Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-04-21
TRACKS,:


TRACKS,:
~ REV. WI. II. THAYER
AN old lion, with shaggy locks, inv ,seo
q nice, sleek fox, 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 q moment and drew back,
whereupon the lion urged him 70 60 in
and to make himself at home. Perhaps
the lion thought that Mr.. Fox was bash.
| full In the presence of strangers, and for
and her family.
"No," said the fox at length; II ~ no
tracks coming out"
That was the secret of his hesitation.
His keen eye discovered proof that visit.
tors to that abode never came out The
great lion appeared honest and friendly,
but the tracks at his door showed that he
was q deceiver and murderer. So, not
wishing to be served up in q savory dish
for the lions family, the wise fox took to
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 of 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 OH.
GERS came to US, and said
81 B. Is confined here for
breaking into store, and he says that
ysu are right--that he 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 40 shrewd 40
the fox, he would have observed that all
the tracks at the entrance of that evil way
went in and none out; 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 dangerl
A few years ago youth of seventeen
was convicted OF theft in Boston. Three
years before he was member of the
|6sbbath 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 $50 pious
as to go to meeting every Sabbath" They
wouldn't give up their pleasures for such
trash. II he would come with them they
would insure him more fun than he could
have in all his lifetime by sticking 80 close
to his mother"
That was the lion over again, inviting
the fox to his dwelling, only the widows
son did not see it. He did not stop to OBJ
serve which way the tracks ran. He did
not dream that youth who entered that
way seldom returned. Heyielded to 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: he
became vulgar, profane and rowdyish
What money he got was spent In wicked
ness; and he wanted more. IT takes a
long purse to serve Satan with. He must
do his part jolly companions would not
be satisfied with less. How should he get
more money? Not honestly; for that
would not be like the master whom he
served He resolved to steal 1t, and he
did I; he was sent to prison for the crime.
e 49, eb th.t IA. n nj
out Of that lions den which his new COM
panons invited him to enter.
One cold winter evening we were ad-
dressing children's meeting in Boston.
While speaking, a ragged, dirty, wretched
door. Though he was q drunkard, he
made his way to the desk, and grasping
the speaker BY the hand, exclaimed:
~ am q drunkard beyond recovery"
and the tears strcamed down his cheeks,
and his form shook with emotion.
Looking him in the eye, and observing
the traces of intellect and manliness there,
we replied:
"You look Is II you might be saved,
and as If you were worth saving"
He answered in . still more chilling
tone, 81 am drunkard beyond recovery"
And to prove that his unbridled appetite
could not be governed, and that he could
not be saved. he flung open the old coat
which he had on, showing that he was
without vest or shirt. II sold my shirt
for rum today" he said. Lifting up one
of his feet, to show that he had no stock.
ings on, he added, II sold my stockings
for rum to-day" And he went on to say
that the cause Of his degradation was the
beer and wine which he drank In his
boyhood. He did not mean to become q
drunkard. He did not expect to become
one be .teok q little only with other
boys; I've thought that beer and wine were
harmless drinks he drank only once In
q while;' he wanted It more and more
he drank more frequently. sigH
to So denied. Nor was beer strong
enough 70 satisfy it, nor even wine. His
appetite crsved rum. He had become q
drunkard before he knew 1t. He
could not resist the .tempter; he became |
worse and worse; friends forsook him;
he was given up for lost he reeled In the
streets boys laughed at him no one
respected him; his doom was sealed, and