And this forgetfulness on their part, let it be remembered, is wholly voluntary and culpable, at least in its cause.  They may not have been attentive at the precise moment that the flames of passion reached the mine of their affections; but they were well aware that things would come inevitably to such a pass.  And when the mine went up, as it was natural, what wonder if disaster followed!  Who is to blame but themselves?  People do not play with matches around a powder magazine; and if they do, very little consolation comes with the knowledge of their folly when they are being picked up in sections from out of the ruins.

Of course there are easier victims than these, such as would not recognize true inter-sexual love if they saw it through a magnifying glass; everything of the nature of a fancy or whim, of a sensation or emotion with them is love.  Love-sick maidens are usually soft-brained, and their languorous swains, lascivious.  The latter pose as “killers;” the former wear their heart on their sleeve, and are convinced that every second man they meet who treats them gallantly is smitten with their charms and is passionately in love with them.

Some go in for excitement and novelty, to break the monotony of virtuous restraint.  They are anxious for a little adventure and romance.  A good thing, too, to have these exploits to narrate to their friends.  But they do not tell all to their friends; they would be ashamed to.  If said friends are wise they can supply the deficiencies.  And when it is all over, it is the same old story of the man that did not know the gun was loaded.

They therefore who would remain pure must of all necessity keep custody over their heart’s affections, make right reason and faith their guide and make the will force obedience thereto.  If wrong attachments are formed, then there is nothing to do but to eradicate them, to cut, tear and crush; they must be destroyed at any cost.  A pennyweight of prudence might have prevented the evil; it will now take mortification in large and repeated doses to undo it.  In this alone is there salvation.

CHAPTER LXXX.  OCCASIONS.

Occasions of sin are persons, places or things that may easily lead us into sin:  this definition of the little catechism is simple and clear and requires no comment.  It is not necessary that said places or things, or even said persons, be evil in themselves; it is sufficient that contact with, or proximity to, them induce one to commit an evil.  It may happen, and sometimes does, that a person without any evil design whatever become an occasion of sin for another.  The blame therefore does not necessarily lie with objects, but rather with the subject.