The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-05-25

beauty of that youthful character which re.
| mains unblemished and upright when away
| from home. Had Daniel, on arriving in
| Babylon, plunged into every excess, his
| friends in Jerusalem would never have heard
Of it. His dissipation and renunciation Of
religion would not have cast one sorrow on
the family hearth where he had lived or the
| old family Bible which he used to read. But.
though far away from home, he knew that
Gods eye watched him and that was
enough. 1t is not every young man who
maintains the same character when absent
that was maintained at home.
Frederick watching his fathers sheep
among the hills or thrashing rye in the barn
is far different from Frederick on the Stock
Exchange. How often does the kind, retir-
ing spirit become bold effrontery. and the
accommodating, self sacrificing disposition
once exhibited among brothers and sisters
becomes q cold and unrcsponsive sel6shness,
and economy, wastefulness and open handed
charity. tight listed stingiDsss, and the
keeping of good hours Is changed to mid.
night revelry.
Iprobably address young men now, dis
tant from their fathers house, and others
who, still under the parental roof, look for
ward to q time when they will depart alone
to conflict with the world and among stran-
gers be called 10 build up characters for
themselves. Happy for you, oh, young
uau, II you Suatl, uRe SOSepu, DO tns Same
when living with wicked Pharaoh as with
pious Jacob or Daniel as pure In Babylon as
In Jerusalem. There is no passage In mans
life Of more thrilling interest than the day
in which he leaves home and Ross of TO seek
his fortune The novelty and romance con-
nected with the departure may keep ths
young man frohi any poignant sorrow, but
parents, who have seen the destruction
among strangers Of those who were con-
sidered promising youths, cannot help feel-
ing that this step is full Of momentous i'm
conduct was under aRectionate guardian
ship.
Outbursts Of folly, carelessness and i'm
propriety Of manner and looseness Of speech
were kindly reproved, and although the re-
straint seemed sometimes too 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 interceeding Of metropolitan
friends has secured the son place in some
bank or store or Office. Schoolmates. on the
night before his departure, come to take
their farewell Of the young adventurer.
That morning he takes last walk around
the old place, and going past some loved spot
sly tear may start. but no one sees it. The
trunk Is on the carriage, and after warm
goodby away they speed over the hills. Set
down amid excitements and among com.
panions not overscrupulous as to their words
or deeds temptations troop around the
stranger. Themorning comes, but no fami-
and perhaps at the sanctuary the faces are
all strange and no one cares whether he
goes to church or whether he does not 60.
Long winter evenings arrive, and how shall
they be spents On mis- way home from his
place Of business he saw flaming placards
announcing rare performances and that this
was positively ths last night.
At the door Of his cherries boarding.
house 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 repeS
ling. A book snatohed 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 to make him stop think
ing. That night may be the turning pointin
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 creaking Of
the gates of the lost.
In many a 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 exo-
dus must be made. As from far distant hills
rivers find their way through tunnels to
great cities, so from far distant points Of tho
country it is necessary that a stream Of un-
corrupted 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 depar-
ture from home.
Tomorrow morning all OF the thorough.
fares 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 iu town. The Lord stretch forth
His arm for the deliverance Of these Daniels
away down in Babylon. Wherever your
lot may be cast, In far inland town or Ia
some great seaport, maintain 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 hsart and
life the advantages OF early religious culture,
forget not those to whom you are chiefly In
debted, and pray that as age comes upon
them and the night Of death begins to fall
in their pathway, the hope Of heaven may
beam through tho darkness, lustrous and
steady as the evening star. The Lord for
bid that by our conduct we should ever bring
disgrace on q fathers pame or prove re-
creant to the love Of a mother. The poet
did not exaggerats when he exclaimed:
how sharper than serpenrs tooth, it's,
To have y thapkless child.