The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-08-08
BOOK coMPANIoNs.

The old aSage, "a man is known by
the company he keeps" is so commonly
used that it may be considered hack
neyed; and therefore BY writer's Of deli
cate tastes, and etcklers for the nice
observance ct the rules Of COMPOSITION
would be avoided. But it so aptly ex-
presses q great moral truth that We use
it despite its being so commonly en-
ployed. Back of the truth expressed in
the above ad&ge, is the great principle
expressed in anotheEhomeIy old saying
birds Of a feather Cock together" But
to state the principle in more dignifed
dictien, light seeketh light; intelligence
cleaEeth unto intelligence; virtue de-
lights in virtue and seeks its own; and
persons possessing intelligence and the
qualities of refinement and virtne, by a
law of their nature that is as eternal as
the Gods, are drawn together BY that
natural affinity they possess.
Then the converse Of the last state
ment is true. Ignorance cleaveth unto
ignorance: Wickedness delights in
~wickedness; corruption seeketh corrup-
ton and revels IN its baseness; and as
the pure in heart rejoice in the COM
partnership Of those of like nature. SO
the corrupt, the vile, the wicked take
pleasure only In the association of those
of like vicious nature as themselves.
When you undertake to violate these
truths by bringing together elements
that have no affinity for each other, or
persons that have no sympathies in
common-ssy a wise man and a fool;
or a refined, intelligent, virtuous
WOMAN, anda vulgar, ignorant, strum-
pet, you learn atOnce how absolute the
trut& is that says like cleaveth unto
like.
1t may be relied upon then as a gen
eral truth that q man is known by the
company he keeps. Indeed, so gener-
ally IS the maxim accepted as true, that
people With q proper degree of self
respect are very cautious as 70 the conn.,
pany they keep, and are also particular
as to the kind of companionship
formed by their sons and daughters
All this is eminently proper. 1t is
something that every parent who nm
derstands the force that associatians
have in forming the character ofmsn-
kind, and who has a proper solleitnSs
Tor the welfare Of his offspring. will
carefully look after.
But while parents. as a rule. are e.ra-
ful in the selection OF ordinary asso-
GATES for their sons and daughters.
here IS q class OF companions thew AZ
IoW them to select at their osnsweet
pleasure; they are often me bv sc.
;ident, and some of them of the mostf L
vicious natures, capable of poisoning
The w~eli-springs of life, and making
moral shipwreck of careers which. hint
or these unhappy associations. might /,
been Useful TO their felioWmen }
a crown Of glory to their parents
And yet parents and guardians ueelec, ,
o use any iafuence in relation III he
election Of these compositions anoded I
o, although they win have q wonderful ,
nnuense-either for good or m-in ,
orming the characters of thoss which I
or law has placed nm
Ter their watch-csre. The companions
We refer to are books. Books are no.
hing but companions. and IS a man Is \
.noWn by the companions he keeps. so |
may he be known by the books I
hitch ne reads; and though these conf I
may be regarded as silent ones |
n hrst thought, still you have but TO /