A CHAPTER FOR BOYS 389 



once dared to commit this awful sin? Stop, never dare 

 to do the thing again. Take a solemn vow before God 

 to be pure. Your fate may be as sad, your punishment 

 as terrible. No one can tell what the results may be. 

 Absolute purity is the only safe course. 



A Prodigal Youth.— A. M., son of a gentleman 

 of wealth in Ohio, early acquired the evil practice 

 which has ruined so many bright lads. He was natu- 

 rally an intelligent and prepossessing lad, and his 

 father gave him as good an education as he could be 

 induced to acquire, affording him most excellent oppor- 

 tunities for study and improvement. But the vile habit 

 which had been acquired at an early age, speedily 

 began its blighting influence. It destroyed his taste 

 for study and culture. His mind dwelt upon low and 

 vile subjects. He grew restless of home restraint and 

 surroundings, and finally left the parental roof. Wan- 

 dering from city to city, he grew rapidly worse, sink- 

 ing into deeper depths of vice, until finally he became 

 a base, besotted, wretched creature. Broken down in 

 health by his sins, he could no longer enjoy even the 

 most sensual pleasures; and with no taste for or capa- 

 bility of appreciating anything higher, he was most 

 wretched indeed. The poor fellow then fell into the 

 hands of quacks. His kind father sent him money in 

 answer to his pitiful appeals for help, and he went 

 anxiously from one to another of the wretched vil- 

 lains who promise relief to such sufferers, but only 

 rob them of their money, and leave them worse than 

 before. 



At last, in total despair of everything else, the poor 

 fellow came to us. He seemed quite broken-hearted 

 and penitent for his sins, and really appeared desirous 

 of leading a better life if he could only be made well 



