San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-05
The DelCOl'S Duulle[.

Scarcely were the closing sentences
of last Sundays sermon uttered, and
the sermon was in response to the re-
quest of the senior deacon of the Light
congregation than the deacon's daugh-
ter arose and asked that the next
sermon be especially for the benefit
of the young women of the congrega-
ton, ''for', said she, you have no
idea how much influence these girls
have in forming the habits of the boys
of their acquaintance" This, of ne
cessity, set the Light preacher think
ing, and calling upon the deacons
daughter for points, as well as upon
his own recollections of half century
ago. the sermon of this morning has
been evolved. 1 asked the deacon's
daughter to write the sermon herself,
but she declined.
/ found that the deacon's daughter
was thoughtful young woman, girl
she calls herself. She was an excep5
ton to the old proverb,> that singles
out prsachaEs. sO2s and rfeacons
daughters as the widest youngsters
of their set. She seemed to have
seriously considered her response
bilities to the young men and larger
boys of her associates, and to feel to
some extent that she was answerable
for them. But, when l asked how it
was that it was some other boys sis
ter that the young man paid so much
attention to and by whose counsels
he was so greatly influenced, she
seemed TO hesitate for suitable re.
ply, and as did not press for one the
question remained unanswered.
This, however, is not of material inn
portance. as there are sisters enough
of the other boys to go around, and al
the exchange of influence will be mu
tual. there will be no one much the
loser Still, as the boys and girls il
the same home are of necessity more
closely associated together than the
boys can be with the girls in some
other home, it is little to be regretted
that the influence of ones own sister
was not to the full as potent as the in,
fiuence of some other boys sister. As
the other boys sister is not response
bic for this. and our discourse is up
on her influence upon the other boy
and not upon her own brOther,we viii
let that branch of the subject pas:
uncOnsidered.
If it be true, as saith the deacon''
daughter, that young man is almOs
always what his young lady associate
have made him, then it is in order t
look after the young women who hav
such n power of life in their hands
The recollections of forty odd year
ago somewhat bear out the assertion
of the deacOn's daughter, for there wa
for period at least n decided in
clination to hearken very closely t
the young lady in the case. 1t is no
so much perhaps what the young we
~,man does as in what she is the charT
antf>power/ of her influence lie.
Preaching is not half so effectual a
practicing in effecting changes and n
forms, and it will be found so here.
Close association invariably. il
sensibly affects. The young man
the presence of the other fellows si
ter likes to come reasonably close
her, sometimes unreaSonably S
There is something in her atmosphel
that he likes. an influence from III
whole personality that effects hin
agreeably We all like agreeable thin:
and take them as often as we can g
them. SO. where the young ladiC
are there will be their young me
friends be gathered together That
when they can. Each particular 81
will find that she is the desired {
some particular he, and upon TIL
one who most desires her society ca
she exercise the strongest infuenc
Not whom she most desires, but h
who most desires her
Upon this particular young ma
that particular young woman ca
work as though he were wax Und,
her hand. so says the deacon's daugl
ter. and the Light preacher is incli
ed to believe that the young woman
question has it down fine. 1t is the
necessary to be particular how yC
young women come into the sOcie
of the Young man upOn whom you