Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-05-19

man, he would catch hold OF the SpOkea
of the mill wheel and be dragged round
and round, in and out of the water,
merely to terrorize the miller, who
thought the boy was going to die.
When healthy boy at boarding school,
did you not love to go rowing? Did
you not pull the boat so far from shore
that when tho storm came up it was
almost impossible to get back?
That is the spirit with which young
people enter a large city. This is the
first time you have ever been away
from home. At the first manifestation
of sin you were shocked and Mortified.
You were always accustomed to a sa
cred Sabbath. You went to church
regularly. But now you find that most
of the clerks and students in the board
ing house consider Sunday play day
instead of holy day, time for out.
door sports instead of sacred commun-
ion. Then you begin to grow hard
ened Instead of keeping your toe to
the straight line of principle you are
willing to make small digressions.
You say, "This will not hurt me, and
the other thing will not hurt me-"
Now it will be taking a Sunday drive;
tomorrow it will be drinking a glass of
next day it will be playing a game Of
cards for a small wager; the next day
it will be going to a cheap variety
show. Oh, young man, beseech you,
by the help of God, to resist these first
Weddings to sin! 1t is not stupidity to
be pure and good and upright; it is not
cowardly to run away from the bland
ishments of sin. The first wrong step
may be the step over the brink Of eter-
nal death; the first flush of shame man.
Ting the cheek may be the hell flame
destroying the soul. 'My son, if sim
ners entice thee, consent thou not"
Avoid Danger.
A wealthy gentleman once advertised
for a coachman. To every applicant
who came he put this one question,
"How near can you drive a team Of
horses to the edge Of a precipice with
out going overY "Well," answered
one would be coachman, 81 can go
within twenty feet" "Well," answered
another, 81 could go within twelve
feet" "Well," answered a third. Il
could go within eight feet" and anoth-
er said, within five feet" At last
one applicant said, eff the horses
amounted to anything, l would be so
frightened that would take the other
side of the road and get as far away
from the precipice as l could" "Ah,"
answered the gentleman, you are the
man l am looking for l do not want
the driver who runs into danger, but
the man who will stay away. I'll hire
you" Who is the wise navigator-the
helmsman who points the ships prov
toward the reef where hundreds of
wrecks strew the coast or the pilot
who keeps the keel in deep waters
| Are you recklessly going to do that
! which your father and mother, the Bi.
| BILE, the church and all good men and
all good women tell you not to do?
| King Solomon warns against sin be-
cause young people are apt to become
respondent. Perhaps this discourage
ment will be caused by inconsistencies
| The loneliest place on earth is great
| city. III the country town you knew
everybody, and everybody knew you
] While the village minister was preach
ing you would be watching the neigh.
boris daughter, whom you expect some
day to make your wife. When you
trudged away to school, every farm
| wagon which went by was ready tC
| give you a lift. When the poor woman
back among the hills was sick, your
mother made up a package and babe
you carry it to the house. That poor
woman always greets you now with 6
smile. But here in this great city yoJ
do not even know the man who lives
across the hall. Perhaps you say
"GoOd morning to him, but that is all
When you come home at night, there
is nothing but the cold, uninviting bed
room. You long again for the farm, fol
the matched roof of the old home
stead, for the smell of the new mowr
hay and the sight of the cider presses
vehemently at work squeezing the or
chard's blood into barrels and casks
st. Johns wilderness of rock is a Fl
name for a great city. 1t is a wilder
ness, and there are no wilder beasts o
passion roaming among forests thar
some Of the human monsters which
live here.
Perhaps your discouragementc come
from injustice. You may have beer
living in the great city now for tw
years. You worked, and worked hard
Then came vacancy in the store. o
course you expected the promotion, blu
another clerk under you who was no
as bright nor as faithful as you ha
influence, and he was pushed ahead
Then you protested-and vehement
protested. All that the manager di
was to laugh and say. "Well, if yo
don't like it get out" You could nc
get out. You had no place to go. Yo
sullenly went back to the desk, say
ing: what is the use of trying? Hor
esty is rot the best policy"