Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-11-28
A Lesson From Life.

A..feW years ag0-it seems but q
few years, and yet it may be twenty
lived ia one of the most
beautiful sections of central New
York a young man who was sur
rounded with every ching that dc.
sire could ask or taste dictate to
make life pleasant. He was then
just entering upon that period W hich,
coming to nearly every youth
with his fifteenth year, shapes
to a certain degree the after life. de-
velops ambition, arcuses latent de-
sires, and has the effect of forming
not only character but fixing prin-
ciples which tell upon his life con-
duct OF coming years. THIS young
man was blessed with a happy home
and pleasant parents, and was af-
forded every opportunity to secure
an education of the highest standard.
Early IN life he manifested desire
to enter the army, and when the
time arrived which enabled him to
meet the requirements of the militia
~ academy at West Point, his faith
er, whose Influence was great, Sc
cured his son an appointment to that
Institution. For several years the
young man studied hard, his ambi-
ton was great, and his friends and
pareDts were gratified to hear only
good reports as to his behaviour
and studiousness. With d natural
love ofthe beautiful aud elevated by
the ennobling influences of the more
sublime studies, the young cadet,
with honors thick upon him, stand
ing at the head of his class and
cheered on by loving and encourag.
ing words by those who were near
and dear TO him, finally left the por-
tails CT the academy and began to
battle with the realities ef life.
Everything was bright home.
friends. fortune, position.
But it was not long before be fell,
and fell so far that he found himself
IN private life. For some reason
inherited, perhaps T; possibly formed
by army associstions-he had ac-
quired liking for drink, and the
simple indulgence. for the sake of
boon companionship, had finally de
veloped into passion. From small
rotations, he had grown to find no
solace save in those "bottle Deep"
and after breef career as an officer
he was obliged to relenquish his
commission and look to other walks
of life for employment. His father,
who had grown TO manage one OF
the most valuable railway properties
in the state of New York, gave the
boy chance, and made him superin-
tendent of one of the divisions OF
the road. But here his fatal passions
again got the mastery, and, outrag-
ing all deoency and setting self
respect at defiance, he fell again from
his honorable post, this time lower
than before.
A few days ago, this young man
for he is still young man-made
an attempt 10 get out of the institu-
ton where he is now confined, the
Inebriate Home at Fort Hamilton,
Long Island, and where be had been
placed by his father; but his father
at once began proceedings to have
him Declared an habitual drunkard,
which he himself confessed himself
| to be beyond all hope of reclamation,
Please read this life-lesson care.
fully, and think how bright future
P. Elmendorf Sloan had, and how
miserably he squandered every tai.
ent, every hope, every particle of
ambition, everything that would
have elevated him In position and
| public estimation. Could there be
any temperance lecture more forci-
BILE, any example of debauchery more
| magpificently monstrous? Ii is
something for the young to pause
and contemplate. To be sure he is
but one out of thousands, perhaps,
but the debris of his wreck has been
thrown so high by the sweeping tide
of the sea of intemperance that it
cannot but be seen and pondered
over.