Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-03-28

y
garded or ignored by our leader
and educators, - cheerfulness. Th
old saying, laugh and grow fat,
comprises material tor innumersbl
lectures, supplies the theme for ur
limited teaching, and embodies
text SO full Of practical religion tha
q" clergymen can handle it withou
profit. We in this country are to,
prone to neglect our health in tn,
mad race after knowledge or money
forgetting that in our short lives ",
do not have time to learn everything
neither do we have need Of storing
up wealth, which can at last onI,
prove a bone Of contention for oul
children or promoter of selfishnes:
and narrow mindeiness in ourselves
We are told that among our Ger
tam privileges are lite, liberty an
the pursuit Of happiness; yet how
many, while seeking to perpetuate
the first. and to enjoy the second, NJ.
terIy fail to secure cithe: for them.
selves or for those whose lives are
entrusted in their care, q proper
amount OF real, solid enjoyment ?
How few teachers labor as earnestly
to induce us to seek proper recrea
tion a. they do to train us to be dig
nified an1 stuiious; how few clergy.
men consider holding no the sunny
side OF life to induce US to become
good as effective as presenting the
mourntul, the terror inspiring pic
ture for like purpose
Were il not an imposs,bility to
keep awake, few OF as would sleep a,
all, and thereby lose for our bodies
and brains the rest that is absolutely
needed; we would consider duty or
inclination Of paramount Importance
to rest, and, by rushing along in our
tevcl ish anxiety to obtain that which
sus,ains lite, would drop down IN
sheer exhaustion, and discover too
late that we had killed the goose
that laid the golden egg.
Yet human nature not only needs
rest, but recreation, legitimate and
healthy amusement, diversion; some
thing to mtoxicate the mind with
pleasure, to occupy not only leasure
moments, but those at times actually
stolen frem duty or business. Do
you see that gloomy, discontented
man-,hat is all. Perhaps he is a
clcrgymen, who clings to the old,
taded notion that ministers should
always be models of gravity, whose
chief characteristics should be to
bow the head in humility and weep
ing, and to forever preach upon
death. the grave and punishment.
Bosh Why do MT he look around
hlm and see his theory controverted
in every department Of nature
which is Gods work. Why do mt
he learn chcerfulness, even gayety,
an,l also point his morals, from the
song OF the birds, the gambols of the
brute creation, the bright foliage,
and even the gay, white snowfi,kes
There's your temperance man. too
Why do Mt he learn that intemper
ance starts with youth, and that the
average young man visits saloons not
so much because he is thirsty as be
amusement. Don't feiprst .haxe
ways to the lecture or reading room
perhaps his brain or his mind has
been overworked, by application to
books. mechanism or accounts, an0
he must have certain amoant OF &C
tual play. It IS an exploded idea thai
| TO children alone belongs the priv
ilege OF amus-ment-your stern pro
lessor knows full well how to ap
preciate an hours romping in the
garden with his little ones. Then i
the yonng man seeks saloons and I'M
moral company because he must have
diversion, then why not provide pub
amusement as well as public. lectures
aud reading rooms? Why not en-
courage less restraint upon the &C
tons ot people in public, as a means
or partly preventing them from GO
ing to the other extreme in prlvats
and behind screens? Why not ash
some Jolly legislator to introduce "a
Bill to encourage Music," or to ia
vor "Ar Act 10 Protecs Croquct,
as an infinitely more practical meth
cd of reaching the cause of intemper
ance and immortality than to attemp
to torce prohibition upon a commu
n;t> in defiance 81 public sentiment
for however prevented pubic senti
ment may be, you cannot legislate
out of existence.
| It is a suggestion worth every
thing to reformers-be their missio
that Of curing ,ntemperance, or re
vis,ng modes of dealing with crin:r
ais, or OF staying the ravages OF tn
host Of vices that trouble communi
ty-that when they seek to regulat
society they must not ignore its ne
cessi,ies. We do not advocate max
ing a national playground out OF OH
land; We do not sanction too muc
any more than too little levity; an
we appreciate the fact that labor
earnest, serious mental and physics
application, is as necessary to tn
perpetuation and enjoyment OF lit
as is rest or recreation. Still "
cannot forget tina, is the propt
blending Of work and play and (
ioy aud sorrow that makes lite d,
s,rahl.; and we must enter prote'
against ignoring cheertulness an
gavety when public regulations al
made, o. when etiquette sets up
routine for tho benefit of society,"
: Davenport Gasstte.
Mr.. Greeiey's Letter.