The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1859-08-04
| From the Conservatiye.]
"Only Sowing his Wild Oats"


He was bright boy Golden locks
curled around his high, smooth brow, hi
countenance beamed with intelligence
but there was lurking devil in his keel
eye, his thin lip quivered with emotion
and fierce passions sometimes fittet
across his handsome and finely chiselet
features, as lightnings play from cloud t,
cloud. The hot young blood coursed rap
idly through his veins, his heart bea
quickly and his whole frame quivereC
with intense animal feeling. In that lit
tie frame, God had imprisoned powerful
passions--powerful for good or for evil.
The latent feelings ofyouth never long
lay dormant; they. will find vent, ant
their direction depends very much on do
nestle education and precept. The pas
sions of this bright boy soon began to de-
velop themselves. He was impatient OF
control; quick toresent fancied insult
ready to fall into an ungovernable rage
if thwarled by a servant and ready to
wreak a fierce revenge On young com.
panon for any supposed injury. The
poor, deluded mother mistook the violent
temper of her child for "spi;rit," and the
foolishly fond father, smiling at his raging
passions, excusingly remarked, /" OF, he a
only soaoing his wild oats"
Years passed. ! looked again. The
hoy had grown TO be tall youth. His
face plainly evidenced that his passions
had grown with his growth. He who
was suffered to become little tyrant at
home, became greater tyrant at school
Ready. at any moment, to give way to
his inHammable passions, his career was
marked by frequent brawls with his
schoolmates. In vain the good teachers
remonstrance--in vain his fostering care
Books were neglected and authority SET
at defiance. He frequented the gambling
den by stealth learned TO drink and
curse, and, with knife and pistol in bis
bosom, Joined in the midnight carousal
and drunken brawl. With a heavy heart
and troubled eye the father looked on
Reason said, NIP the incipient ruin in
the bad, but indulgence whispered, Let
him alone awhile longer, lie IS only sou-
ing his scild oats"
Time rolled on. Again / looked on
the boy--no, not the boy, he was now a
man. Fierce and ungovernable passions
had stamped their deep lines upon bis
once handsome face. His eyes were red
and bood-shotten with late watching
around the gambling table. His bloated
features told that he was a drunkard !; his
trembling hands bespoke dissipation his
haggard c0untenance told of wasted
health and his bended form indicated a
shattered constitution. Still, occasional
ly, the better feelings of bis nature would
gain the mastery. A mothers pleading
would win from him a promise Of reform
"a promise he determined 10 keep--but
the temptation had grown too strong
the fierce passions nurtured from infancy,
had become too powerful, and bis good
resolutions melted before them, like snow
under the fierce heat Of a tropical sun
He fell again, and his unhappy father
sighed, Poor fellow he is still soping
las scia oats"
Again | looked. over sea of heads, to
where a scaffold was erected. A confus-
ed murmur, like the distant roaring of
the sea, arose from that vast multitude.
A rough cart, moved from the massive
prison towards the place of execntion.-
In the cart was coffin, and on this sat a
wrelched murderer, shrouded for felon's
grave. Around him were body of sol
diers, with loaded muskets ard glittering
hayonets, ready to kill on the slightest
attempt to escape. Slowly the mournful
pageant moved, as muflled drum and
wailing fife sounded the funeral knell of
the wretched prisoner. The cart stopped
at the foot of the gallows; the grim exc
assisted the trembling steps
Of the murderer on the scaffold, to him
the confines of two worlds--a brief foot
hold between Time and Eternity. His
blcated, haggard face had become un.
earthly pale, but still wore the deep i'm
press of fierce passions. On that once
sweet childish countenance, was written,
is ifgraved in marble, m7liaa, murderer ,
scanned his visage closely and shud-
Tered as | recognized the maymard boz,
he miJfal yoath, the reckless man. His
yes almost started from their sockets
III! how wildly, how hopelcssly! As
he cap was drawn over them, his lips
yrew white and as the fatal cord was adj
usted around his neck, his knees smote
ogether with fear. A brief but earnest
'rayeE was breathed for his soul-a deep
olicitude was felt that might have saved |
lin once, but it was loo late nor. The
'rop was knocbed away--tho wretch
for moment. then hung a life /
ess corpse-he had gathered hts aeill
ats.