Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-12-13

His skin Is not healthy color. He
looks as though he is going into a de.
cline. When he meets me. instead. Of
holding bis head erect and in a manly
way and looking me straight in the
eye, he always slouches along with a
hangdog expression. He never bows
unless he is compelled to-" "Oh," you
answer, 1.-THE trouble Is John has gone
into bad company. He is not ut heart a
bad boy, but his associates are bad.
He goes with the boys of the town,
who think 1t smart to hang around the
billiard halls and to bet and to tell
filthy stories. You are right. No one
can go with Johns associates and have
a pure, good, clean mind. Through his
dissipated companions he Is not only
wrecking his mental prospects, but also
his physical health" All, Is that SO?
Too bad, too bad, we say. John Owens
| dissipated career will be the natural
sequence Of every boy or girl who as
soclates with companions whose true
characteristics a Christian father and
mother would not approve.
what Killed Her.
| But the evil physical effects Of i'm
pure associates do not end with youth.
They inevitably find their elimination
in an unholy marital alliance. When
the young daughter makes the wrong
kind Of friends at school there will
come q time when she will begin to
associate with young men whose repu-
tations are not what they ought to be.
| The influence of the one class on the
other is Just as sure in its results rs
that the midnight darkness follows the
twilight glow Then when the call Of
love comes into the young maiden's
| heart, instead of going and telling her
best friend, her mother. all about it,
she will keep the secret concealed in
her own heart, or perhaps she will con-
fGe in her school friend, who is herself
girl Of whose friendship with their
daughter the parents do not approve.
Cannot you hear the two young girls
talking about this love in their hours of
friendly intercourse? Then comes the
marriage. Perhaps 1t Is an elopement.
Then what follows? Inevitably an I'M
happy and an unholy home. Cannot
YOU see the worried look in the face
Of the young wife? Cannot you count
there many wrinkles? Cannot you see
the hair prematurcly whiten? Cannot
you hear the church he'll toll the fu-
neral dirge as the poor wife's body is
carried to its early graveI What is
the matter? Why did she die? "Oh."
you answer, she died of a broken
heart. She had good for nothing
worthless husband. He abused her
He killed her" All, my friend, that
is not the direct cause Of that young
wife's death. She prematurely died
because in her young school days she
made friends with young girls whose
associates her father and mother did
not sanction. Her premature death
was the direct result of not then CIV
Ing her parents her confidence. No
daughter, no son. should make friends
independent of the parental sanction.
And why should you young people
not introduce your friends to your par
ents? Are your fathers and mothers
foolishly jealous? Like a mlser. do
they wish to keep you from loving
any one else or assocating with any
other people but themselves? If you
make the right kind of friends. are
they not glad? Is their home a prison
Of solitary confinement? When you,
as loving son. would bring home a
desirable friend does not your mother
always have place for him Mt the
table? Does she not always gladly
welcome your boyhood associates
Why should honeybee live with
wasps and serpents when she can have
the companionship of other bees in
the maternal hive? Can dove have her
wings covered with silver and her
feathers with yellow gold when in the
befouled company Of buzzards she is
feastng upon carron? Neither can a
child lead a pure life and grow spir-
itually strong and come to an honored
old age when her associates are the
bestial and the impure and the bad.
To the right kind OF friends thy Chris
tian parents are always ready to ex-
tend glad. loving home greeting.
Beware, o young man, when thy as
J sociates cannot be the friends Of thy
father and thy mother.
But our young people should not
! stop here in yielding their wills to the
parental guidance. They should be
! willing to press toward the prizes OF
the high callings OF life which their
: parents are continually holding up be-
! fore their eyes. They should be will
ing to do as young William Pitt did
: when his father, the great Earl of
Chatham, care to him and said evil
liam, you sh, nd not be satisfied with
J going through life as an ordinary man
} You should say: am going to TT my
self to be the prime minister of Eng
land. I am going to fit myself to gov
ern 81 eat nation. l am going to Fl
myself to be potent factor in settling
the international politics Of Europe
Therefore / will put aside all desires
which will swerve me from my mali
purpose Of life, and l will study, study
study. l will work, work, work, and
will never be satisfied until achieve
, that end" My friends. when our boy
, and girls start out with great and ,
2 noble purpose In life and at the SAM
: time If they will carefully look afte
: their physical health they are travel
l ing the s,lreSt road TO n long life O.