The Bossier banner., 1892-07-14

selfishness, and economy, wastefulness
and open-handed charity, tight-fisted
stinginess, and the keeping of good
hours is changed into midnight revelry.
] probably address young men now, dis.
others who, stin under the parental
roof, look forward to time when they
will depart alone to conflict with
the world and among strangers, be
called to build up characters for them
selves. Happy for you, oh, young man,
if you shall, like Joseph, be the same
when living with wicked Pharaoh as
with pious Jacob, or Daniel as pure in
Babylon as in Jerusalem There is no
passage In a mans life of more thrilling
interest than the day In which he
leaves home and goes off to seek his
fortune. The novelty and romance
connected with the departure may keep
the young man from any poignant sor-
row, but parents who have seen the de-
struction among strangers of those
who were considered promising
youths can not help feeling that
this step is full of monentous impor-
tance. Before the youth left home all
his conduct was under affectionate
guardianship. Outbursts of folly, care.
1esness and impropriety of manner and
looseness of speech were kindly res
proved, and although the restraint
seemed sometimes to severe. yet hours
of sober reflection have convinced him
that it was salutary and righteous.
But, behold, how the scene changes.
The father, through the interceding OF
metropolitan friends, has secured the
son a place in some bank or Of
fee. Schoolmates on the night
before his departure come to take
their farewell of the young ad-
venturer. That morning he takes
last walk around the old place,
and going past some lovespot, a sly
tear may start, but no one sees it. The
trunk is on the carriage, and after a
warm good-by, away they speed over
the hills. Set down amid excitements
and among companions not over
scrupulous as to their words or deeds,
temptations troop around the stranger.
iS SOII1CS, DuG llO lcillllly
altar, and the Sabbath, but no real
quiet, and perhaps at the sanctuary
the faces are all strange and no one
cares whether he goes to church or
whether he does not go. Long win
ter evenings arrive, and how shall
they be spent? On his way home from
his place of business he saw flaming
placards announcing rare performances
and that this was positively the last
night. At the door of his cherries
clearinghouse no one greets him, and
the evening meal is insipid, for no one
cares whether he eats or does not eat.
The room in the third story that
evening seems doleful and repel.
ling. A book snatched up from
the stand proves to be dull, for
no sister is there to look over with
him. In despair he rushes out reckless
as to where he goes If only he can see
something that will make him stop
thinking. That night may be the turn
ing point in his history. Once within
the fatal circle of sin and the soul has
no power to repel it. On that dark sea
he is launched, where the CLEAN of JOY
is only the flash of the pit and the roar
of laughter is only the breaking of the
gates of the lost.
In many country churchyard is now
the grave of some youthful spirit that
went away 1.-THE and bounding, but
came home diseased and crushed and
blasted to disgrace the sepulcher of his
fathers. Yet this exodus must be made.
AS from far distant hills rivers find
their way through tunnels to great
cities so from far distant points of
the country it is necessary that a
stream of uncorrupted population shall
pour into our great thoroughfares to
keep them pure and manage the traffic
of the world. Multitudes of such are
constantly making their departure from
home. Tomorrow morning all of the
thoroughfares leading toward the great
cities of our land, on steamboat and rail
car, there will be young adventures
for the first speeding away from their
homes in order to try their fortune
in town. The Lord stretch FORTH
His arm for the deliverance of these
Daniels away down in Babylon. Wher,
ever your lot may be cast-in far inland
town or in some great seaport-main-
tain in your absence the same principles
of morals and religion which may have
been instilled by parental solicitude.
And while you may feel in your heart
and life the advantages of early
religious culture, forget not those
to whom you are chiefly indebted,
and pray that as age comes
upon them and the night of death
begins to fall on their pathway, the
hope of Heaven may beam thc ough the
darkness, lustrous and steady as the
evening star. The Lord forbid that by
our conduct we should ever bring dis
grace on fathers name or prove
recreant to the love of mother. This
poet did not oxaggerate when he ~
claimed:
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child