The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-03-06 00:00:00

To the Editor.

Dear Sir,—l should like to say • few words in refer-
ence to the letter fr int " Worker." putting aside
hie allusko to a certain class with whom it rests to
reply. " Worker," if I read his letter aright. condemns
the prieripk of recremln on the groun.l that It aavours
of the world and not of May I ask (not in •
spirit of c.otroversy, Er this cthuot further the gold-
en, of the conscience. hut with a desire to knew the
truth) whether the following is not the right way for
tie in.tividually to I .ok at the question I have alluded
to

Man's mind (and then fors his life, .hich is but a
•
development and expreseioo of the human mind) is so
constituted t .at even in the most afflictive circum-
stance. it annot be always on the strain ; such a wain
would ultimaiely break the mind, Po it seek. and finds
aefeiy in the lighter paessges of life.
From thie it fiilliiets ur reliefs, no less than our
burdens, must int- within the scope iif true religion,
for relision is designed t leaven our whole life.
Itecreetion therefore, being a condi:mint per, of life,
cutlet be capable of being saiiefied. Recreatioe is to
the mind whet sleep is to he body. No men could
long endure the stress end burden of daily life without
sleep, and nii Insult mind could long endure any men-
tal pressure without recreation. I admit that metes-
tin is often abused ; hut " Worker" must admit thst
unbending must be unbending, and with many minds
recreation would cease to be recreation if too much
eirrioutnees of thought were thrown into it. Recreation,
like work, la to be engaged in with a view to God's
glory— we are not to separate it even In ides from Him,
but bring it within thew of his service. " Whether,
therefore, ye eat, &c., arc. Rsting sad drinking is
recreetiou taken in IL• wider sense. T. take nourish-
ment is to refresh the body, even as to take recreation
I. to refresh the mind If, then, eatin4 and drinking
may be conducive to God's glory, and brought within
the sc ipe of His service, so also, without doubt, may
he the taking of retread,- n.
I have chosen the service of Almighty God in what-
ever peition He places me, and, as " Worker " says,
I am satisfied with the " peace of God that passeth
knowledge ;" but neither body nor siiul can be n und
or healthy without i inooent recreation. innocent
recreation, therefore. I wit: have ; not for my own
gra ificetion, but chiefly beceuse it it sub °relent to
my end. .

In the form nt recreation tif.de must he nothing
c mirary to the will mlW.rd of God. h-jr toeing
useful is not the question—they are sufficiently useful
if it refreshes my mind and body. sod renders them
more efficieot inatetunetts of Divine service ; all
boucles thie that can be required is that it snail be
innocent, whol-some, and nacnicate. and such that it
does not preclude the realisation .1 presume.
" To the pure all things are pure."
And dose not " Worker" agree with me that our
nelkhbours, whose minds are possessed of more re-col-
lectoiness and self-control than ours. may partake of
it innoceotly ; and therefore we ought not t be toa
apt. ju lee an-I set at nought our brethren for not
being equally strict with oursel, es in regard to smitee-
ment. Surely, then, it is wit right f.l any t.• ray
that becaum I go to the " Minstrels " therefore I -fn,
or that I "must hsve my toys or elm he tnieerable."
"Be l'Arnurr loWAIIMI ALL MIN."

To iAt Ndstor.

Dear Sir, I shouli warmly have ventured t
trouble you with a reply to " Worker'. " but letter,
had not "I).' and a "Hater of Cent" been good
enough to refer to me in passing. I sus by no means
careful to answer " Worker "in this matter. The
app.obrious names be has called me of "poisoned
atheiat" and " worldlit g" were to be expected from
a representative of the Salvation Army, and shows
his true colours. For myself, could I have even con-
ceived such terms in connection with • subject like the
present, much 111. hurled them at another, it would
be conclusive evidence to my mind that I was no
Chi Wien. Before puling company with " Worker "
I would bet allude to the declare ion of his being so
happy. This wesition, combined to the flourish
s'aitit unfurling the banner of the chur h, is unique.
The force of ignorance, swagger, and conceit, can.
purely, no further go. Let use tell "Worker," straight
from the !shoulder, that his supposed 'lapidaries is a
ides happiness, his peace a false pesos, proved
undoubtedly by the tone A d character of his writing.
Looking over the Apostle's dement on charity, I can-
not fin 1 that one single clause can be appropriated to
him.—Yours, Etc.,
Allo7llll Woltz=