The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-03-07
A YOUNG MAN AND HIS WILD
OATS"
By Edward Box.

There is popular notion abroad
in the world that every man must
at some time in his life "sow his
wild OATS as it is called, and the
usual time is generally understood
to be during his young-manhood
days. To use more popular
phrase, he must then shave his
fling" He must "see the world
the reasoning goes on, inorder that
he may have "a broader view OF
life" In other words, to take
the veneer off there phrases and
put them into perfectly plain Eng.
lish, young man is expected to
soil his character. For that is,
after all, what ''sOwing ones
wild oats" really means; it is no
thing more nor less than the self
degradation of a young man. He
| must be false to the teachings OF
his mother, Ease to his self-re-
spect, false to himself.
There can be doubt that most of
this false notion about "sOwihg
ones wild oats" arises and is
gathered by the unjust and unten-
able accusation that is so often laid
at mans door, that the lives of
few are without mtsstep before
they ssettle down." No man need
claim for his sex immunity from
the vices beset humankind to give
the lie to his statement. But proof
that it is a gross and vile libel up
on men is found in the cases of
hundreds of men who daily appro-
ach the marriage altar with
characters as free from every NOR
al blemish as those of the, women
who stand by their sides. No
fact is more absolutely true than
this, and it is high time that the
statement should be repeated more
often than it is. Men have suffer
ed all too long from this slur upon
their character and self-respect.
The unequal moral standard so
often accepted, which condones
the same wrong in the one sex
which it condemns in the other, has
much to answer for in this regard
But that the self-respect. of men
has proved stronger even than
social license is unquestionably
true. It is an outrage nothing
short OF internal that the state
ment that society expects d more
or less diverting life from a young
fellow is so often allowed to go
uncllallenged by those from whom
we have right to expect an
emphatic and convincing remoE-
STRANGE.
But aside from all social stand
ards, whatever they may he, the
manner in which young man
passes his life chiefly concerns
himself. He is accountable 10
himself.-to his own conscience,
to his own heart. Men lead honor
able lives for themselves, for their
own inner satisfaction, that they
may be true to themselves and to
the best that is within them.
No man has ever passed through
a period Of indiscreet living during
his early manhood without regrett
lingt the memory Of it matter years.
Nor has any man, by reason OF
usowing his wild OATS" known one
iota more Of "life," except that
particular phase Of it, which If II
ihad a glitter for him in youth, pe.
came = rcpellent remembrance to
HIM in his more !mattlre YEAR,
The reputation that comes ofrlght
living and good character ls what
the man Of forty tosseventy desires
land nothing but the well-spent
years of early life can secure this
There is no such thing as an IN
vestigation period in a mans NOR
al living; at one period it is as
Important to him to be honorable
| and true to his own conscience q
III Is at another. The young man
Who reaches manhood without g
knowledge Of the dark and vicious
aide Of human nature is far better
10 who has seen it. H(