The Prison Mirror

Sowing Wild Oats.

Editor Mirror:

The above expression is an exceedingly common one, but few persons who use it have any idea as to its full significance. They see a young man taking his fling of the pleasures of the world, the flesh, and the devil and they remark, "He's all right; he is only sowing his wild oats."

This introduction leads up to the query "This sowing of wild oats--what does it mean?"

The meaning is too plain. A free-spirited, noble-minded youth, fascinated by the flattery of fast friends, yields to the evil temptation, "Try the world's pleasure for once, and see how pleasant it is." In doing this he casts aside all the good seed sown at his mother's knee, fostered by his mother's prayers, watered by his mother's tears; casts aside all the good, kind influences of home, sisterhood, brotherhood, of pity and christian faith, and in their place plants one crop of "Wild Oats." He consoles himself with the idea that it is necessary to know a little wrong in the world, but resolves, when he comes to mature years, he will plant the seeds of goodness, greatness, purity and all other virtues.

Now, reader, if such be your idea of the plan of life, dismiss it at once. Never was such a mad illusion raised as this. Those wild oats have terrible roots sinking down into your soul, choking and killing with remorseless zeal, all good and ennobling attributes of your nature. I have seen sown, and, sad also to confess, have myself sown this vile seed, and noted the extent of the harvest. Have you never seen the bleared face and blood-shot eyes of the drunkard--the stiff, unnatural gait of a debauchee--the wasted form, sunken cheek, hectic flush of lost manhood? These, and many other like cases, are the harvest of wild oats sown in youth.

Many of us here are reaping a harvest in our prison life which sprang from the same rank seed sown in our previous existence.

Now, dear reader, let me ask, on leaving this place will you, in face of the facts brought before you, drown all there is of manliness or purity left in your character, and become poor and an outcast for all the frail pleasures of this world? Will you spend a worthless life and shorten your days upon the earth? If so, sow wild oats.

"He that soweth of the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption."

Or will you enter on a new life and endeavor by God's grace to be a man, pure in "thought, word and deed?" Choose the latter while you have the opportunity.

Here is your reward. I finish the quotation from Holy Writ: "But he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

K.