The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-07
Amussmsnts for VYouns Msn.
nYnU.ED. HUErIrorou, p.D.

every Weu"OTucTeu ilIes AH0tS HuSt ~o
something wrong in that state Of society
which makes no room for them. There
must be some great misunderstanding or
abuse Of them, when people become
ashamed Of them, or despise them. The
faculty in us which demands them, and is
gratitied by them, is as much part Of
our constitution as any other. God plant
ed it there; and though he has taught us,
in many ways, how great the danger is Of
being led astray by it, he has nowhere
denounced or forbidden the thing Itself
Those educators commit mOurnful mis-
take, and show an absurd want of educa-
ton in the principles Of human nature,
who undertake TO crush it out, or fight 1t
down, or ignore it. They aim to make
a>cetics, and end with making villains
What they crowd aside and condemn as
unlawful, is nevertheless sought out and
practiccd. though with the feeling that 1t
is unlawful; and thus conscience is abused,
aud the heart is made worse than it need
he. True Christianity nowhere pro
nounccS sentence against amusement
WhHt it rebukes il the excess to which It
is carried, and the bad practices and pass
ions which spring up around it, and are
perpetrated in its name.
What, then, are some Of the conditions,
respecting amusements, which arc re-
quired to be carefully observed. in order
thut they may not be turned from ration
al and innocent satilaction into ruinous
and degrading sins 7
Foremost among these conditions we
should all ngree, am sure, in placing
this: That they must not interfere with
virtue. All the parts of our nature are
made to be consistent With one another.
We are never obliged to iWure one to
crafty another; as, for instance, to In.
suit our conscience in order to crafty our
feelings. There are ways enough Of be
ing entertained without tresspassing q
hairs breadth over the line of right. Nay,
in the end, just SO far as you 60 over that
line, you diminish the pleasure and create
u reaction Of pain. And therefore do
not include vices among amuscments. -
They are the ghasticst sort Of drudgeries,
before yOn have done with them. Rccre.
alton, according to the very etyno!ogy Of
the word, is something meant to renew
and replenish your life, to reduplicatc
your power, TO make you more and more
capable, efficient, encrgetic,--to create,
again and again, the worn and PROSTATE
strength Of body and spirit. Then, sure
ly, the drbauch that Stupeties the brain,
the feasting that reduces you from man
to mere animal, the drunkenness that
besots every nobler capacity, the uncurb-
I'd and unreasonable revelry that makes
such tremendous draughts on the vital
powers, the lusts that pollute and eat out
the intellectual and physical vigor, you
cannot call these recreations. The recre-
ate nothing. They waste, and consume,
and rot, and kill. and curse. We may
call them re-degradations, re-consump.
tons, re.destructions, but not recreations.
The next condition affixed, therefore,
to oil real recreations, Is that they be
healthful.
In fact, one Of their grand purposes 10
topronote health. What . blunder, then,
if you so mismanage them, either as to
kind or quantity, as to make them destroy
health. OF course this must happen
whenever they run into dissipation, or are
connected with sensual sins. 1t must
happen when you pass the bounds of
temperance in eating or drinking. It
must happen when your amusements re.
quire late hours, unhinging and debilita-
ting your nervous system. A man that
COMES out from an evening cntcrtuin-
ment ut eleven or twelve O'Clock at night,
his brain excited, his body tired, perhaps
his feet damp or cold, and tumbles into
bed exhausted, and sinks into Q weary,
unnatural sleep, is in no way to get any
physical advantage from his, recreation. -
Even If 1t was quite innocent In itseIf, the
accompanying errors neutralize its bene-
fits, or give it character Of positive dam.
nge.
Still another characteristic Of the right
sort Of recreations is, that they stand. as
much as possible in contrast with the ma
tnre of your ordinary employments.-
This is what makes them to be amuse.
ments. The great law of intellectual life
to be consulted in recreation Is variety
When we recreate, we want to do what Is
unlike what we have to do the most Of ouv
time.
A man that has been walking, or dig.
ging, or carrying mortar until he IL thor
oughly fatigued, does not care to play
cricket. A soldier. after being in the en-
gagement Of Inkcrmann, Waterloo. or
CawnpOre, would hardly go out in the
afternoon to amuSe himself with shooting
at mark. A student, even where his
tasks do not incline him that way, will. II
he is wise, select those recrcations that are
farthest removed from mental application.
and least sCdentary. have no doubtk
man is now and then to be found who
never SO closely applies or concentrates his
mind as in game Of chess.
But in general, it is manifest that the
greater part Of clerks or of any seden.
tary mans recreations should involve some
bodily activity. AS he commonly sits, 90
in his amusements he should stir. Aa he
il commonly indoors, so his amusements
should take him abroad. As he IL com.
monty fixing his eyes upon paper or mi.
ute materials, SO in his 0muscments he
should relieve them. by looking at broad
objects, like natural scenery. As he is
commonly receiving through that one
sense-sight-so in amusing himself he
should, Il possible, receive otherwise, rs
by conversation or music. As he IL com.
monty exercising his memory, 40, IN his
hours Of relaxation, other mental facul.
ties should take the lead, such as come
into play in the talk and laughter Of 90.
cial companions or athletic competitions,
like fancy, ready wit, decision, inven.
ton, self possession, and sOlf.control, with
the cultivation of genial and agrssahle
sentiments The inference d, that tie
very best adapted Of al relaxnsions g.
this large class Of young men, Afe &c kmo
sorts, viz: active sports IN the open olF.
and social intercourse with Fsfned amd
intelligent persona Of both sexsA = za6,l.
ere Home 16NtAlv.
In = case respsctiHg win. 6Vsaenea
was given to prove the teataiEix. e.
u Il a n -