Dodge City times., 1889-06-20

Tert-Proverbs xiii, 20: a companion of fool
shall be destroyed
May it please the court" said a con
vict. l criminal, when asked if he hat
anything to say before sentence of deatl
was passed upon him. may it please til,
court. had company has been my ruin
l received the blessings of good parents
and, IN return. promised to avoid al
evil associations. Had kept my prom
Use L should have been saved this shame
and been free from the load of gull
that hangs round me like a vuiture
threatening to drag me to justice fol
crimes Yet unreyealed. /, 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
destroyed. 1t is the invariable rule.
There is a we'll man in the wards of a
hospital, where there are 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 moral distemper. if shut up with
Ubiquitous companions.
In olden times prisoners were herded
together i'll 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 ont upon society beasts, not men.
We may, in our places of business, be
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 a Delilah, whose shears viii clip
off all the locks of his strength, and he
viii be tripped into perdition. Sin is
catching, is infectious, is epidemic. l
will let you look over the millions of
people now inhabiting the earth, and |
challenge you to show me good man
who, after one year, has made choice
and consorted withth wicked. Athou-
sand dollars reward for one such in
stance. l care not how strong your
character may be. Associate with gam
blers, you will become gambler. Clan
with burglars, and you will become 4
burglar. Go among the unclean, and
you will become unclean. Not appre-
ciating the truth of my text, MANY
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 of the
store wish him well, but perhaps wait
for 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 OPP
portunity approach and offer their serv-
fess to know all about the town. They
will take him anywhere that he wishes
to go-if he will pay the expenses. For
If good young man and a bad young
man go 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 cham
Pagne settled for, the bad young man
feels around in his pockets and says:
: have forgotten my pocketbook." In
forty-eight hours after the young man
has entered the store the bad fellows of
the establishment slap him on the shoul-
der familiarly, and, at his stupidity in
taking certain illusions, say: My !
young friend, you will have to be broken !
in; and they Immediately proceed to !
break him in. Young man, in the name |
OF God l warn you to beware how you 4
let bad man talk familiarly with you. !
II such an one slap you on the shoulder
turn round and give him a !
whitening look. until the wretch b crouches |
in your presence. There is no mon |
strOsity of wickedness that can stand |
under the glance of purity |
and honor. God keeps the lightnings !
OF Heaven in His own scabbard, and no !
human arm can WELD them; but God |
n IHas IN
that he may use, and that is the light /
ming of an honest eye. Those who have
been close observers will not wonder |
why give warning to young men, and
say, Beware of bad company"
First, l warn you to shun the skeptic
the young man who puts his fingers in
his vest and laughs at your old fash
loned religion, and turns over to some
mystery of the Bible and says: ~Ex-
plain that, my pious friend; explain
that. And who says: Nobody shall
scare me; l 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, he has got over it;
and if you 81. in his company little
longer, you will get over it too. With
out presenting one argument against
The Christian religion. such men will,
BY their jeers and SCOTS and caricatures,
destroy your respect for that religion
which was the strength of your father in
his declining years, and the pillow of
FOUR old mother when she lay a-dying.
Alas. time will come when that blus-
.ering young infidel will have to die. then
his diamond ring will flash no splendor
in the eyes of Death. as he stands over
he couch, waiting for his soul. Those
pQa ufr / fI1l l. |
he pillow, and the dying man will say:
1 cannot die-I cannot die" Death.
ready beside the couch, saws:
You must die: you have only half
minute to live; let me have it right away
your soul" No." says the young in
idel, here are my gold rings. and these
PICTURES: take them all" No." SAYS
Death, what do 1 care for pictures,-
-our soul. Stand back says the dy-
ng infidel. Il will not stand back"
ays Death, for You have only ten sec
,nds now to live; l want your soul"
he dying man says: Don't breathe ,
hat cold air into my face. You crowd
ne too hard. 1t is getting dark in the
Dom. o God" Hush" saws Death,
you said there was no God" Pray for
ne, exclaims the expiring infidel. .
Too late to pray" SAYS Death; but
hree more seconds to live, and | will
cunt them off-one-two-three He
las gone, Where, Where? Carry him !
and bury him beside his father
nd mother, who died while holding /,
asst the Christian religion. They died !
lnging; but the young infidel only said:
Don't breathe that cold air into nv {
ace. You crowd me too hard. 1t is !
,etting dark in the room"
Again. | nrua Won fp Shun tho |
of ldlers. There are men
langing around every store, and office, {
nd shop who have nothing to do. or
ct as if they had not. They are apt to
ome in when the firm are away, and J
rish to engage Won in conversation
Thile you are engaged in your regular :
Politely suggest TO such
'ersons that you have no time to give
hem during business hours. NothingI
Tould please them SO we'll as to have
ou renounce your occupation and as /.
l.