thought, ard
there was something in him that
So inspire! me with confidence,
that I concealed no;Aiag. lie lock
cd grave, aud offered q remon-
STRANGE.
OH said ], almost lightly,
svoun- men must sow their wild
oats. The ground VIII be - mncli
the better prepared Tor seeding
wheat, after the crop Is taken.
AN error OF tho gravest charac
ter berellied. seriously, 'aud on,
/ that has ruined lis thousands q
young men. Is a garden bette
prepared for the reception of goo.
seed, for having been first permit
ted TO grow weeds. put ihe qnes
ton TO your common sense. Are
there not some soils So filed with
all manner Of evil seeds, that the
gardener, with his utmost toll and
care, can scarcely remove the Vi
gorons plants that spring to life in
the warm sunshine and rain. Il
is no more comparison, than that
OF human soul to . garden. 1t Is,
in reality. a spiritual garden
Truth Is fhe good seed which is
sown in this garden; false princi
pies the evil seed. or wild cats,
which the eueiny's hand scafiers,
if permitted, upon It's virgin soil.
Now, IS it not as much an insalt
10 reason 10 say that tie man viii
be wiser, truer, better man, for
having false principles, leading at
once to an evil life, sown upon
the ground Of his mind in youth,
as j; is to 20 say that a garden viii
he more thrift Y in after years, Tor
being first permitted 10 grow
wccdsl
My stranger friend, Ihave liy-
el almost 10 the completion Of
OF iiie's earthly cycle, and have
seen q sad number OF young men
los; to the word, lost 10 themselves
IN lost, | fear, 10 the company Of
Gods blessed angels, in eonse-
queuce OF that single false idea
sown into the earth offheir minds.
Oh, cas-. il out at onecl Keep
yourself pure. Let wright prinei-
pies, chaste Thoughts, noble pur
poses, manly aims, grow in your
garden-n0t iheaccursed wild oats.
Be temperate, prudent, virtuoas,
obedient 10 superioTs, honorable,
kind. Aim TO be man-uot n 1
sensnalisf. Govern yourself a . |
man, instead of letting passion,
or any sensual desire rule /
You as a fyranf. Sow 10 more wild /
oats. lou viii find trouble enough /
in your after life with the seed a.
ready scattered in yoar fields.
The scales, said my friend. /
dropped at once from my eyes
saw that the good old physician
was right. ana that cant about
sowing Wild oats involved one of
the most dangerous failaeies into
which the mind Of a young man
.onld fall. 1t was my last folly oil
his kind. '-Arfhssr's AagaziHe.