The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-07-12
EARLY LESSONS.

Though neither born in garret nor
bred in q kitchen, Jasper Jarvis was far
from having first seen the light amid
wealth. His fother, mechanic, while
not the victim of great vices, could not
boast of any prominent virtues; his
mother, however, was a religious woman,
living in the fear Of God; every one of
her thoughts being filed with an every
increasing desire for we'll doing, both as
duty to herself aud an example to all
around her, and t. teach her boy les
sons OF righteousness by example and
byprecept; SO that Jasper. while he had
no bad examples from his father to cor
rupt his young mind, found plenty of
sources of good i'll the observation of
his mothers pure life.
But the day came when Jasper left the
parental roof to seek livelihood among
strangers. On that day, as his mother
placed on his forehead her last fcrvent
kiss, her parting advice was to shun bad
company and beware of evil counsels.
words which in later years bore their
fruit.
Once his own master, as boys love to
say they are when they have gone be-
yond parental jurisdiction, Jasper's
temper, manifested principally in the
practice of daring public or private
opinion, soon begun to overmaster him.
1t was not a sudden change from mild
ness t. irascibility, but a gradual incli-
nation to self-will.
At first, il the cause of irritation was
not extremely marked, the good ef-
fects of his mothers early lessons as
serted themselves and checked the ris-
ing anger; but with the feetine wears,
as he grew older and became more ac-
customed to his life of self-reliance, his
hts OF passion became more pronounced.
Now that the restraining hand of
his parental guide was no more there to
direct him in the choice of pleasures
and companions, his selections were
made without much regard for ultimate
consequences. To him the present be-
came all the future nothing. That
class OF yosng men, nice of dress and
glib OF speech, who usually lounge
around corners and barroom doors,
are ever on the alert for fresh
victims-boys, particularly, with money
to spend and easily misled. 4
few of that class soon enticed
Jaster in their midst. The first step
thus taken, his strides in their mode of
life, habits, and vices, became rapid. At
first only passing vulgarism of speech,
then an inclination to idleness, and final,
ly drink and the indulgence of accom-
panying passions.
or the victim of an irascible temper
the spirit of daring is characteristics ;
the desire to appear fearless usually
rules in his breast. There is q charm
to him in the appreciation of guilty COM
panions at such exhibitions of self-will.
And Jasper was often led into dissipa-
tlon and recklessness by the challenges
OF his associates.
The jeers and taunts of his compan.
ions led him to enter barroom
and when they applauded him for that
act, and then dared him further, he
raised the glass and rum passed his
lips His first drink caused him q few
pangs of remorse, but that soon wore
away under the laudatory words of his
false friends; and if Jasper did not 20
down to the bottom of the scale of error
and crime, 1T was due to- an incident OF
his married life.
When he took wife it was with the
purpose, among others, to mend his
ways, but little things in his domestic
life, which to others would have been
unworthy of even a passing notice, ir.
ritated him. His fretfulness returned
anger, oaths and self-misery followed,
and the home he had promised to cheer
was made desolate. The home-life road
he had promised to strew with the flow.
ersof patience and industry was blocked
up by tho thorns of passion and drink.
The sweet tempered wife he had vowed
to cherish, he almost abandoned; he
blasted her hopes of Joy and content
ment, and wrecked her aspirations fol
happiness. In lieu of smiles and pleas
ant words, he gave her sour looks and
blssphemous utterances, and though
love for her existed in his heart, passion
dLlled it to imperceptibility. Their
came little children to play around his
knees and make sweet music with theil
innocent prattle, bat Jasper understood
no pleasures but debauchery and drink
and he turned away his little ones will
cruel words, and often with blows.
Nothing that his wife did for him wa.
ever acceptable; nothing she said pos
sessed any charm; he came to hate tn.