The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-08-31
THE POWER OF EVIL HABITS.

The Protestant Bishop of Derry and R8phoe in
a speech at the Synod of the Irish Protestant
church, recently, referred to the story of pick
pocket having been found dead, with the watch of
the clergyman, who had come to attend him, in his
dead hand. This story, says the Westminster Ga
zette is not only well known but true. The clergy
man in whose experience this strange indident oc-
CURED the late W. H. White, chaplain to the
speaker of the house of commons. Mr. White was
aroused in the small hours of the morning from his
sleep by sick call, when very early in his minis
try, he was a curate in Brighton parish He was
summoned to a very bad quarter of the town, and
was brought to the bedside of a man who was rap
idly sinking, amid surroundings of restitution and
squalor. He passed away while Mr.. White was of
fering up prayers in his behalf, and Mr. White, on
raising from his knees, discovered to his astonish
ment that his watch had "been removed from his
pocket and was held tightly in the grasp of the
dead man."
Now this story is almost laughable-it seems
such good joke the clergyman. But down be-
meath the surface it is soberly and tragicaly seri-
Gus. It is a lesson the power of habit 1t is a
warning to every young man young woman who
is taking the first steps the road to dishonesty
or any kind of dishonor. The youth who is tempt,
ed to steal small sum of money or some article
of little value, because nobody is looking, because
nobody will miss it, is beginning habit which, UNI
less he stops it at once, will finally ruin him. But
one act, youth may say, will not make much diff
ference Yes, one act will make difference and as
great one. Aside from the sinfulness of the act it.
self it is by single acts that habits formed and
habits make our characters as men and wo-
men. One act of theft, of indulgence in drink of
impurity. begets another and another and another.
Each fall makes the next fall easier. Each act
weakens the will and deadens the conscience Each
act is the link in a chain which, by-the-bye will
bind the heart and soul so tightly and so strongly
that only miracle of Gods grace can break it.
The unfortunate man who even in his dark hour
of death could resist the temptation to steal the
watch of the minister who prayed beside him-is it
to be sunDosed he took the watch for fun? Did
he attempt to commit this theft merely to furnish
the world with interesting story? By no means
He did it because cas- you live so will you die" He
did it because the ruling passion of his life was so
strong that even the damp of death on his brow
could not subdue it. He did it because the habit
which he had begun in youth by single act had so
overmastered his every faculty that when all else
failed. when every other sense deserted him. that
one habit still survived and compelled him in spite
of himself to attempt an act of theft Stealing had
become the master passion of his life and even in
death it asserted its empire over him.
So it is with every passion that a allows to
master his will and his conscience. 1t assails him
in moments even when he would fan turn away
with loathing from sim when the memory of his
misdeeds torture him, and he has made up his mind
to lead better life Look at the drunkard. Many
and many time, Disguised with his life, he takes
the pledge and resolves to be henceforth sober
What is it that drags him back to the boon COM
panions of the bar? What is it that again and again
degrades him to the gutter? Why, the habit which
is too strong for him to break. And remember that
this powerful force, against which he is helpless,
was begun by single act. What consequences flow