Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-10-08
care great deal about their company

the night of the ball to which you were
going, these young men had supper
and was to have been with them.
did not wish particularly to join them,
but preferred doing 50 to remaining at
lone alone. To find you, as ! did, Sc
Unexpectedly in the parlor, was an agree
able surprise, indeed. I staid at home
with new pleasure, which was height-
ened by the thought sssaat it was your
love for me that made you deny your
self for my qualification. We read to-
gether that evening, we played togeth-
er, and talked Of many things. In your
mind l had never before seen so much
TO inspire my own with high and pure
thoughts. I remembered the converse
ton of the young men with whom had
been associating, and in which I had ia
ken pleasure with something like dis
gust. 1t was low, sensual and too much
of it vile and delnoralizing. Never,
from that hour, did I join them Their
way, even in the early stage of life
journey. saw to be downward, and
downward ever since it has been tend
ing How often since have l thought
of that point in time, SO fully traught
with good and evil influences. Those
few hours spent with you seemed to
take scales from my eyes. l saw with
new vision. I thought and felt diff.
ferently. Had you gone to the ball,
and | to meet those young men, no one
can tell what might have been the con
sequences. Sensual indulgences, amid
song and sentiment calculated to ava
ken evil instead of good feelings, might
have stamped upon my young and deli
cate mind bias to low affections that
never would have been eradicated. That
was the great starting point in life
the period when was coming. into a
state Of nationality and freedom. The
good prevailed over the evil, and by the
agency Of my sister, as an angel sent
by the Author of all benefits to save
me-"
Like Helen Lindley, let every elder
sister be Thoughtful of her brother at
that critical period in Life when the boy
is about passing ins llGs Stages Of man
hood, and she may save him from many
a snare set for his unwary feet by the
evil one. In closing this little sketch,
we can say nothing better than has al
ready been said by an accomplished
American authoress, Mrs. Farrar
so many temptations, 'ssshe said, be-
set young men Of which young women
know nothing, that it is of the utmost
that your brothers evenings
should be happily passed at home, that
their friends should be your friends that
their engagements should be the same
as yours, and that various innocent
musements should be provided for them
in the family circle. Music is an ac-
complishment, chiefly valuable as a
home enjoyment, as rallying around the
piano the various members Of family,
and harnlonizing their hearts as we'll as
their voices, particularly in devotional
strains. know no more agreeable and
interesting spectacle than that Of broth
ers and sisters playing and singing to-
gether those elevated compositions in
poetry which crafty the taste and pu-
rify the heart, while their fond parents
sit delighted by. have seen and heard
an elder siste, thus leading the family
choir, who was the soul of harmony to
the whole household, and whose life
was perfect sample of those virtues
which am here endeavoring to incul
cate. Let no one say in reading this
CHAPTER, that too much is required OF
sisters, that none can be expected to
lead such self sacrificing life for the
sainted one toswhom / refer was all
would ask any sister to be,and happier
person never lived, To do good and
make others happy was her rule OF Ire.
and in this she found the art of making
herself so.
''Sisters should always be willing to
walk, ride and visit with their brothers,
and esteem it privilege to be their
companions. 1t is worth while to learn
innocent games for the sake of furnish
ing brothers with amusements, and ma~
king home the most agreeable place to
them t
II have been told by some, who have
passed unframed through the tempta-
tons OF youth, that they owed their es'
cape from many dangers to the intimate
companionship ofaffectionate and pure
minded sisters They have been saved
from hazardous meeting with idle
company by some engagement witt
their sisters, they have refrained from
mixing with the impure, because the,
would not bring home thoughts and
feelings which they could not share
with those trusting, loving friends
they have put away the wine cup and
abstained from stronger potations, be
cause they would not profane with theil
fumes the holy kiss with which the,
were accustomed to bid their sisters
! L 4