Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-01-01
The Spider and her Victim.

Vh not summer day, gentleman sat
down To think over a subject on which his
mind was greatly troubled He was won
dtring now 1t was that so many of the
young men OF his acquaintance had WELD
ed to temptation. and been destroved.-
lie was wondering how the great Tempt
er could so soon get them entangled in his
nets, and never let them loose again till
they were ruined
W hIle he was thinking over the subject.
ne saw worm moving along softly in the
footpath lie moved quietly. and without
any fear Now. said the gentleman to
hllnseii, that poor worm can go safely,
though 1t has no reason tn guide it There
hes IN wait no destroyer to eneangle il,
while our Young men, with reason and
conscience, are destroyed by scores -
Just then he saw n spider dart across the
path, about foot in front of the worm
She did not appear to be thinking Of the
worm nor the worm of her When she
got quite across the path, she stopped and
stood stun The worm kept on but soon
was brought TO stand by small chord.
too small Tor our eyes to see, which the
spider had spun as she rushed before him.
Finding himself stopped, the worm turned
TO go back The instant he turned. back
darted the spider, spinning new chord
behind her The poor worm was now
brought up a scond time, and twisted and
turned every way to escape. He seemed
10 suspect some mischief. for he ran this
way and that way, and every time he
turned, the spider darted around him,
weaving another rope. There gradually
was no space left for him, except in the d.
rectIon OF the hole OF the spider That
way was lett open, but on ali other sides.
oy darunS across and around, the space
was gradually growing less 1t was no.
uced' too, that every time the worm turned
towards the hole OF the spider, he was in
stanty hemmed IN, SO that he could not
get back quite SO far as before So his
very agony continually brought him near
er the place of death 1t took a full hour
to do ali this, and by that time the worm
was brought close to the hole of his de-
stroyer. lie now seemed to feel that he
was helpless, and ii he could have screamed
he doubtless would nave done SC. And
now the spider eyed him moment. as If
enjoying hls terror, and laughing at his
own skill, and then darted on him. and
struck hlm with her fangs Instantly tho
lie began to flow out Again she struck
hlm, and the poor thing rolled over in az.
ony and died, Mrs Spider now hitched
one OF her little ropes to her victim. and
drew him into the hole, where she Toasted
at her leisure, perhaps counting over the
number of victims whom she had de-
stroyed in the same way beforel
When | see boy who goes with bad
company, and who listens to their profano
and hcentious conversation, | think of the
spider and her victim
When | see boy breaking the Sabbath
by going off to fish, To swim. or to play:
When / see one disregarding his father
and mother, and doing what h e knows will
grieve them;
When | see one occasionally going to
the oyster-cellar and to the drinking sa-
loon, in company;
When / see one going to the theatre,
when nothing good, but all evil, is dis
played;
When / have reason to suspect that he
takes money from his father or his en-
ployer which is none Of his. but which he
hopes to replace;
Why, | always think OF the spider and
her victim, and mourn that the great be
stroyer Is weaving his meshes about every
sucii boy, and is drawing him towards his
own home The dead are there,