Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-08-12
CROOKED FINGERS.

All OIu STdy-Laueu uau shoon hal"S WIN
young friend, who observed that his fingers
we're bent, and his hand could not be fully
opened. On asking how they came to be thus
crooked, he learned that for forty years this
man had daily driven a coach, and that his
fingers had taken set in that position in
which he was obliged to keep them habtually
in holding the reins as he drove the horses.
The old mans crooked fingers teach les
son as to the power of habit to produce a
fixed condition Of body or Of mind. This
power of habit is mighty agency either to
help or to hinder the soul, according as the
habit is good or evil in its character
The habit of reading the Bible and pray
ing morning and evening has kept back a
person, still destitute of grace in the heart,
from many a sinful indulgence, which, if
Welded to, would have drowned his soul in
perdition. The habit of neglecting the Bible
and prayer, on the other hand, has left many
soul open to the assault of Satan, and caused
him to 60 as a willing captive at his CALL
Many one who has felt an impulse to lay
hold of the hope set before him, has found a
serious hindrance in the "crooked fingers" of
some sinful practice to which he has become
addicted. That which at first is difficult and
is done with the greatest aversion, is ultimate
ly easy, and is done without aversion. Nay,
the doer, by frequent repetition, has come to
do that once difficult act almost unconscious
ly, and feels lost without the indulgence which
at first aroused all the antagonism of his ma
ture The profane swearer, the slave Of
strong drink, illustrate this truth in their own
experience.
Parents and teachers cannot too early urge
upon the young the Importance of keeping the
fingers straight; for when once they have be-
come crooked, it is no easy matter to straight
en- them. While evil habits are being formed,
the person on whom they are fastening them
selves supposes that he is entirely his own
master and their master. This is true at first,
but at the last they take the reins out of his
hands, and he is left with his helpless "crooked
fingers" God rightly holds any man respon-
sible for the formation of evil habits; for he
who forms them does it Of his own accord.
No man has any business to bind himself,
hand and foot, and give himself over to the
servitude of Satan. On the other hand, he
who has high and noble aspirations may re-
ioice that he shall find habit giving him q
helping hand in the performance of every
difficult duty, and in the mastery of every
evil desire.
The servant of God finds his path growing
smoother and brighter every day as habit
makes the way easier before him. We can
see good reason why God has appointed set
times and places and services for his worship.
1t is thus that he secures for us the help which
we need to resist temptation and to perform
duty.
Habits also gather in groups. Bad habits
cluster together, and good habits do the same.
So constantly do we find this to be the case,
that whenever we discover certain habits in
any one we involuntarily look for others
which are usually found in connection with
such. No good business man cares to employ
as clerk, a young man who has the babit of
billiard playing. Why? Because he takes
it for granted that he will have other habits
which will render him very untrustworthy.-
Foreign Writer.