The Washington herald., 1914-06-24
DR.. MARDEN'S
UPLFT TALKS
Look Out for the Company
You Keep.
By oRIsoN SWEET MARDEN,

Author Of Pushing 10 the Front" Etc.
Keep away from bad company. is the
best message 1 can send them" said one
of the four young gunner" Who re-
Gently paid the death penalty for murder.
when asked TO give some words Of ad-
vice to his former comprehensive East
Side gangsters Of New York.
How true It is that I'VE take the color
Of the society we keep! Men become
false IL they live with liars; cynics, II
they live with scorners: mean, IL they
live with the coyetous: affected. IL they
live with the affected; and actually catch
the expressions OF each others faces,
says Charles kingsley.
Whatever one may learn from books.
whatever from his occupation. whatever
from observation, II is probably an in
disputable fact that he absorbs more Of
that which may most properly be called
culture. wisdom. or Hnwisdom, morality
or immortality. refinement or yLngarity,
chastity or unchsstity. from his habHual
associates, than in any other way, or In
all other ways put together.
II does not take much to determine the
lives of most of US. We naturally follow
the examples about Us. and. as rule, We
rise or fall according to the strongest
current in which we liye( The poets Il
am a part of all that have met is not
mere poetic fight OF fancy; II Is an
absolute truth. Everything-every ser
mon or lecture or conversation you have
heard every person who has touched your
life-has left an impress upon your char
acter, and you are never quite the same
after the association or experience. You
are a little diferent-modifed somewhat
from what you were before-Just as
Beecher said he was changed after read
ing Ruskin.
We little realize what a great molding,
fashioning influence our friends and
acquaintance have upon US.
There is a mighty telepathic force. play
ing between brain and brain, between
soul and soul. which We do not yet know
how to measure. but 1t is powerful to
stimulate. mighty to build up or to tear
down.
We all know how some people act like
a tonic or an invigorating and refreshing
breeze. They make us feel like new be-
inGs. Under the inspiration OF their pres
ence we can say and do things which il
would he impossible for US to say and
do under different conditions. One slim
ulates our thought, quickens our facul-
ties, sharpens our intellect. opens the
fioodgates Of language and sentiment.
another 6ampens our enthusiasm. closes
the door of expansion. and chills US to
the very center Of our being: there eman-
ates from him an atmosphere which par
alyZes thought. dwarfs expression Every
person We come in contact with stamps
an indelible influence upon us. and the
influence will be like his character. II
We form a habit of always trying to bet
ter our friendships and acquaintance.
We unconsciously acquire the habit OF
perpetual self-betterment. self-improve-
ment.
There are many young people who have
plenty Of friends and acquaintance. but
they are not the kind that help or ele-
waite them. They have chosen downward.
instead Of upward.
II you wish to live upward and to make
friends with large-souled. noble charac-
tiers who will be help and inspiration to
you, cultivate large-heartedness, gen.
crosby. and tolerance. One reason why
so many people have so few friends is
that they have so little to give, and they
expect so much. A happy temperament.
a desire to scatter joy and gladness, to
be helpful to everybody with whom one
comes in contact. ar wonderful aids to
friendship.
II you are uncharitable, intolerant, II
you lack generosity. cordially, II you
are narrow and bigoted, unsympathetic,
small. and mean. you cannot expect that
generous, large-hearted, noble characters
will flock around you. Like attracts like.
Your companions tell the story OF your
life
fCouvrisht lel4l