The Carrollton sun. (City of Carrollton, Parish of Jefferson, La.) 185?-1???, 1860-06-30
sowing wild Oats. !

IIOul lilo pd1AA " - s'AoS -
into the road that leads, by an. easy
decent into the accursed valley of
degsractis4s, through the ffonghtless
speech Of some person talking fippantly
about sowing wild oats, as thing to
be expected in youth.
II had one. lesson on this subject
from the lips of an aged counsellor
said a valued, friend, to, me not long
since, (which has never been forgotten.
The timely warming saved me. was
nineteen years Of age, and had just
entered college. Young men were there
from nearly every. State in the Onion,
and some Of them sadly corrupted. l
was social, inhigh health and spirits
and with an imagination forever carrying
| me beyond the actual and the present.
Before 1 had time for reflection, and
before even consciousness of wrong
| had reached me, was afoat on dam
gerous sea, my boat gliding swiftly
forward. and the Syren's song already
in my ears.
..One night we had a wine party. in
| the town, which ended il xcesses, the
| thought of which has called burning
blush to my checks hundred times
since. I had not been very well for
some days previously, suffering from
constant headache and low febrile
| symptoms. The dissipation of night
| turned the scale upon the wrong side.
and Is SO i'll on the next day that it
ws 'ssjght best to call in physician.
! Hs.esa4 an old man, Of the old school
of sagN .emen, and wise, thoughtful and
. kind. He commenced, at once, the
business Of finding out everything il
regard to my habits, principles ane
; modes of thought, and,there was some
, thing in him that so inspired me witt
4 confidence that l concealed nothing
i He looked grave, and offered a remon
t STRANGE.
v .Oh,' said I, almost lightly, 'youn'
f men must sow their wild oats. In
6 Ground will be SO much the bette
4 prepared for seeding wheat after tn
i crop is taken
.t.An error of the gravest character
= he replied, seriously, sand one that ma
e 1uined its thousands and its tens
Il thousands of young men. Is garde
e better prepared for the reception
good seed for having first permitte
= = to grow weeds! I put the question
=, vour common sense. Are there M
some soils so filed with all manner
- - evil seeds, that the gardener, with h
utmost toll and care, can scarcely T.
y move the vigorous plants that sprir
~ to life in the warm sunshine and raj
"A It is no mere comparison, that OF e
human soul to garden. 1t is, in realit
ct n spiritual garden. Truth is the go
" seed which is sown in this garde
or false principles the evil seed' or7Sw1
re- OATS which the enemy's hand seattle
,is if permitted, uponits virgin soil NO
lid is it not an insult to reason to
nd that the man will be u wiser, tru
ny better man for having false princlpl
leading at once to an evil hte' so
nd upon the ground of his mind in you
hy as it would be to say that q gard
in would be more thrifty in after yet
for being first permitted to grow wee
EN- "'My stranger. friend, l have IL,
rds almost to the.completion of life's cart
Oh cycle, and have seen sad number
ae- ae young men lost to the world lost
INK themselves, and lost, fear, to the &C
M pany of Gods bless ed angels, in G
sequence of that single false i
eld sown into the earth of their mir
de- Oh, cast it out at once! Keep yours
1t pure. Let right principles, cha
of thoughts, noble purposes manly al
de grow in your garden-net the accur
Ii. wild oats Be temperate, prud'
:4,,o,,s ohedjeut to superiors, hoI