The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-01
A Lesson from Life.

II lew yCdIS cSO--AG SOCAAo OuI q ~"
years, and yet it may be twenty there
lived in one of the most beautiful sec
tons of central New York a young man
who was surrounded with every thing that
desire could ask or taste dictate to make
life pleasant. He was then just entering
upon that period which, coming to near
~ every youth with bis fifteenth year,
shapes to a certain degree the after life,
develops ambition, arouses latent desires,
and has the effect of forming not only
character but fixing principles which tell
upon the life-conduct of coming years.
This young man was blessed with happy
home and pleasant parents, and was af-
forded every opportunity to secure an
education of the hi CHEST standard.
Early in life he manifested a
desire to enter the .. army, and
when the time arrived which enabled
him to meet the requirements Of the
military academy at West Point, his
father, whose influence was great, secured
his son an appointment to that institution.
For several years the young man studied
hard, his ambition was great, and his
friends and parents were grati6ed to hear
only good reports as, to his behavior, and
studiousness. With natural love of the
beautiful and elevated by the ennobling
Influences of the more sublime studies
the young cadet, with honors thick upon
him, standing at the head OF his class and
cheered on by loving and encouraging
words by those who were near and dear
to him, finally left the portals of the
academy and began to battle with the
realities of life. Everything was bright;
home, friends, fortune, position.
But it was not long before he fell, and
| fell so far that he found himself in private
life. For some reason--inherited. per-
haps; possibly formed by army associa
tions-he had acquired liking for drink,
aud the simple indulgence, for the s~ke
of boon companionship, had finally de-
veloped into a passion. From small po-
tations, ne had grown to find no solace
save in those "pottle Deep and after a
brief career as an officer, he was obliged
to relinquish 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 a
chance, and made him superintendent OF
one of the divisions of the road. But
here his fatal passion again got the mas
terry. and, outraging all decency and set
ting self. respect at defiance, he fell again
from his honorable post, this time lower
than before. Ill.,
A few days ago, this young man-fol
he is still a young man-made an at
tempt to get out of the institution where
he is now confined, the 1nebriate Home
at Fort Hamilton, Long Island, anc
where be had been placed by his father
who at oncebegan proceedings to have hin
declared an habitual drunkard, which ht
; himself confessed himself to be beyond
all hope of reclamation.
Please read this life-lesson carefully
and think how bright future P. Elmel
dorf Sloan had, and how miserably Ii
squandered every talent, every hope
every particle Of ambition, everything
that would have elevated him in position
and public estimation. Gould there b
any temperance lecture more forcible
any example Of debauchery more magni
Gently monstrous2 1t is something 70
the young to pause and contemplate. t
be sure he is but one out of thousands
perhaps, but the debris of his wreck ha
been thrown so high by the sweepin
). tide of the sea Of incompetence that
. cannot hit he seen and Wondered over