66 no higher than the earth and no further than the grave, is to reduce our existence to a mere shadow, a semblance of being. If there be no after-state, then mankind rather seem to be than are. In a moment they are and are not. Assuming this the great John Howe exclaims, I know not when to say I have seen a man. It seems as if there were some such things before my eyes; I persuade myself that I see them walk to and fro, that I talk and converse with them; but instantly my own sense is ready to give my sense the lie. I am but mocked with a figment, an airy show; and what seemed a reality proves an imposture. How vain then is the happiness which belongs exclusively to such a state as this!-Who can be satisfied with a felicity so momentary and unsubstantial? O ye puppets of an empty show! ye figures of a useless series! ye moving dust and ashes, dead to virtue and furious with appetite, proceed to your glorious destination-eat, drink, sleep, and perish!" If a life of pleasure be thus fatal where it is likely to meet with many counteracting influences, from the occupations which the world supplies even to the more frivolous of men, how utterly ruinous must it prove to women, whatever be their grade in society, and especially to those on whom ought to devolve the care of families! Men of pleasure are sometimes reclaimed without bringing a lasting stain upon their reputation. But, when once a woman is abandoned to pleasure, she is commonly lost to all the world, and in most cases lost for ever. THE MISGUIDED MOTHER. "ONLY this once, father, and I will never ask you again; indeed I will not." No, my son, not even this once. If it is wrong at all, once is too much; the first false step leads to a second, a second to a third, and so on till the last and fatal step plunges the victim of pleasure into the depths of ruin and despair." The above extract forms part of a dialogue which belongs to circumstances that have long since become mere matters of history; yet, as they relate to events deeply interesting to parents and children, it is presumed that a narrative of them may not prove unacceptable : James , the eldest son of a dissenting minister of some celebrity, evinced at an early age at once a decided aversion to religion and an alarming propensity for the company and pursuits of the idle and dissolute youth of the city. The father saw with deep solicitude the growing indisposition of his son to the industrious and virtuous habits which it had been his aim to form, and determined without delay to exert the parental authority and influence which yet remained to interpose a check to the career of folly, even though he should be unsuccessful in his attempts to win him to virtue and religion. James had never seen a play, but some of his companions had often. They excited his curiosity and inflamed his desires; and the plea, "only this once," was for permission to visit the theatre. The refusal of Mr. ― was peremptory and decided. Having an engagement a few miles from town, he hastened to fulfil it, and for the time dismissed the application of his son from his mind. Unhappily, the views of Mr. and Mrs. did not harmonize in the important affair of educating their children; and hence it frequently happened that when the husband found it necessary to administer correction the wife, as a compensation for the sufferings endured by her darlings, would not only tell them that their father was very cruel, and remind them that their mother never punished them so, but would at the same time give them something nice, with an assurance that "naughty Pa should not whip them so any more." The children were not slow to discover and take advantage of this discrepancy of their parents, and soon found that however unsuccessful with their father they could easily carry their point with their mother. This was the case respecting the application above referred to. No sooner had the father taken his departure than the request was renewed to the mother. And how could she refuse her son-her darling son? She could not bear to see him unhappy. To the accomplishment of this object, however, there were other things necessarily superadded to the mother's consent-money for the admission fee and the concomitants of a theatrical entertainment, and the best manner of concealing the transaction from the father. It so happened that Mrs. was entirely out of funds; and, as it might expose her to animadversion, she was unwilling to borrow so small an amount from a neighbour. James who had not been slow to observe the practice of some of his companions in folly, ventured to suggest that he could obtain the requisite sum by pledging for a short time articles of silver, which, as they were not frequently used, would not be missed by his father. At first Mrs. started at the proposal. She had always associated the lowest order of depravity with the name of pawnbroker, and her mind revolted at the thought. The importunity of James, however, at length prevailed, and as it was only for once," and nobody would be the wiser (for she had been told by her hopeful boy that he could pledge them in a false name), she would even let them go. Another difficulty yet remained to be disposed of, and that was, how to account for the absence of James. The boy, however, having obtained from his weak parent the means to gratify his wishes, left her to excuse his absence as she thought best, and hastened with his companions to the scene of promised pleasure. The charms of the theatre, with all its attendant attractions and vices, soon rendered the habit of playgoing inveterate, and equally as inveterate the habit of obtaining money under false pretences. At one time James would borrow money in his father's name, at another he would get goods on credit and then pledge them, till at length, when every resource failed, he became a gambler and a pickpocket. He was detected in the act of abstracting a gentleman's purse from his pocket, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to seven years' transportation. The venerable age and high standing of his excellent father saved him from this fate; but, a short time after his release, relapsing into his former habits, he was again arrested, confined, and died a miserable death in prison. It remains to add that the foolish fondness of Mrs. proved fatal to all her children. Amongst them was a daughter, equally disobedient to her father as was James. A few years since she married a worthless character, emigrated to America, and a short time ago was wandering about the streets of New York a wretched and miserable pauper. Mothers! beware of countenancing sin in your children on the miserable plea of "only this once." NIHIL. Original Boetry. WOMAN. BY THE AUTHOR OF 66 FUTURITY." Isa. i. 18. ↑ Jnó. xi. 25. Luke vii. 36. Juo. xx. 16. |