The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-06-30
The Controversy about Amusements.

denying It. When our hearts don't rur
away with our heads, our heads run away
with our hearts, and between the two, logic
and morality get at "sixcs and sevcns," and
VIC fail to "coumand the situation" The
argument from incongruity is perhaps often
est run into the ground or made to undergo
violent somersaults. We read, for instance
in q serious article agaitst amusements, "Car
you go from the card table or the dance to
the Lords tablet" This is evidently PM
forward asa poser. One might ask, "Cau
you dance jig on your mothers grave
Will you play at poker in prayer.mectingi
Will you sing funeral dirge at a wedding
By no means; but it does not follow thai
| jigs and pokers and dirges are not cardinal
sins because they are incongruous with tho
other things. 1t is sin, at least an of
fense against good taste, to minglc the in.
congruous The preacher who told of the
first husbands melancholy taking of in the
prayer he made at the widows wedding com
mitted quite as grevious an offanse as IL he
had insisted upon singing "old King Cole
at the funeral, Incongruity is an oiftnse
but incongruity in things not associated il
not an argument against either in its prope,
time and place. Because we do not put SAL
in our tea or sugar upon our steak, We are
not to be told chat sugar and salt should be
excluded altogether from the table This
much, not as defense Of amusements in
general. or any particular amusement. II
is merely relnonstrance against vicious log
ic.
The great peril Of all amusements lies in
the associations into which they bring the
young. Many people deny to their children
cards and dancing, not because they think ei-
ther intrinsical!y wrong, but because the
person who plays cards is likely to be tempt,
cd to gambling aud because OF the dissipation
and the exposures to contact with the rude
and vulgar IN the ballroom. In the family
or the select party Of friends many amuse-
ments are harmless and healthul that are
pcrilous in promiscuous crowd. And this
consideration is one that should have more
weight than it does in the selection of prop
er recreation for our children, for recreation
they must and will have. Many OF tho
household games are pretty and innocent
enough, but their extreme simplicity soon
makes them tedious. 1t would be great
thing il chess could be restored and made
fashionable. There is no game 30 profound
ly interesting or so stimulative OF the highest
powers and yet child can play it on sim
pie way, and it will bo continually new
game to him as he grows in capacity to esti-
mate its infinite possibilities and to plan its
far reaching combinations. The duty Of the
parent is to select games and other amusc.
ments for his children, to exclude those OF
dangerous or doubtful tendency and assoca-
tion, and to encourage those that contribute
directly to physical and mental development
and health. Of course if one honestly
thinks that all amusements are wrong, and
that life should be wholly devoted to serious
employments, exclusion and repression are
the true policy.
Notions Of such extreme rigor do not pre-
vail to any great extent in these days, Most
of the churches now cultivate the social el.
cment Systematically, and through the par
ish sociables, amusements have found their
way into the most serious places and the
most serious company. Under proper "watch
and care" there is no harm in this, but II the
yestry doors are thrown open to everybody.
and dirty boys come in because they can have
rougher time among decent folks than in
the street, even the church sociable may not
be an entirely safe place for our daughters
The truth is, there is no possibility Of draw
ing exact lines in these matters. There is no
such thing as barring out temptation and
evil influences altogether, "else must we need
90 out OF the world" as Paul says. Neither
should we go to the other extreme. and put
ourselves reckleusly in connection with wrong
influences, for it is natural to our human
weakness to ~
>"Pirst endure, then pity, thcn embrace"
The young must be told where danger lies,
and how to fortify themselves against it. but
they should be US little as possible exposed to
it To taboo Amusement altogether Is i'm
possible, oven in the most religious society.
And it is not true, as is often assumed, that
they unfit us for serious and religious duties.
Properly INDUCED they refresh and quicken
US for work and prayer, and he must bo
strangely made who has not found it 30.
Solomon Was not mistaken in finding prop
per time for all duties and enjoyments, and
everything right and propsr in its time. And
the proprietiss Of time and place are to bo
considered in regard to nearly oil amuse-
ments. rather than any intrinsic character
they may be supposed to havo.-SprinafeH
Republican,. lt.aa. - ~ 4
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