The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-01-09
The need Of Holidays.


As American holiday 81 aisun-
day without the Sabbaths deyo.
tional exercises. There aroVfour
Of these additional Sabbaths Of
which there is 6 nominal observ.
ance. but il is evident from the man,
ner in which We 20 about celebrat-
lug them that we have about as
much conception Of holiday amuso-
ments and enjoyments as tho Sad
ducOes bad Of u Buffalo Hunt or Of
an English Fox Chase. Tho bare
mention Of Christmas makes onc
yawn, u Thanksgiving day like ocr
last, deprcsses ones apirita for
week, and the Fourth Of July with
It's hmm drum readings Of the Dec
larat!on add It's orAt0rieal plAti.
tudes about the eternal principles
Of everlasting liberty, prepares ono
for an interminable ride on the noe.
turnal horse. Beginning with the
year our drst holiday, so.called, is
stupid, the second more stupid AMI
the thifd most stupid, whiIe Of Tho
ioarth- .Christmas--.the English
language utterly fails 10 give hng
conception; we must resort TO tho
French term s0mbre, lagSbre, mel
anccltqae. .-f- HgsyaxI
We have fewer holidays than any
other civilized people, and never
properly yobservo or enjoy the few
that we have. Every American ID
educated in the belief that a5day
devoted 10 the real enjoy mepto of
iife--to recreation and relaxation
for tho body and mind--is q day
lost, day wasted. 1t is true that
one day thus spent often postpones
the period Of physical prostration
or mental imbecility for years, bns
lfcn what are these remote results,
compared with that which isimme.
date ana palpablc, the loss Of d
few dollars which might have beou
earned. ..F es.isnA eai7i
Nov, il this intense life, thistn.
cessant toll, is continued in Amer
lea, in about three generations VIC
shall have O nation of idiots
There are laws which govcrnin-
teliectual health that can no moro
be disregarded with inpunity7than
can those laws upon which depends
our physical health. Constant
study will cause mental derange
ment and death, and unceasing toll
will prove as injurious to the labor
er IN the end, as q refusal to, labor
altogether. Instead Of reaching
the ancients' idea Of o sound mind
/ ia q sound body, we shall havd
neither the one nor The other.
We must have more national hol.
days, more public amnsements for
the people. We do not advocate the
system adopted on the continent ef
Europe Of making each Sabbath p
general holiday for horse.racing,
for plays, operas and outdoor con
eerls, as in Paris. Nor would the
spirit of our institutions aud
of our religion permit US
to initiate those supposed mod
tls Of propriety, The swiss,
who amuse themselves by target
shooting on Sunday and close tho
day With public balls and freworka
in the evening. We need days set
apar: at stated periods. not simply
for rest but for the enjoyment Of
all those legitimate pleasures which
our natures render os capable Of
enjoying. We must have rational
amusemcn.s, provided BY the au-
thorities If need be, for the good Of
the public. National games, ath-
letic sports, musical asd dramatic
entertainments in public halls or
public gardens should be introduce
ed for the benefit Of all classes. IT
masqlerad,ng, and hosesporta and
innocent trivolities which consi-
tute the charm Of the carnival sea-
son in Rome and Venice, were en-
couragcd with US, it would be safe
10 say that We would soon excel
| the Italians in the public displays
such is tho wonderful ingenuity Of
our people. -..t'r s.t--.5,sg
Then instead Of yawning in each
others faccs from morning till night
during each holiday, we mightwith
-. %, Er;a. lm2rOpriety perhaps
irjuigoin lba luxury of . Glaugh. 1t
ia nc! The unpardonable ain as some
suppose 10 smile. five ere always
happy when re ere good, as We are
taught, il strikes Us tie converse Of
the proposition is true, and that
We are always good when we are
happy. Willna: some public BEN
ctcct9r devise some rational amuse-
ments icr the American peop!e?--.,
| Co,ua5g; Journal. LII