Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-02-08
Piss in The Paths of tke Young.
By DR.. }. G. HOLLAND.

81 DIR. J. G.. HOLLAND.
| The world learns its lessons slowly.
Much OF the world does not learn its
lessons at all. The young are every
where growing up amid the ruins of
other lives, apparently without inquir-
ing or caring for the reasons of the dis
asters to life, fortune and reputation
that are happening, or have happened.
! everywhere around them. One man.
with great trusts of money in his hands,
betrays the confidence of the public, be-
/ comes hopeless defaulter, and blows
his brains out Another, led on by
power and place, is degraded at last to a
poor demagogue, without character or
influence. Another, through a surrender
of himself to sensuality, becomes a dis
gusting beast, with heart and brain
more foul than the nests of unclean
birds. Another, by tasting, and tasting
the wine-cup, becomes a drunkard at
last, and dies in horrible delirium, or
lives to become curse to wife, children
and friends. THERE'S an army of these
poor wretches in every land dying daily,
and daily REINFORCED.
A young girl loving mot wisely, but
too well" yields herself to a seducer,
who ruins and forsakes her to a life of
shame and death of despair. Not one
girl, but thousands of girls yearly, ESQ
that, though great company of those
whose robes are soiled beyond cleansing,
hide themselves in the grave during ev-
cry twelve month, another great cOmpa-
ny of the pure drop to their places, and
keep filled to repletion the ranks Of pros
titution. Again and again, in instances
/ beyond counting, are these tragedies re-
peated in the full presence Of the rising
generation, and yet it seems to grow no
wiser. Nothing has been more fully
demonstrated than that the first steps of
folly and sin are fraught with peril.
Nothing is better known than that a
man cannot consort with lewd women
for an hour without receiving a faint
that a whole life of repentance cannot
wholly eradicate. Since time began
have women been led astray by the same
promise, the same pledges, the same
empty rewards.
If young men and women could pos
sibly learn wisdom, it would seem as if
they might win it in a single day, by
using their eyes and thinking upon what
they see. Yet IN this great city of New
YQlk, and III all the great cities Of the
country, young men and young women
are all the time repeating the mistakes
of those around them who are wrecked
in character and fortune. The young
man keeps his wine bottle. and seeks re-
sorts where deceived and ruined women
lie in wait for prey, knowing perfectly
well, if he knows anything. or has ever
used fairly the reason with which
Heaven has endowed him, that lie is in
the broad road to peraition-that there
is before him lite of disgust and death
Of horror.
When the results of certain courses Of
conduct and certain indulgencies are so
well known as these to which we al
lude, it seems strange that any one can
enter upon them. Every young man
knows that if he never tastes a glass Of
alcoholic drink he will never become, or
stand in danger of becoming a drunkard.
Every young man knows that if he pre-
serves a chaste youth, and shuns the so
ciety of the lewd, he can carry to the
woman whom he loves, a self-respect
which is invaluable, a past freely open
to her questioning gaze, and the pure
physical vitality which shall be the
wealth Of another generation. He
knows that the rewards Of chastity are
ten thousand times greater than those of
criminal indulgence. He knows that
nothing is lost and everything is gained
by life of manly sobriety and self-de-
NAL. He knows all this, if he has had
his eyes open, and has exercised his red-
son in even a small degree; and yet he
joins the infatuated multitude and
goes straight to the devil. We know
that we do not eXaggeratc when we say