The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-02-09
Sunday a}ca0iuo.
FACTS FOR SABBATH BREAKERS.

the great Christian insttution-the Sabbath.
The writer speaks as one well informed OH the
subject:
In 1885 the Revolutionary Government Of
France abolished the division of time into
weeks, as well as the Sabbath and the wor-
ship of God, and substituted a system of de-
cades-that is, nine working days succeeded
by one day of rest 1t is well known that
this arrangement was an entire failure; the
decades had to be abolished, and the week
and Sunday restored. An interesting illus.
tration of the working of the decades occurs
in ore of the prize essays, ''The Escape from
Toll, or Workman's Weekly Refuge" The
author Of that essay was employed, at one
period, in shop in Paris. He worked be-
side a Frcnchman of extraordinary industry
who never wasted a minute. One Saturday
the Frenchman was regretting that he could
not touch his work again until Monday
His British companion remarked. in a joke,
that he must have been far better off and
made more money in the time Of the de-
cadcs.
No." said the candid Frcnchman, "quite
the reverse 1t is true never allowed the
Revolution to withdraw my attention from
my work; OIL the morning of the 10Th of Au
gust, 1872, | crossed the Tuilciics on my
way to work: and did not lose ten minutes in
gazing at the manglcd bodies of the Swiss
guards. My employment suffered very little
if at all, from the Revolution; notwithstand
ing" said the man, SUNDAY is the thing
after all that has been said and done. When
there was no Sunday there was no working
day. The tenth day was not obligatory, and
the workshops were not shut up. We work.
| cd whenever we liked, but not one month Cf
the whole time did make as good bill as
we do now and did before. / was glad when
the decades went to the dogs, and the weeks
came round again. No, sir, Sunday forever .
When there was no settled holiday there was
no settled or stdulous labor. | caught the
infection of laziness, | suppose, in some de-
gree, as well as the rest: at any rate, got
less money for my time"
well spent Sabbath is invaluable for
troshciing up the energies Of the mind, as
well as the powers of the body. What
gloomy, melancholy thing would be the mere
thought of Il lifetime of unbrokcn, unct asing
toll The mere knowledge that the Sabbath
intclycncS at the end Of six days goes far to
reconcile one to a life of labor, and to keep
up the spirits under it. Bat the actual en-
joymcnt Of a well spent Sabbath docs much
more the pleasant intercourse then enjoyed
with the members Of The family, and Still
more the glorious fellowship which the pouS
workman then holds with heaven, the de-
light OF looking forward to his eternal cond-
ion, and realizing that land where there
shall be no nore GU sc"-thosc things, being
delightful in themselves, are Of infinite SER
vice in giving vigor and energy to the
mind.
These are the fountains, gracously provi-
dgd at short intervals over your wilderness
journey, from which you may draw refresh
ncnt and strength. Whatever employment
| needs constant activity-whatevcr mode of
| life needs constant self denial for that en-
| ploymcnt and for that mode Of life, nothing
is so indispensable as weekly draught from
the wcll-spring ola hallowcd Sabbath.
A well spent Sabbath promotes domestic
affections. The members of the family have
the opportunity ON that day Of being all to-
gethcr, and cutivating one anothcr's ac-
quaintancc. Neatly dressed in their Sunday
clothing, and clranScd from the dirt that be-
grims some of them during the week, their
very appearance is better fitted to bogct res
pcct and affection. If the Sabbath did moth
ing more than encourage cleanliness, it would
be an important blessing. Scli-rcspcct is
greatly promoted by the working man being
able to turn out on Sunday morning with
his well dressed family, and take their seats
in the house of God. The respectful feelings
Of others is attracted to such a family. The
workman feels that to be able to appear. thus
on the Sabbath, is something worth cyertng
himself for. His industrious wife feels the
same. Both are reluctant TO squander money
and time, because one of the effects of such
| extravaganza will be to prevent them from
appearing at church with their children. 1t
is remarkable how closely the loss of Sabbath
keeping habits is connected with the loss Of
sclf-rcspcct. When man has no desire to
appear decent with his children on the Sab
bath, 1t may be presumed that his sclf-rcspcct
is gone, and it will be no easy matter to keep
him from degradation and ruin.
A well spent Sabbath furnishes moral en-
ergy against temptation and vice. The i'm
mcnse proportion Of crimes that spring from
neglect Of the Sabbath is II well known fact.
| Many criminals when under sentence of
death. or of transportation have confessed
that their career commenced by Sabbath de-
secration. The painter, IIogarth, SO remark
able for his minute acquaintance with human
nature, in his series of pictures illustrative of
The Rakc's Progress" which ends at the
galows, introduced him as an apprentice
playing at marbles upon tombstone during
divine service. The committee of the House
of Commons, appointed in 1882 to investi-
gate the subject of Sabbath Dissertation, re-
mark in their report, that Sunday labor is
generally looked upon as degradation; and
it appears in evidence that in proportion to
its disregard of the Lords day, is the immor-
tality of those engaged in it." One of the
witnesses examined, respectable baker, de-
clar,d he would hardly train up his children
to the business, because he was afaid of
their morals being corrupted, through the
Sabbath dissertation required by the occupa-
ton, as practiccd in London, amounting to
eight or ten thousand, are very seldom in
church; general loosncss ofmoral principle is
the result; from this very circumstance they
feel that they are degraded; and not less from
a regard to their character, than to their
health, comfort, and spiritual welfare, pc
ttioncd Parlmcnt in body, to devise means
for relieving them Of Sabbath work.
ANOTHER REVOLUTIONARY GoNE.-Thc
| Rockville Journal of December saws: