Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-13
FATAL CURIOSITY.

AS the result OF desire TO Crafty his
curiosity to see a drunken row IN front
OF "A saloon. spectator not party TO the
| quarrel, lies dead at hospital II seems
that at the time he was In his room and
saw the fight from his window, but
being attracted by the sorry spectacle.
he FASTENED across the street 20 view
II at closer range, when he was struck
down by missile not intended for him.
| He leaves wife and four children, II
Is said. In Hungary, and their grief
when the news Of his death reaches
them Is easily imagined. No doubt
they have been looking forward with
fond anticipation to the time when
he should send for them, and they
should be reunited. The message Of
death Will be the bane of their hopes.
To some people. rows and fights
seem to have strange fascination.
They are attracted by a quarrel be.
tween boys, or dog fight. or q row
between drunken men. II they hear
the noise of scrap, they will 20 out
OF their way, 20 matter how urgent
their business may be. to become wit
nesses OF all tho details OF It. This
may be human nature but It is not
refined human nature.
We may perhaps. be permitted to
remind our young readers Of the fact
that they cannot go near places where
such scenes are enacted without sus-
tainlng some moral injury. The poor
foreigner who was killed because OF
ms desire TO witness street fight out
side a saloon, paid dearly for tho
qualification OF his morbid curiosity.
Physical injury does not, of course, al
ways result, but 1t is absolutely GER
tain that any one who draws near
places, where moral degradation Is ex-
hlbited does so at his own peril, NOR
ally speaking. Ii II true that what
we see, or hear. or take notice of, does
exercise an essential influence upon
our character. The opponents OF our
Lord concluded that, because lie was
sometimes found In the company OF
class OF people which they designated
as sinners therefore He was one OF
them. This conclusion was based upon
sound philosophical principles. "rell
me what company you keep and / VIII
tell you what kind OF man you are"
Is strictly correct. Only. In the case
OF our Lord, He did not seek that kind
Of company because II was congenial
to Him, but because He had come 10
save that which was lost. This the
Pharisees did not understand, and
therefore they misjudged Him, but In
general the conclusion that human
being is to large extent influenced By
the company he keeps. and by the
scenes that attract his attention, Is
true. 1t would therefore be the high
est wisdom to shun az far as possible
all degrading sights. and to keep away
as far as possible from danger.
The story is told OF "A certain noble
man who advertised for a coachman.
Many responded to the advertisement.
Az they presented themselves, one by
one, he asked them each the question,
How near can you drive to a preci-
pice without upsetting the carriage?
and each boosted about his bravery
In that respect, except the last one,
who. when tho question was put to
him, frankly answered, IL do not know,
sir, because always drive as far as
possible from the precipice." He was
engaged And so II should be the
rule in life to drive as far as possible
from moral danger.