The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-04-14
TRACKS,.
BY REV. WM. NJ TuAY


| BY REV. WIN. VI. TuAYER
@AN old lion, with shaggy locks, inv teo
nice, sleek iox, whom he met, TO visit
his home. The fox was quite delighted
| with the attentions Of the king of beasts
whose fame had spread through the forest.
and he accepted the invitation. Arriving
at the threshold of his den, the cunning
| fox hesitated for a moment and drew back.
whereupon the lion urged him to go in
and TO make himself at home Perhaps
the lion thought that Mr.. Fox was bash
full in the presence of strangers, and for
this reason hesitated 10 meet Mrs Lion
and her family.
mo-" said the fox at length; al see no
tracks coming out"
That was the secret of his hesitation.
His keen eye discovered proof that visi-
| tors to that abode never came out. The
great lion appeared honest and friendly,
| but the tracks at his door showed that he
was a deceiver and murderer So, not
wishing to be served up in savory dish
for the lions family, the wise fox took 10
his heels and ran away.
The fox was more sagacious than many
boys are. The latter care little or nothing
for tracks much less for the way the
tracks run, and so they rush into evil
ways from which they never escape
We once visited a prison TO address the
criminals confined therein. Most OF them
were under twenty five years of age
many of them were not yet eighteen years
old-mere BOYS. In the course Of our re-
marks, we said
"DOubtless many Of you can put your
finger upon the first wrong act which
started you off in the way of crime Per
haps you can recall the day and hour when
you decided to do that which brought you
finally to this place"
On leaving the prison, one of the Off
GERS came TO US, and said
81 b is confined here for
breaking into store, and he says that
you are right-that be knows the very
hour when an older brother induced him
to do what he knew was very wrong, and
the act started him off to ruin"
That is it. If he had been as shrewd az
the fox, he would have observed that all
the tracks at the entrance Of that evil way
went an and none out J; and he would
have refused to enter. He was eighteen
years old when he went to prison, and
the time between the first wrong deed
named and his imprisonment was less
than six years What pity that, like the
fox, he did not run away from danger
A few years ago youth of seventeen
was convicted of theft in Boston. Three
years before he was member of the
Sabbath School, and worshiped regularly
with his widowed mother each Sabbath.
But he formed new associates. They
laughed at him for being "tied to his
| mothers apron-strings,' going TO the
Sunday school" and becoming so pious
as to 30 TO meeting every Sabbath" They
wouldn't give up their pleasures for such
trash. il he would come with them they
would insure him more fun than he could
have in all his lifetime by sticking so close
to his mother"
That was the lion over again, inviting
the fox to his dwelling, only The widows
son did not see il. He did not stop 20 oh
serve which way the tracks ran. Ee did
not dream that youth who. entered thet
way seldom returned. He yielded 10 their
ridicule and persuasion; he disregarded
| his mothers wishes, and left the Sabbath
| school and the house of worship. Then
| he was seen riding out of the city on the
| Lords Day with his fast companions.
His whole appearance was changed; be
becaifle vulgar, profane and rowdyish
What money he got was spent in wicked
ness; and lie wanted more. Ii takes q
do his part Jolly companions would not
be satisfied with less. How should he get
more moneys Not honestly; for that
would not he like the master whom hc
served He resolved TO steal it, and he
did /; he was sent TO prison for the crime.
His footprints show shat he did not Come
out Of that lions den which his new com
panions invited him to enter.
One cold winter evening we were ad
dressing a children's meeting in Boston:
" Lille speaking, a ragged, dirty, wretched
man entered and took bis seat by the
door Though he was n dTunkard, he
listened At the close of the meeting he
made his way to the desk, and grasping
the speaker by the hand. exclaimed
Il am drunkard beyond recovery,
and the tears strcamed down his checks,
and his form shook with emotion.
Looking him in the eve, and observing
the traces OF intellect and manliness there,
we replied:
you look rs if you might be saved,
and as if YOU were worth saving
He answered in Il still more chilling
tone, Il am Il drunkard beyond recovery.
And to prove that his unbridled appetite
could not be governed, and that he could
not I've saved. he flung open the old coat
which hc he'd on, showing that he WAS
without vest or shirt. 81 sold my shirt
for rum to-day" he said. Lifting up one
cf his feet. to show that he had no stock
ings on, he added, q" sold my stockings
for rum TO day." And he went on 10 say
that the cause Of his degradation Was thc
beer and wine which he drank I'm his
boyhood. He did not mean Ia become
drunkard. lie did not expect 10 become
one he took little only with o,her
BOYS; he thought that beer and wine were
harmless drinks; he drank only once I'M
a while :" he wanted it more and more
he drank more frequently.
By and by his appetite was too strong
20 I've denied. Nor was beer strong
enough TO satisfy il, nor even wine. Ills
appetite craved rum. He had become
drunkard before he knew IT. lie
could not resist the tempter; he became
worse and worse friends forsooS hlm
he was given up for lost; he rceled IN the
streets; bows laughed at him; no one
rcspected him; his doom wss scaled, ana
the beer and wine did i'll Cong In mere
proved his ruin. Had he stopped 10 look'
bo ,,onla have seen no tracks coming out.
Observe the tracks. boys. Mind whittier
- tens Lead. Suffer not the tcmpter 10
icad Won into his trap. The lion Is KIND
ard friendly when he wants you To visit
his den he is lion for all that. Look out
for him. Wherever you sec no returning
tracks, refuse to enter
THE human heart is a marvellous pump
ing machine. Its energies equal one