The Portland daily press., 1865-01-04
A Word about Amusamants.

It Is surprising to what an extent the idea
yet prevails among the more serious portion Of
the community, that amusements are really
unnecessary, that they have to be tolerated
because most persons have not advanced be-
yond the period of chiidishness in this re-
spect, but that were all duly elevated and ed
ucated they would cease to require them.--
Therefore they constantly labor to eurtail all
amusements, speak of them as danger and
a snare, and seek to draw off the young from
all participation in them. Many Innocent
pleasures are decried, and laid under a social
prescription which serves to render them dis
reputable, but not to abolish them; they pass
under the control of the low and vicious, and
become potent engines Of evil. Il =.
Doubtless such people. as we speak Of have
the best possible intentions, They seek 70 ele-
vate the standard Of the young, to lift them to
pursuits higher than mere diversion, and to
turn their interests intonoble and more useful
channels. But the mistake they make Is radi-
cal and often. fatal The desire for amuse-
ments is not mere folly or levity of youth,
tobe outgrown In maturer years, buta natnrs
al instinct, the expression of law Of our
being. We seek as qualification what we
need as q benefit. Nature works constantly
through such impulses. Pleasures and pains
are the incentives and restraints by which she
keeps her progeney from destruction. No
contemptuous words can alter the eternal
factthat misery is the highway to death, while
happiness Is added life, and the eiver Of life.
Pain exhausts, kills; enjoyment restores, re-
news, re- creates. The very word re creation,
contains a recognitions Of the fact. There
fore all persons having an interest in the care
of the young should beware lest by attempt
ing to ignore an immutable law OF life, they
do Il mischief more fatal than any they seek to
avoid. Asceticism always has tendency to
react into prohigacy. The exaggerated and
injudicious reforms OF -Cromwell's time, when
puritanism indignant at vicious indulgences
thought to sweep away all pleasures, were fol-
lowed by century of such Generalization
and social degradation as finds no parallels in
the history Of England. 'sInto the newly gar
nished house entered seven other spirits more
wicked than the first" This result was inevi-
table. 49,
Good people should consider that taking an
attitude Of hostility towards any amusement
in itself innocent, on the plea that is liable
to perverslon, must have the effect to strength.
en- all its evil influences. Indulgences SC
,ffowned upon, become secret; secresy invests
them with the appearance of guilt, and the
realty quickly follows. If an innocent pss-
time is deemed dangerous from its liability tc
spervefsion, then the problem 10 70 counteracl
that liability, to surround It BY such checks
and influences as shall restore It to its proper
harmlessness. Reform and purify the cir
cumstances under which It is partaken Of, re
niovethe bad excrescences which have gathered
around it, and SO wrest 1t from the side Of evil
and make 1t a minister Of good. fyou leave
tmusements in the hands of the devil he will
surely use them to do his own work. But
recognizing the fact that they are as necessary
as food and rest, you labor TO detach them
from their alliance with the powers of dark
ness, they may be made as potent In the
cause of good, as they have too often been In
that of evil. t''ss a'se ss3 Sss