Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-05-21
SIN Is INFECTIOUS.
REV. Or. TALMAeE SHOWS THE EVILS
OF BAD COMPANY.

WASHINGTON, May 17.-Young and old,
but moro especially the young men and
women Of our time, have a vital interest
in tho theme upon which Rev. DR.. Tai
mage discourses today. He chose for his
subject, "BGd Company, the text selected
being Proverbs !, Is, walk not thou in
the way with them."
Hardly any young man goes TO a place
Of dissipation alone. Each one Is accom-
panied. No man goes to ruin alone. He
always takes some one else with him.
MAY IL please the court, f" said a convicted
criminal when asked If be had anything to
say before sentence of death was passed
upon him-''may it please the court, bad
company has been my ruin. received
the blessing of good parents, and, in re-
turn, promised TO avoid all evil associa.
tions. Had kept my promise I should
have been saved this shame and been free
from the load of guilt that hangs around
me like vulture, threatening to drag me
to justice for crimes yet unrevealed. /,
who once moved in the first circles of So
oiety and have been the guest of distin-
guished public men, am lost, and all
through bad company"
This Is but ono of the thousand proofs
that evil associations blast and destroy.
It is the invariable rule There Is a well
man in the wards of hospital, where
there are hundred people sick with ship
fever, and he will not be so apt to take the
disease as good man would be apt to be
smitten with moral distemper if shut up
with iniquitous companions. In olden
times prisoners were herded together in
the same cell, but each one learned the
vices of all the culprlts, SO that instead Of
being reformed by incarceration the day Of
liberation turned them out upon society
beasts, not men.
Beware of Che Vicious.
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 en-
gagged in carrying on o courtship with a
Delilah whose shears will clip OF MI the
locks of his strength, and he will be tripped
into perdition. Sin is catching, is infec-
tious, is epidemic. will let you look over
the millions of people now inhabiting the
earth, and I challenge you to show me u
good man who, after one year, has made
choice and consorted with the wicked. A
thousand dollars reward for one such in
stance. care not how strong your char
acter may be. Go with the corrupt and
you will become corrupt; clan with bur-
glars, and you will become a burglar; go
among tho unclean, and you will become
unclean. Many young man has boen
destroyed by not appreciating this. He
wakes up some morning in the great city
and knows no one except the persons into
whose employ he has entered. As be goes
into the store all the clerks mark him,
measure him and discuss him. The up
right young men of the store wish him
we'll, but perhaps wait for formal intro
duction, and even then have some delioaoy
about inviting him into their associations.
But the bad young men of the store at the
first opportunity approach and offer their
services. They patronize him; they pro-
fess to know all about the town; they will
take him anywhere he wishes to go-if he
will pay the expenses-for if 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 paid for, or
the champagne settled for, the bad young
man feels around in his pockets and says,
"I have forgotten my pocketbook.
In As hours after the young man has
entered the store tho bad fellows of the es-
tablishment slap him on the shoulder fa-
miliarly 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 warn
you to beware how you let bad man talk
familiarly with you. If such one slap
you ON the shoulder familiarly, turn round
and give him whitening look until the
wretch crouches in your presence. There is
no monstrosity of wickedness that can
stand unabashed under the glance of pu.
rity and honor. God keeps the lightnings
of heaven In his own scabbard and nc
human arm can WELD them, but God
gives to every young man a lightning that
he may use, and that is the lightning Of
an honest eye. Those who have been close
observers of city life will not wonder why
give warning to young men and say,
Beware Of evil companions"
shun the Skeptic and Infide1.
warn you to shun the skeptic-the
young man who puts his fingers in his
vest and laughs at your old fashioned re-
ligion and turns over to some mystery Of
the Bible and says, Explain chat, my
pious friend; explain that" And who
says: Nobody shall scare me. I am moi
afraid of the future. used to believe in
such things, and SO did my father and
mother, but have got over IL" Yes, he
has got over it, and If you sit in his com
pany little longer you will get over II
too. Without presenting one argument
against the Christian religion such mer
will, by their jeers and SCOTS and carica
tures destroy your respect for that re-
ligion, which was the strength of your
father in his declining years and the pill
low of your old mother when she lay
a-dving.
Alasl time will come when this blus
tering young inffdel will have to die, anG
then his diamond ring will flash no splen
dor in the eyes Of Death, as he stands ovel
the couch, waiting for his soul. Those
beautiful locks will be uncombed upon the
pillow, and the dying man will say, 81
cannot die--I cannot die" Death, stand
ing ready beside the couch, says: "Yor
must die. You have only half a minute to
live. Let me have it right away-youl
SOUL" "No," says the young infldel
"here are my gold rings and these pic
tures. Take them all No." says Death
"What do care for pictures9 Your soulP
"Stand backr' says the dying in1idel. "a
will not stand back, says Death, "for you
have only ten seconds now to live. want
your SOUL" The dying man says: "Don't
breathe that cold cir into my face. You
crowd me too hard. 1t is getting dark In
the room. O Godp' "Hush' says Death
'"You said there was no God" "Pray fol
mel'' exclaims the expiring inf1del. "Toc
lats to pray" says Death. "But thre'
more seconds to live, and I will count
them ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" He has gone