The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-29
CHARACTERISTICS OF SowER
TIPS HIS HAT AND SMASHES THE
DECALOGUE WITH EQUAL GRACE.
"Sittfng Down" Merely the Inactivity
of the WORKOUT Debauchee-Warn-
ing to Maidens and Men.


said:
while sowing his wild oats the young
man who does 1t lives in disregard of the
scientific conditions Of health. He pays no
heed to temperance in meat, drink or any
thing else. He dances until o'clock in the
morning. plays cards as long. He visits
the theater several times week. He
smokes all the time. He takes drink when
asked. or when the within seizes him to in
wife others. He drives his machinery night
and day, playing both hawk and owl. some
thing that no man can safely do. Severe
colds. dyspepsia, nervousness, teach him
no prudence. The danger signal is hung out
on his cheek, in his eye, but no heed is
taken of it. He rushes on like a mailman
in fever, week after week.
Then the anxious and unseeing mother
at last notices the pallid face and tagging
appetite. To her the sower speaks of hard
study, or hard work at the store, or some
| other specious excuse.
MAY KNOW THE SOWER.
| "You may always know the sower of wild
oats when you know him by his affected
| superiority to all sober. thoughtful. earnest
men, whom he regards slow or tame.
| His gait is swing and mild dash or
swagger. His demeanor is boldly nonchal-
ant, combining suave politeness to females
with a cavalier Indifference toward religion
| or public opinion. He tips his hat and
| smashes the decalogue with equal grace.
| He calls his mother the old lady, his father
the governor his employer the boss
| lie is free with his money, throwing 1t
| out in all directions. as though he thought
no more of it than of dirt. He is free with
| his time, those always are who have no
urposes in life. To sum all up, sowing
| wild oats, whether done by man or woman.
| is casting off restraint, throwing prudence
/ to the dogs 1t is plunging into round of
| brilliant dissipation before settling down
to steady habits That is to say. it is the
| apprenticeship serves in folly as a
preparation to the lifelong trade of wis
/ dom or virtue.
| Now there are three popular fallacies
about this sowing of wild oats. First is the
fallacy which the young man or woman is
iife True, it is fast for the passions. but
| 1t Is not fast for the reason. 1t is fast for
| the lower part of the brain, but. 1T is
having a glorious surfeit, but the poor in
| tellect Is having a famine. For excitement
| it is fast, but it is very dull and slow for
4 thought. We all want to have a fast life,
but we all want our nobler natures to have
| some share in the speed. No, the fast young
man in every high and noble thing is hope
| lessly distanced in the race of life.
/ N.
Another fallacy 1 wish to explode is in
the popular verdict often given. 'Oh. the
| young man will settle down after while and
become steady All. indeed! And what is
this beautiful steadiness to which it is
said the young voluptuary will some time
settle down? 1t is simply the inactivity and
stupor of the wornout debauchee. When
lust has burned out the fuel. of course its
fires will flag. When the lungs have begun
| to break and the doctor has given his
| warming to be sure he will settle down.
He will become steady clock Peo-
| pie this and say, He has got done SOW
ing his wild oats and has settled down to
! steady habits Indeed. The doctor knows
| better than they why he has settled down.
| What new theory have We here that bad
habits tend to become good after a certain
point? Habit is formed slowly, and the
J longer ii grows the stronger 1t becomes.
In some cases a debauched man reforms
and becomes a good member of society;
but how rare that isl
"A good many young women think it
very fine to marry young man who has
been wild. They often in their purity. and
innocence do not know where his wildness
has led him. All that they are thinking of
is that he is smart, dashing. brilliant. They
hear the sowing of wild oats spoken of
! lightly as the merest foible, which is more
| sign of strength than weakness. They
| know not what they marry. A curse is
| carried to them and down the line to their
/
! thing to take into account is blood. Not
| the blue blood of the would-be aristocrats,
but the crimson, untainted, warm blood
of social purity and chaste health. So far
| from sneering at good blood in men and
| women we are to recollect that good blood
| is of far greater moment even than good
training. We are not to look for the blood
| of emperors or kings, which often Is the
| very worst blood in the world. He has the
| best blood who has behind him the longest
line of pure and righteous ancestors. 1t is
far more important that people should be
thoroughbred than that horses should be So.
MAIDENS. BEWARE!
How careful the insurance companies are
| in this matter. They inquire into the ances-
try of a man most infinitely. They look
| for a certain weakness and certain diseases
which betoken a stain. and they have but
| a few thousand dollars at stake. And shall
snot maiden who is to give her whole life
to a man, to mingle her blood with his in
the veins of their children. look to the pedi-
gree and antecedents of the man she mar
| ries?
There are parents who are incensed be-
cause a favorite daughter marries with a
brave, plain man in homespun, with no
| fortune but only clean blood, strong arm
and manly heart. They do not know
| much about the mold of his chiseed neck
which to the fair. wise maid is symptom
| of manhood. They are only thinking of his
pocketbook. They do not interpret the I'M
fiinching eye. the noble, open bearing. with
| no downward gestures OF head or limbs.
| They only thinking of his being black
| smith instead of a banker. IL their daugh-
| ter should wed the son of a millionaire, the
| owner of half the town, that would be in
| their eyes a fine match. The boy is under
| size thin-chested sallow of complexion,
| cynical of expression. His gait, his eyes
| everything about him tells that he repre-
| sents more money than manhood, but this
they would call an eligible marriage.
REAPING THE OATS.
And still another fallacy. 1t is popularity
conceded that young man must of neces-
sity sow his wild oats, and. that being nat
| ural and necessary. 1t is not to be regarded
as dangerous. to be regarded with solic-
itude. Now, it would be strange indeed If,
in the constitution of a young man, God had
| made necessity for doing series of
things each and every one of which sew
orally He had prohibited. 1t is a monstrous
! Impeachment OF His wisdom or goodness to
| believe that such is the case. Ii is neces-
sary for young men or women to sow wild
| to be dishonest. or for profane swearers to
take the name of God in vain. Ii is not
| necessary TO drink. To gamble. to pilfer, to
break the Sabbath, to sin against economy,
truth and purity. TO neglect business or to
| indulge in corrupt amusements. But IL no
one of the acts involved In sowing wild oats