The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-08-10
AVOIDANCE OF EVIL.

AVOIDANCE OF EVIL.
The consequences of evil-doing are so
widespread and destructive of moral char
acter that the least appearance of it should
be avoided. One inevitable consequence
is deceit and hypocrisy. The hypocrite is
usually regarded as one who deliberately
cloaks his evil doings by acting the part OF
good man, but the world can scarcely
distinguish such character from one who
is compelled by force of circumstances to
conceal the evil he has done. He may re-
volt against it, but he must either be
hypocrite or confess, and few have the
moral courage to take the later course.
Imagine young man who, yielding to
temptation, has committed some moral Of
tense or defrauded some one who trusted
him. He conceals it and lives for time in
dread of exposure. His conscienhe may
worry him at times, but ordinarily his re-
pentance is based solely upon his fear of
detection That fear leads him into other
offeDses. He is obliged occasionally to lie,
and that he may strengthen himself against
mere suspicion he acts the part of moral
list. Thus insensibly he becomes hypocrit-
zeal and before long, his self-respect having
been broken down, he begins to regard evil
doing not as being wicked in itself, but as
something to be avoided only when there is
danger of exposure. His success in the first
endeavor tempts him to respect his crime
and he redoubles his efforts to darn sus-
picion. Thus he goes on from bad to
worse, until he finds himself leading a
double life-outwardly pure, inwardly a
mass of corruption. But he is always in
dread of exposure, and this dread becomes
more depressing as the difference between
what he is and what he appears to be be-
comes greater. His life is torment to him,
for every day impresses upon him fresh
need to play the hypocrite. He must appear
to be virtuous and of high moral purpose
lest some inquiry should be made as to his
own inner life. And when exposure comes il
finds him broken-down man, unable longer
to withstand the strain put upon him, and
the world scorns or dispises him with little
thought of the gradual process by which he
has been transformed into hypocrite. II
the process has lasted through long series
ofyears, as is generally the case with those
enjoying unlimited confidence who have
gone wrong, the several steps may have
been SO slight that the criminal himself
could scarcely retrace them. He may
have begun by mistake due to careless.
ness and concealed because of moral COW.
ardice. The concealment is sufficient tt
make the first breach in his character
Lies become necessary to cover up his
fault, hypocrisy follows and then comes tn.
temptation to use this shield for othe
wrong doings. The danger lies in ths
first wrong step unconfessed, in the frs
concealment. Evil should, if possible, b.
avoided. When it is committed confession
should be made to some one that thu
wrong doer may not enter upon life o
hypocrisy. The sufferings of the huntet
criminal seeking to avoid the officers of tn,
low, "uiCu tltuO duu Of Gill uoN0 AOu uOu u
surrender rather than remain in hiding, ar
counterfeited by thesufferings of thewrong
doer led into life of hypocrisy and dread
ing whenever fresh honors are offered hin
that some unlucky chance will disclose hi
past and his real character. Evil-doin,
should be Stunned for itself, but when on
contemplates the consequences to which
may lead in breaking down character an
disturbing the mind, it is more to be dreade
than any instant exposure of fault com
mitted. San open confession is good TO
the soul;" it is good also for the mind an,
it leads to the penance which wipes ava
faults and leaves the character unstained
Few people care to have their peace dis
turbed; most people follow the line of leas
resistance. and are satisfied so far as thei
own Efforts are concerned as if things ar
all right as they are. Few and rare ar
the souls willing to consecrate themselve
to make an Improvement on present meth
DDS of life in any generation.
THE STATE PRESS.
al. M