Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-06-14

snail De deSpToycu'
May it please the court, said con.
victed criminal, when asked it he had
anything to say before sentence Of death
was passed upon him, may it please the
| court, bad company has been my ruin.
l received the blessings of good parents,
and, in return, promised to avoid ali
evil ass ociations. Had kept my prom.
| Use should have been saved this shame,
and been free from the load of guilt
that hangs round me like vulture.
threatening to drag me to justice for
crimes vet unrevealed. 1, who once
moved in the first circles of society, and
I have been the guest of distinguished
public men, am lost, and oil 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 o we'll man in the wards of a
hospital, where there are hundred
not be so apt to take the disease as q
good man would be apt to be smitten
with moral distemper. if shut up with
Ubiquitous companions.
In olden 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.
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 courtship
with Delilah, whose shears will clip
off all the locks of his strength, and he
will be tripped into perdition. SIN is
catching, is infectious. is epidemic. I
will let you look over the millions of
challenge you to show me good man
who, after one year, has made choice
and consorted withthe wicked. Athou-
sand dollars reward for one such in
stance. care not how strong your
character may be. Associate with gam
blers, you will become gambler. Clan
with burglars, and you will become o
burglar. Go among the unclean, and
you will become unclean. Not appre-
ciating 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 intoIthe store all the clerks
mark him, measure him, and discuss
him. The upright young men of 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
portunity approach and offer their serv-
ices. They patroniZe him. They pro-
TESS to know all about the town. They
will take him anywhere that he wishes
to go-if he will pay the expenses. For
If a good young man and 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
payne settled for, the bad young man
feels around in his pockets and says:
Il 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 thsshoul-
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
let bad man talk Familiarity with you.
II such an one slap you on the shoulder
Familiarity. turn round and give him a
whitening look, until the wretch crouches
in your presence. There is no mon
strosity of wickedness that can stand
unabashed 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
gives to every young man lightning
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
toned 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 sit 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 caricaturss,
destroy your respect for that religion
winch was the strength fyour father in
his declining years. and the pillow of
your old mother when she lay a-dying
| eAAoo' eAAAo VIII COue WueQ that Dlu9-
tering young infdel will haveto die. then
his diamond ring will flash no splendor
in the eyes of Death, as he stands over
the couch, waiting for his soul. Those
beautiful locks will be uncombed upon
the pillow, and the dying man will saw;
Il cannot die-I cannot die" Death
standing ready beside the couch, saws:
You must die; you have only half
minute to live; let me have it right awoy
your soul" No" says the Young iul
fidel, here are my gold rings. and these
pictures; take them all. NO" saws
Death, what do I care for pictures!+
your soul" Stand back" saws the d.
ing infdel. Il will not stand back"
says Death, for You have only ten se,-
onds now to live; want your soul,
The dying man says: Don't breathe
that cold air into my face. You crowd
me too hard. 1t is getting dark in the
room. God" Hush" saws Death.
You said there was no God" PRAY for
me, exclaims the expiring infdAl.
TOO late to pray" says Death: Gut
three more seconds to live. and | will
count them tf-one-two-three. He
has gone! Where! Where? Carry him
| out-out. and bury him beside his father
and mother, who died while holding
fast the Christian religion. They died