The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-03-26
S1.OO per year. in advance
Six Months 80 cents.

BILE at the thought of doing wrong or
shirking your duties, or doing deceit
full acts in the presence of your assO-
ciates. You can never tell what in
fuence even a single wrong act may
have upon someone of your fellows
who may have weak, initiative Will.
And we feel sure that there is not one
boy in a thousand but who would
shrink from any act or line of conduct
which they thought was likely to prove
the ruin of another, even if they cared
nothing for their own fate through
wrong-doing. He who would wilfully
do so, would be hundred-f fold more
wicked than even the devil would have
him be. He would be too low in the
scale of wickedness to be allowed out :
side of prison bars, until his despicable
life was we'll out of the world. And
yet, we tell you, boys and girls, that
most of you are unconsciously guilty
of this very crime. We say "uncon-
| SClOuSly, UCCduOC NO he|NC NV oSASAA
opinion of you as to think you would
wilfully be guilty of this truly serious
and awful influence among your COM
panions. But you are, thoughtlessly
and dunintentionally guilty all the same;
and it is because of this fact that we
wish to direct your attention to this
all-important matter. Whatever you
may do or say, as it affects only your
self, we earnestly ask you to alacays be
on your guard against influencing
others, in any manner either by act or
word, to do wrong, or to eren tht7lH
/ wrong; for you can little-reck upon
what the influence may be upon the
future life of your companions-at
least someone of them And, it would
be an awful thing to carry in your mind
all your life, the thought that you had
sown the first bad seeds in the heart
and mind of blasted life and ruined
soul.
We knew a man once who had all
his life, nearly, been compelled to asso-
ciate with wild, reckless lot of men,
bv reason of the character of his Occu-
patton. And, while being wild and
, reckless himself, he was always on his
: guard lest either he himself or his CO.
workers should be the means of poison
!. ing the mind of young men or boys
Often have we known him, when boys
were present, to sternly rebuke the men
who cared not for their conduct or lam
guage in the presence of the young
sometimes carrying his protest to the
= point of heroic measures. Usually,
o however, his quiet word among these
+ men would command their respect, as
=. they knew his object and usually fore
4 bore in the joint presence of himself
= and those he would shield from bad ex-
p ample and immortality. This man had
O the right theory of life in this one re-
spect at least, and was fully alive to
, the fearful responsibility resting upon
v him and upon all men as related to the
h lives of others, and of the young and
q vet innocent lives with which he was
G thrown in contact. We have often
II thought of that man, and the really
q good work he did upon this important
70 line, though not man of high morals
il in other ways; and, in fact, it was M
o who first called our own attention II
q, the gravity of this matter of exam
ps ple." And now, if in turn, we can i'm
+. press upon our boys and girls the i'm
i portant lesson we learned from the NAL
n. of whom we speak, we assure them W
ir shall feel very very grateful that w
n.y. knew him; and can assure them that
re always act as he did while associatin
mr. with others, will go long way towar
ad sweetening their own lives in late
years-the thought that they hav
,o never poisoned the life of another. b
.ss practicing this, as law unto YOU
ad selves, it will prove to be the betterin
,st of your own lives, and you will alWay
tb feel glad that we called your attentlo
no to this vital matter as regards your
,d sociation with others, and particular
an with those who are younger than you
. selves, or who may be older, but VII
ho less will-power than yourself and hen'
at more initiative in their character.-Tl
M Riverside.