Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-04-09
Bad Company.

1t was during my residence In Yon-
kers, many years ago. that discovered
the destructive influence of bad COM
pany, even in the kingdom of nature.
| had a beautiful garden. On the east
side of it, next to the street, stood long
row of large ailanthus-trees. When in
full foliage, early in the spring, they
were very beautiful. i had planted my
garden and WAS anxiously watching the
growth of the different vegetables as
they appeared above ground, when l
soon discovered that all the plants near
these trees began to have sickly ap-
pearance, and that scarcely any OF them
came to maturity.
The aianthus- tree, while it is symmet-
rical in form and of beautiful foliage, is
nevertheless a poisonous tree. As Il
l0oksd upon my garden in midsummer,
and saw the rich. luxuriant vegetat on
in one part of it, and everything
dwarfed in the other, near the ailanthus,
SAID
behold the evil influence Of bad
company"
Ny young friends, if bad company
among the trees is deadly to all around
them, how much more destructive must
bad companions be to all who come
within their inlluencep How often
during my life, as teacher, have !
seen good boy growing sickly in all
his studies and after carefully investiga-
ING his case have found that when out
| Of school he was in the company OF bad
boys-boys who themselves are idle and
lazy, and perhaps guilty Of many bad
practices.
Here was the secret. In the COM
pany OF these boys he heard nothing. he
saw nothing, ennobling or praiseworthy,
Their influence over him was down
ward and only downward. At first
the evil effects were not so perceptible,
but by degrees they began to be felt
and seen.
John, at the age of fourteen. leaves
home for boarding school, one OF the
best and most expensive. He has been
carefully trained at home-it may be-
by pious parents. He is a noble boy,
beloved by all who know him. He
leaves home with the benedictions OF
loving parents, sisters and brothers.
He enters new world.
The principal of the school and his
wife are devoted to the welfare OF all
under their roof. They are careful, as
far as lies in their power, TO receive no
bad boys into their school.
John has for his roommate boy q
little older than himself He has been
i'll the school but few weeks, but thus
far was considered good boy. He
Ihas, however, one or two very unde-
sirable traits OF character. We need
not name them here. Suffice it to say
: that, in d short time, John and his
roommate are both expelled from
school. The influence of his roommate
over John soon led him to commit the
same crimes of which he had often beer
guilty before John entered the school
l Had q room mate been given Johr
5 who would have led him III right ways
} as he had been trained when at home
he might have graduated from thu
, school with its highest honors.
Let this one example suffice for thou
I sands of similar character.
| Bows, as you hope for noble ant
G true MANHOOD, be careful who you
Y companions are. Seek the companion
: ship of those who will encourage yol
a in all noble effort to do your duty as
5 boy to your parents and teachers. ant
4 above all, to yourself and your God.
n The difference between the influence
!, of good and bad company is as wide q
S the distance between heaven and hell
Washington HdsbrOuck, Principal Q
k N. j. State Normal School.