The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-03-07

- old, will be glad to see discussed, and
the kindly warning will no doubt in many
cases be taken; text, Proverbs xiii, ~,
"a companion of fools shall be de-
stroyed."
May it please the court said con-
victed criminal when asked by the judge
what he had to say why sentence Of
death should not be pronounced upon
him, may it please the court, bad com,
pany has been my destruction. | received
the blessing of good parents ana IN re-
turn therefor promised to AVOID all e'll
associates. Had | kept my promise
should have avoided this shame ana the
burden Of guilt which, like vuitufe,
threatens to drag me to justice for my
many crimes. Although l once moved III
high circles and was entertained by dis
tinguished men, am lost. Bad company
did the work for me- Only one out OF
a thousand illustrations was that OF the
fact that "a companion of fools shall be
destroyed" 1t is an invariable rule.
Here is a hospital with hundred men
down with the ship fever. Here IS a
healthy man who goes into it. He does
not so certainly catch the disease as
good man will catch moral distemper II
he consents to be shut up with the vicious
and the abandoned. In the prisons OF the
olden time it was the custom TO put the
prisoners in a cell together, and L am
sorry to say it is the custom still In some
of our prisons; so that when the day OF
liberation comes. the men, instead or be-
ing reformed, are turned out brutes, not
men, each one having learned the vices OF
all the rest.
: We may in our worldly occupation be
obliged to talk to and commingle with
bad people. but he who voluntarily
chooses that kind of association is carry
ing OH courtship with a Delilah which
will shear the locks of his strength, and
he will be tripped into perdition. Look
over all the millions Of the race, and you
cannot show me single instance where
a man voluntarily associated with the
bad for one year and maintained his in
tegrity. Sin is catching; it is infectious;
it is epidemic.
A young man wakes up in one of our
great cities knowing only the gentlemen
of the firm into whose service he has en-
tered. In the morning he enters the
store, and all the clerks mark him, meas
ure him, discuss, him. The bad clerks of
that establishment, stand in some relation
TO him. The good clerks will wish him
we'll, but they will wait for formal in
PRODUCTION, and even after they have had
the introduction they are very cautious
as to whether they shall call him into
their association before they know him
very well.
But the bad young men in that estab-
lishment all gather around him. They
patroniZe him, they offer to show him
everything that there is in the city OH
one condition-that he will pay the ex
penses, for it always happens so when
a good young man and bad young man
go together TO place of evil entertain
ment-the good young man always has to
pay the charges. Just at the time the
ticket is to be paid for or the champagne
bin is to be settled the bad young man
will affect embarrassment and feel
around in his pockets and say, well,
well, really [ have forgotten my pocket
book"
The Breaking-in Process.
In forty-eight hours after this innocent
young man has entered the store the bad
young men will gather around him, slap
him on the shoulder with familiarity,
and, if he is stupid in not being able to
take certain illusions, will say, 'Ah, my
young friend, you will have to be broken
in" And forthwith they so to work to
break him in"
Oh, young man, let no fallen young
man slap you on the shoulder Familiarity.
Turn around and give whitening glance
that will make the wretch cover i'll your
presence. There is no monstrosty of
wickedness that can stand before the
glance of purity and honor God keeps
the lightnings of heaven in his own scab-
bard, and no human may reach them,
but God gives to every young man
lightning which he may use, and that is
the lightning of an honest eye. Anybody
that understands the temptations Of our
great cities knows the use of one sermon
like this, in which l try 20 enforce the
thought that "a companion of fools shall
be destroyed"
That brilliant young skeptic will after
awhile have to die, and his diamond will
flash no splendor into the eye of death.
His hair will lie uncombed on the pillow.
Death will come up, and this skeptic will
say to him: Il cannot die. / cannot die"
Death will say: you must die You
have but ten seconds more to live Your
soul-give it to me right away. Your
SOUL" "Oh, nov' says the skeptic. DO
not breathe that cold air into my face.
You crowd me too hard. 1t is getting
dark in the room. Here-take my rings
and take all the pictures in the room, but
let me off," No" says Death. Your
soul. Your SOUL" Then the dying skep-
tic begins to say, 20 Godn' Death says,
You declared there was no God" Then
the dying skeptic says. Pray for me"
and Death says: 1T is too late to pray;
you have only three seconds more to live,
and [ will count them off-one, two, three
Gone" Where? Where? Garry him
out and lay him down beside his old ia
Their and mother, who died under the de-
lusions of the Christian religion singing
the songs of victory
And, first, l charge you, avoid the
skeptic-that is, the young man who puts
his thumb in his vest and swaggers
about, scoffing at your old-fashioned re-
]igion, then taking out the Bible and
turning over to some mysterious passage
and saying: Explain that, my friend,
explain that. l used to think just as you
do. My father and mother used to think