The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-06-04
REY. DR.. TALAAGR.
rSpAY,s DISCOURSE BIZ THR
NOTED pIyIxk
Subject; "Bad Company"


Hardly sny Young msn goes to place Of
dissipation alone Eacl one L accompanied
Ne man goes 10 ruin alone. He always takes
some one else with him. MAY il please the
court" saida ee1viatei criminal when asked
Il he bad anything 70 say before sentence OF
death vas passed upon him-''mav it please
tbs court, bad company has been ny ruin l
received the blessing OF good parents and in
return promised to avoid sll evil assoeis-
tons. Had I kept my pr0miss should h2fs
been saved this shane and been free from
the load Of c1ih that hangs around me Ike
vulture; threatening to drag ne TO justice
for crimes yet unrevealsj. l who once
moved in the first circles OF soefety and have
been the guest Of distinguished public men
an lost. and al through bad company"
This is but one Of the thousand proofs
that evil associations biast and destroy. II
Is the invarisbls rule. There is well man
IN the wards Of q hospital where there are e
hundred people sick with sbip fsTaf, and he
will not be so art 70 t1Gs the disease a.
good man woult te apt To be snitten with
moral dfztemper il shut NJ with iniI1itous
companions. n olien times prisoners we're
herted together in the sSr.e cell, but each
one learned the vices 81 all the cuipr1ts, 50
that instead 81 being reformed oy ineareera-
ton shs day Of liberation turned them out
upon Society beasts. not men,
We may. in our places Ct business, Be com
PEELED to talk TO AMI ninzle With bsd men,
but se who deliberately chooses to associate
himself with vicious people Is engaged IN
Carrying on 3 eourtship with a Deltl2h
whose shears will clip of all the locks OF his
strength. and he will be tripped into pardt-
ton Sin Z catching, Is Infectious, Is cpl
dauie. I dill let you lock over the millions
Of people now inhstitins the earth, and
challenge you - show ne 3 good man Who
after one year has made choice and eonsorted
with the wicked 4 thousand dollars re-
ward for one such Instance. l care not now
strong your character may be. Go with
the corrupt and you will become corrupt
Clan with burglars. AMI you will be-
come burglar. Go among the unetssn,
and you will become uneleaas Many a
young man has taen destroyed by not
spprscisfins this. He wakes up soma
morning in the Sreat city and knows no
one except the persons into whose employ
he has entered As he goes into the etore sl
the CLERKS mark him. measure him AMI dis
euss him. The gCISLt young men OF the
store wish hin ws5l. but perhaps wait Tor
formal Introduction, AMI even then have
some deica.y about inviting him into theLr
associations. But the bad young men Of the
store az the first opportunity approach and
offer their services. They patreriss hin
They profess To know all about tbs town.
They will tsk1 rim anywhere he wishes to
Eo--i3ae will gay the expenses. For il . good
young man and . bad young man 60 to
some place where thev ought NOT. tae good
young man has invariably 10 pay the
charges. At the moment the ttexst Is paid
for. or r1e champ agle settled for, the bad
young man feels around in his pockets and
says, Il have flr-otteu NY p9ekethoak.
In forty-sight hours after the yJuns man
has entered the st1re ths bad fellows Of the
establishment slap him on the Shoulder ia
military, and. ST his stupidity in taking Ser
tain illusions. say, NJ young friend, you
will have to be or5ken IL. and they tnms-
dIately pfVceei ~ break MIN in Young man
IN the name = God 7 warn you to beware
how ycu let bad man talk famtllarly with
you- i such one slap you on the shoulder
fanIliariy, turn rount and give him a with
ering look until the wretch croucbes in your
presence. There Is no moustrosiry Of wic.-
edness that can stand aEsbas4sd Under the
glance Of purity and honor. God keeps the
hghtni.gs IT heaven in His own seab5ard.
ead no human arm can WELD them, bit God
gives to every young man q lightning that he
may use, and mat Is the lightning 81 an hon
est eye. Those who have been close o5serv-
ers Of city life will not wonder why I give
warning u young men and say, Beware Of
evil COMPANIONS"
warn you to shun the skspti,-ths T7un 2
man VINO puts his fingers II bis vest AMI
L1tA-LS 81 Jug 'f ned E-ll-EglLA.
turns over to some mystery If tbs Bible. IN
says, Explain THAI. my ui0us friend, 81
plain that And who says Nobody
shall scare me; I am not afraid OF rls
future. L used 70 believe IN such things,
AMI SO did my father ami mother but have
got over IL Yes, ns has cot over it, AMI If
/ yog sit in his company little longer you vii.
get over II too Without presenting l-e
argument against ths Christian religion.
. zrs1N : cool on .I
earIcatures, destroy your respect for THAT ~
| hG1on which was the strength Of YOUR f4ther
4 In MS declining years AMI tlA pillow Of your
cd mother when she lay a-,tyin-.
Alas, d time will come when this buster
| ing young infdel will have 70 die. and then
/ his diamond ring will fash nospendor in thu
| eyes Of Death Is he stands over the couch
waiting for his SOUL Those beautiful locks
| will De u1c0mbed upon the pillow. and the
I diving nan will say, Il ca1not die; cannot
| die. Death, standing ready beside the
I couch, sayE- ''Iou must die You have
ONLY half minute to live. Let ne have i.
right aTay-yOur sJulr' NO says the
! young inadel, here are ny gold rings and
these pictures. Take them all" ''S1, "
says Death What do I cars for pictures
{ Your SOUL! stand back! says the lying
| i1ldeL- 4 will not stand back" says
] Death, "f0r you have only ten seconds now
/ 10 1--we l want your sJuL' Tha dying man
says; Don't breathe that cold air INTO nv
face. You crowd n too hard. Its -ecrilz ,
/ dark in the room. o, God5' Hush, says
/ Death you said thers was no God
I Pray for ne, eZelains the expiriutfad lsi.
Too late 70 pray. says Death. But tl-.e
I more seconds 10 I've. and I will count rhe-
I o4-0Ee, two threer' He has gone. Where
I where Garry him out and bury him bes o.
Z ais father and mother, who died while +
IN fast the Christian religion They liet
singing, bur the young Indiel only sLj
DOM breathe that cold air into ny .l.e
[ 4ou crowd me too hard It Is getting tlri
in the room.
Again. urge you 10 shun the coupa1ll1
ship OF .dlers. There are nel hanging
around every store and Office and sho1 wa5
have nothing 10 DO, or act as if they hal not
They are apt 70 come in when the firm are
away and wish to engage you in eon7ersa-
ton while You are engaged in your regular
employment. Politely suggest to such per-
sons that you have no time to give them
during business hours. Nothing wo1ld
please them so well a. to have you reu0ulee
your occupation and associate with them.
Much VI the time they lounge around tas
doors o. engine houses, or after the dining
hour stand upon the steps of a Fashionable
motel Or an elegant restaurant. wishing 10
give you the idea that that IS the place where
they dine. But they do nor dine there.
4heJ ara sinking down lower and lower day
byday. Neither by day nor by night navs
anything % u with idlers
az