The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-11-28
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From the Christian az Work.
OUR FLOATING POPULATION
81 cEAREEs ". JENKINS.

By CHARLES ". JENKINS.
every large town there IS a multitude
Of young persons no are beginning active
life IN the peril0us, loose condition. I'M
piled IN this phrase. They are clerks.
apprentices. workers IN hight mauutac-
lures, seanslresses, and the like their
home being the boarding. hoase-not a
divine inStitution-aud their spare mo-
ments falling by the way-side, where bad
birds OF the air come anG dGVour them up.
They are subject 10 none OF the whole
souae restraints that pertain TO domestic
life, to but few OF those that belong to
neieh6orhood aud extended acquaintan-
cesAip. They ike the city because no
one, except their en- Employers, knows or
caTe5 who they are or what they DO, and
they use this unnatural freedom careless
", if not selfshiy. They are about as
soon as the daily task Is done AS they
have 10 family duties Or interests. their
release from work at night Is the signal
for roaming about III search OF recreation.
They might read instructive books, but
there Is little OF none at their command
they might contribute III some way to the
happiness OF others. bat they are net
drawn 10 such occupation by those cords
Of personal interest By which ne are led,
ness to actual sell sacrifice. Therefore
they Hout-Uhither?
They feat into idleness, into endless
gossip into irregular habits. They float
into noyel-readiag Of the worst dascrip
ton They float into the theatre as often
as they can afford it. They float into
saloons, and into The house Of her whose
steps take hold on hell And as natural
consequences OF this way OF living. they
lose whatever they may have possessed Of
principle. They dismiss the 'prcjudices
Of their education" enc BY enc. Ii pa
rental example and prccept have been
consistent and whoiebealteG, the memory
Of them is a constant check, but too often
is not sufficient 90 withstand the assaults
Of present practical intidelity. Hating
Hoated away from church and Sunday
school, from Bible reading and Bible
thinking, from prayer and thanksgiving,
they soon find themselves at sea" as re-
CARDS any religious belief. God seems
afar Off His Word has become to them
q dead fable. They sec no divine proyI-
deuce III human affairs, 10 grace in
human souls They look with inditfer
eHce or contempt upon religious profess
ions and practices. They feel sure Of
nothing, fer to day they believe one thing,
10 morrow another, and the next day
neither. IN this there is nc possible COM
fort, and their unstable, forl0Fa condition
renders them. an easy prey to the numer-
Gus wild beasts which Saten keeps express
ly for his worl. IN cities. Gam bling, and
midnight dissipation CT every sort, what
ever yields excessive excitement TO divert
the mind, are the natural resort when
young men and women have J50dtcd for
IN a fpnr .tIf
waters cast up mire aud dirt.
Who could have stood on the beach at
Watch Hill when the 1hetts broke up and
It's hundred passe ngers were afloat IN the
waves, without moving muscle t. save
one OF them? Every young person who
leaves country home to make his own
way" III a large city Is, IN many respects,
as helpless as he who jumps from wreck
into the pitiless ocean. lie needs friend
ship, not merely advice he needs the in
fuence Of elders who are not too old or
too selfish to be c0mpanionable he needs
the fellowship of Christians clothed with
everyday, matter-of-fa fact piety he needs
to be consciously part Of community
whose public opinion shall be both a re-
straint and stimulus. Every one Of
these is card bound about him and
dra wing him to 4 firm footh0ld. For
lack Of these Innumerabie iioaters have
lost their last chance of spiritual life
How shall We extend these influences to
those who are ready to perish
Costly and (therefore) Exclusive church
es will not DO it, General invitations to
attend prayer meetings will not do 1t
Semi occasional and extra-conventional
professions of Interest in young men,
will not DO it. Scolding viii not do it.
nor foraetfulness of the temper and wants
OF youth We would say, in general.
that there is need of personal work,
based on bono tile personal interest
(there is too much which is simulated for
an end, also of wise adaptation OF
soctqI Christian influence to the wants of
those who are now Virtually beyond Its
pale These, in conjunction with a free
gospel-free without the stigma of char
ity-would soon rescue large numbers Of
our floating population. - They are
now floating dorm the stream ; why stand
we here idle