Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-04-02

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Eho1 youth teens % ne
And this was written Of 4 boy
: youth Of eighteen yeafsi What
. terrible, what q solemn lesson, Is
heret
"Ill usage and bad surroundings
had done l6eir work.
What work had they done /?
They had brought him who, Gun.
der happier circumstances in life
might have made g useful man." to
the scalfOldG We are burning
the midnight OIL" and all alone
have been reading the newspapers
account Of a MURDER by q boy Of
eighteen
What was the only D~alliation he
could offer for this crime? Il was,
that he was drunk! Drunkenness
leads TO murder. You smile, per.
hAps, and say there is no danger of
your reaching that point. 1t is
true You drink, and sometimes to
an excess, but the idea Of your be-
coming . criminal-why, you think
It prepOsterous.
Well, do you not believe that we
can name to you many instances
whore well-intentiOned young men
have thought just as you do, and
who went on in their wild career,
feeling bold and in no danger of an
irrevOCable fAll7 II experience in
life has opened your eyes ct all, you
know that We can. It Ia with feel
ingS Of deep sadness va say that
within our own short observation
We have seen gallant life baFques
go down on this shoal, and lie there,
shattered wrecks for the pity or
Scorn Of the world. There were
too few to heed them and learn q
lesson By their failure, and too
many 70 condemn.
The gaming table and the cup Of
intoxication arc the sCylla and
Charybdis Of mythology. The
lives Of Those youths who pass the
dangerous points are worthy and
noble. There are those who pass
them and yet whose lives are mel
Their useful nor noble.
They are Of a mean, cringing.
selfish, disposition that are placed
here-for some wise purpose which
God, In his wisdom, only knows.
They are ofno use to themselves or
to others. Such natures seldom
are in danger Of either this scylla
Or this Charybdis.
We speak Of those natures out Of
which great men are made. They
are ardent, whole-souled, unselfsh
and ambitions, natures. They love
their kindred and friends. They
love society and the pleasures
of the world. In the battle Of life
they are eager for the fray and in
their breasts they bear q bold ar
dor and noble self-Conhdence.
They are warmly attached to
their associates and enter warmly
into all the little schemes Of youth
for enjoyment.
Rightly directed, these traits
will result in good men, noble
men, great men, men that mothers
and fathers will be proud Of and Of
whom the country loves to boast.
But, all there Is a mighty tempta-
ton and trial to be endured.
viii be conquer? He does not
ask himself forhe feels no cause to
ask 1t Of himself; but mothers and
fathers, relatives and anxious
friends, ask 1t time and
And, Oh how these loving
win Oft-times vainly try to
the future Of one in whom
their hope and pride hath conferred
to ascertain Il It contains for him
and them, veal or woe.
With his ardent, generous, yield.
Ing disposition, he is led into ex-
cesses. He unconsciously forms
Evil associations. And even after
be iS aware his associations are not
those he should seek, he continues
to frequent their society, until aE-
ter a while, scrupulOus sensitive
ness upon this point becomes
blunted and blurred, and thus they +,
proceed, step by step, until dissipa-
ion aud even vice, two emmlsaries
of crime, are not unknown to him.
The descent is SO easy and gradual
{ is hardly perceptible, and It is so
much easier to 60 down than up. !
consists the greatest In
to drink in the force of ,