The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-29
ToSopNG .MEsTLIvE HONESTLY,
BY HENRY WARD BEEcHER.


,... 4. d. =,
Every young man, as he enters upon life,
should take an account with himself, and
decide in his own mind upon the course
which he will pursue. lie Should ask HIM
self, evil | enter upon a course in which
can render fair equivalent for everything
that obtain or VIII enter Upon i;ec course
in which, for the things that receive,
shall render an equivalent where must,
and palm. off empty appearances where /
can?" 1t is q glorious ambition, a manly
purpose, with which person begins life,
when he goes forth saying, "I mean to make
my fortune, to be sure, and to pluck honor
from the highest boughs of theItree of life;
but am determined not to go one step in
STEP. What have, will pay for. Twill
not take ANYTHING without giving a fair
equivalent for it.' And what contrast
purpose of those who set out in life with q
gain honor at all hazards, by whatever
means it may necessary to employ, and
without regard to whether they render an
equivalent for that which they receive or,
not!
,[Ary.OuuS. lildlls QcllCdlclJ IcfllcQ,lS btllt
into life, and he goes into a'shop where he
finds many companions, and where, unfor-
tunately, the strongest-minded men are not.
the sweetest-hearted. And an around
about him the conversation is low; the al
lusions are course, the expressions are vul-
gar. The things that iii home life he never
dared to shape into words, or hints even,
are freely handled for the purpose of ex-
.,;t;,,.r h., Moxxy ,,pdox. o,,ob
stances, a man may lose sensibility to these
things. At first he is shocked and sick. |
have lAnown, persons of. ian organization so
delicate that this violence done to their NOR
al and social feelings amounted to absolute
ne. In the course of month young man
will get used to obscenity in one Of two
ways. If he sets his heart against 1t = if he
calls the memory of all that he loves to his
help if his whole conscience bears Witness :;
fhe makes a covenant With his lips, and
sets his heart to watch over its issues, then
little by little he will come to d State III
which lie will hear obscene talk as though
he did not hear it, And he comics dut Bet
ter than lie went iii, althougiihe suffers less
by the outward contact Of CORRUPTION than
he did ii the beginning. He has carried
himself in such q way with rcfefgnce to it,
that it has worked odt In him moral purity,
4 was called once to consultation III r.
ference to d Young man belonging to d large
establishment, who was detected in some
criminal act and in d confidential inter-
view that had with him, he told me that
it was not because he was in need that he
yielded to the temptation, but because he
wanted property. His dishonesty was
simply the result Of avaricc.a Ard If a
young man abuses bis trust and IS dishon-
est, there is not word to be said in his ills-
tification. 9ai 20 b9''s''lsiss sa'in'9di f9ii
There are temptations to dishonesty.
then, that spring from extravaganza. Our
society is very vicious in its whole structure
in this regard. We make no provision for
the responsibility of people who are in
ducements to them TO live bevond their
means. I35dqifl4 US oIIa s1Tr11 l. Tit
Young people want to begin further along
than thew are ablefo!- They want to keen
house as twenty wears of successful and