Page:Love and its hidden history.djvu/58

 the amorous glances of a right-down handsome woman, or an accomplished and magnetic man, Heaven help the poor besieged! Yesterday a resolution was taken to not yield to the tempting of some besetting sin again. To-day there was a slight fall; like the servant girl's baby, — it was only a little one! To-morrow it will be the same old story, so strong is human weakness. Cold water and spare diet are good agents just then. Watching is good; so is prayer, — especially watching! "Lead us not into temptation " is capital, so far as it goes; and I am not one who believes in fighting, for running may be the wiser policy; and so," get away from temptation " is better, provided one keeps away; for in these loose days, just as surely as a tempted man or woman stops to "consider about it," or to "argue the point," the game is up and "I've fallen again!" as certain as that ducks Mill take to water,or guinea fowls to green peas. There's a little concupiscent devil running loose about the world, getting up cases of crim. con. and divorce to feed lazy lawyers on. If we resist the devil he will certainly flee from us, and just as certainly "flee" back again. The safest plan is to "flee" yourself, and stay flown.

Amative passion seldom exists half as strongly in woman as in man; when it does, in either case, its functions and offices are good in proper places and under right conditions. In leading strings, restraint, it is a good servitor at life's feast; but let it loose, unfasten the moral leash, and soon will it get the upperhand, and become an inexorable and insatiable tyrant, acknowledging no law, human or divine. Keep wide awake and watch it, and it ambles beautifully along life's broadway; but let it once catch you napping, and you will very speedily find out that the steed that carries you is galloping toward perdition at a fearful pace, bent on landing its rider in the midst of Gehenna in the briefest possible space of time. Very few "philosophers" have common sense enough to last them over night. Keep cool! is the touch-word, provided it be well done.

My soul thy secret image keeps;
 * My midnight dreams are all of thee;

For nature then in quiet sleeps
 * And silence broods on land and sea.