The St. Johns herald., 1889-09-19

] like this: ''I can not understand why Miss So-and-so is so fascinated by such man or woman She used to seem
 ike such nice girl" And the speak CTS can not understand, because they do not understand the inevitable law of attraction, the power of mind over mind consider it just as dangerous to finger in bad company as in dram shop.
 A secondary, but still very impor- tant. evil is that you will, by mixing in bad company, lose your good repu- tation. have heard girls say: ''Well, people will talk anyway; and as long as know don't mean any harm, I am going to do as 1 please" This is a most fallacious reasoning, girls, and reasoning that is likely to lead to very serious consequences.
 In the first place. there is a direct command in the Book of books con- corning such course: Abstain from all GppeGrGace of evil" :" In the second place. girl can not enter the society that will strengthen and stimulate her, that will give her 8 prestige in the world, if her name Is tainted. Third ly, she can not expect to obtain as good a position in her business if she is not well spoken of To get into the best of things she must be like C9sar's wife, 'aboVe suspicion. :" And finally, and this point is very important, she has no right to be in any place or company, however inno- cent she may feel as to herself, where another, perhaps weaker and sorely tempted, might say of her: "She goes to such a place, or with such a one, and if she is not too good for such places or people, neither am L"
 girls, you are aU too good for any tainted place, or to be with any tainted people! You can not afford, looking at the matter either from worldly or spiritual point of view. to be open to suspicion. Seek society by all means; l do not believe in misan- thropy or solitude. The latter may be sometimes necessary, but it can not for any length of time be as well for one as association with his fellows. But seek the society of those who do nothing ''in corner" of those who do not stop to argue about wrong, trying to see if possibly two and two may not make something else than four, but just put it from them without demur or question. Seek those of true hearts and white lives, whose laugh is hearty but wholly without bitterness, whose words are true and never have any meaning but 8 good one; who are strong because right is might; who are merry because there is no dark secret or questionable deeds to be sorry about; who stand by the good through all the years, and get it into their hearts and lives as a per- manent possession. There are such people. Make it point to secure such as your friends. It will reflect honor upon you to do so. You will here "be known by the company you keep" and rated accordingly. Better still you will Dc what you are rated.
 Perhaps you have all heard of the Dutchman who declared, with more truth than clearness, that Birds of a fedder go init themselves" And when you associate with the good and pure and high-minded, you become psvchol- ogized with good, just as you become psychological with impurity when as- sociating with those who are less than good. The inevitable law of exten- sion of thought, of influence of mind over mind. holds good. You can not expect to learn wisdom from those who have not learned to be wise them selves, or goodness from those who think goodness rather ''slow," and who declare for @ "short life and a merry one," meaning, usually, as long life as they can cling to, and one un- worthy for a child Of God to live. Get lots of enjoyment out of life. "A mer- ny heart doeth good like a medicine" says the proverb. and wiser words were never spoken. But let your en- joyment be clean and above-bOard. Let no suspicion of sin turk around it.
 l wonder that in a world so wise and philosophical it has not come to be fully recognized that ''the way of the transgressor is hard;" not the way of him who, being pure of heart, can "see God" and, clear in conscience. can look confidently into the face of all the world, and eTDect blessings be- cause he is abiding in the good.
 1 hope sincerely, gi Is. that among your New Years resolutions there was one that no doubtful company should be chosen or tolerated by you; that in regard to this matter it should be ''yea, yea" and may, nay" with you; that you would go only for the very b,St of life. James Freeman Clarke has declared: 1t may make difference to all eternity whether we do right or wrong to day.
 I wish he had used the word must"