The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-06-14
"RUINOUS COMPANY"
a Trite Sermon on the Evils of
Bad Companionship.
The Fist Downward Step-The Dangers
of Idlsness-HealthfuIa and Danger
Gus sport-NIan's Good and
Bad Angel.


Proverbs xiii, 20.
MAY it please the court" said a con-
victed criminal when asked if he had
any thing to say before sentence Of death
was passed upon him, Z" may it please the
court, bad company has been my ruin.
/ received the blessings OF good parents,
and, in return, promised to avoid all evil
associations. Had I kept my promise I
should have been saved this shame, and
been free from the load of guilt that
hangs around me like a vuIture, threat
ening to drag me to justice for crimes
yet unrevealed. I, who once moved in
the first circles Of society, and have been
the guest of distinguished public men,
am lost, and all through bad company"
This is but one of the thousand proofs
that the companion of fools shall be de-
strOyed. 1t is the invariable rule. There
is a well man in the wards Of a hospital,
where there are a hundred people sick
with ship fever, and he will not be so apt
to take the disease as a good man would
be apt to be smitten with neral distem-
per if shut up with iniquitous compan-
ions. In ofden times prisoners were
herded together in the same cell, but each
one learned the vices Of all the culprits,
so that, instead Of being reformed by in
! generation, the day of liberation turned
them out upon society beasts, not men.
compelled to talk to and mingle with bad
men: but he who deliberately chooses to
associate himself with vicious people is
engaged in carrying on a cOurtship with
q Delilah, whose shears viii clip of all
/ the locks Of his strength, and he viii be
4 tripped into perditiOn. Sin is catching,
/ is infections, is epidemic, 1 will let you
/ look over the millions of people now in
| habiting the earth, and challenge you to
] chou mo a oO1d man who after Ova war,
! has made choice and consOrted with the
/ wicked. A thousand dollars reward for
| one such instance, 1 care not how streag
! your character may be, Associate with
/ gamblers, you will become a gambler.
/ Clan with burglars, and you will become
a burglar. Go among the unclean, and
! you will become uncleau.
Not appreciating the truth of my text
many a young man has been destroyed.
! He wakes up some morning in the great
/ city, and knows no one except the per-
sons into whose employ he has entered.
/ As he goes into the store all the clerks
mark him, measure him and discuss him.
/ The upright young men Ct the store wish
! him we'll, but perhaps wait for a formal
/ introduction, and even then have some
delicacy about inviting him into their
associations But the bad young men of
the store at the first opportunity ap-
patrOnize him. They profess to know all
about the town. They will take him any
| where he wishes to gO-if he will pay the
expenses. For if a good young man and
bad young man 60 to some place where
they ought not, the good young man has
invariably to pay the charges. At the
moment the ticket is to be paid for, or the
champagne settled for, the bad young
man feels around in his pockets and
says: II have forgotten my pocket
/ book"
In forty eight hours after the young
man has entered the store the bad feIIOws
/ of the establishment slap him on the
shoulder Familiarity, and, at his stupidity
IN taking certain illusions, seyl SHY
young friend, you will have to be broken
in" and they Immediately proceed to
brake him in. Young man, in the name
of God, I warn you to beware how you
lot bad man talk Familiarity with you
II such an one slap you on the shoulder
Familiarity, turn round and give him 6
whitening look, until the wretch CrOuches
in yOu presence. There is no monstrosity
of wickedness that can stand unabas heC
under the glance OF p urity and honor.
God keeps the lightniugs OF Heaven il
His own scabbard, and no human arm
can WELD them; but God gives to every
young man o lightning that he may use,
and that is the lightning of an honest
eye. Those who have been close Observ-
ers will not wonder why I give warnine
TO young meg, and say; Beware of bad
e8Ehpany."
First. warn you to shun the skeptic-
the Young man who puts his fingers in
his vHst and laughs at your old-fashioRed
religion, and turns over to some mystery
of the Bible and says; Explain that, my
/ pious friend; explain that" And who
says: Nobody shall scare me; 1 am not
afraid Of the future; used to believe in
such things, and so did my father and
mother. but have got over it." Yes, lac
has got over it; and if you sit in his com.
pany q little longer you will get over it
too. Without presenting one argumen
against the Christian religion, such mel
will, by their jeers and SCOTS and carl
catures, destroy your respect for that re
ligion which was the strength of your IA
Their in his declining years, and the pillow
of your old mother when she lay a-dying
Alas a time viii come when that blus ter
ing young infdel will have to die, anC
lhen his diamond ring viii flash NJ
Splendor in the eyes Of Death, as h
, stands over the couch, waiting for hi.
soul. Those beautiful locks will be un'
combed upon the pillow, and the dyins
man will say: Il can not die-I can no
die"
Death standing ready beside the couch
says: ''Xcn must die; you have only
half a minaCa to live; let me have 1t RICH
away-your soul" ''No," says the youn1
infdel, there are my gold rings and thest
pictures; take them all" No" say
Death, ''what do 1 care for pictures =
your sOul.N "Stand back" says the dy
ing infdel. Il viii not stand back" say
Death, 'for you have only ten second
now to live; 1 want your soul" The dy
ing man says: Don't breathe that coll
mir into my face. You crowd me to hard
1t is getting dark in the room. o GOdy
"Hush," says Death, ''you said there wa
no God" "Pray for me-" exclaims tn
expiring iufidel. TOO late to pray,
says Death; 'but three more seconds
; live, and I will count them of-one-tw
J three" He has gOnel Where? Where
Garry him out-out, and bury him besid
his father and mother, who died Will
holding fast the Christian religion. The
died singing, but the young infdel Onl
said: Don't breathe that cold air int
my face. You crowd me too hard. 1t
getting dark in the room.
Again, urge you to shun the compan
ionship CT idlers. There are men hang
ing around every store, and Office, an
shop, who have nothing to do, or act as
they had not. They are apt to come i
when the firm are away, and wish to en-
gage you in conversation while you ar
engaged in your regular employment
/ Politely suggest to such persons that yo
have no time to give them during bust
ness hours. Nothing would please them s
/. well as to have you renoUnce your occupa
ton and associate with them. Much Of tn
. tine they lounge around the club-room
or the doors of engine houses, or afte
The dining hour stand upon the steps Of
fashionable hotel or an elegant restau
5 rant wishing to give you the idea tina
: this IS the place where they dine. Blu