Thoughtlessness

1876

There are a great many thoughtless boys (and girls, too, alas!) who are not, however, what might be called wicked and depraved. They have bad habits that arise simply from thoughtlessness, and such as often times would be easily broken up, if a little extra care and patience would be used in speaking to them of their faults. In all kindness, we wish to mention some of the thoughtless habits of otherwise good boys, and if you, dear reader, are one of that kind please think about it for a few moments.

You mark nicely painted fences with coal, chalk or pencil; you cut notches in fence pickets and tree boxes; you break branches from shade trees; pull flowers from overhanging bushes; throw dirt on the door-steps; take gates from their hinges; annoy boys smaller than yourself; play about the church before service; mark the Prayer-books; whisper to your neighbor when you should kneel in prayer; and numberless other sins you commit, all of which you would feel very sorry for, could you see the annoyance and distress that they cause. Every night before you retire, enumerate to yourself all the sins of this nature you have committed, and then earnestly repent, and resolve by GOD'S help, that you will do so no more. A real conscientious, honest boy, will endeavor to correct a wrong he has done. Suppose one should go and wash from the fence the marks he had thoughtlessly made on it the day before, do you suppose he would ever be so thoughtless as to deface it again?

We pray that our young Churchmen will be the first to correct all such disagreeable and sinful practices as we have enumerated.

—The Young Churchman, Milwaukee, WI, June 1, 1876, p. 3.