The New York herald., 1874-12-07

whether u II wrong l remark, In the nrsE place,
that you can judge Of the moral characie er Of any
amusement BY its nea'snfui result or Its baleful
reaction. There are people VINO seem made up OF
hard facts. They are combination OF maltipncs-
ton tables and o austics. II you show them
an exquisite picture they win begin to discuss on
pigments involved tn the coloring. II you sho"
them beautiful rose they VIII submit 1t to
botanical analysis, which ID only post-mortem
examin alton OF deceased nower They nave no
rebound In their nature. They never do ANYTHING
more than smile. There are no great ndes OF
feeling surging up from the depths OF their soul
in oilow after biliow Of reveTberatinR laughter.
They seem as II nature had made them. had built
them by contract, and made ounRhng Jop out
OF II, But, blessed be God, there are people IN
the world VINO have bright faces and whose II Is
q song. Even their troubles are like the jagged
vines tnat crawl up the side OF great tower,
on the top OF which the sunlight sits, and the soft
airs OF summer hold perpetual carnival. They are
people you like to have come to your house; 'ney
are people ike to have come to my mousse. Now,
my friends. 1t Is these exnilsrant and sympatneuo
ana warm-hearted people tnat arc
MOST rEMPTnD TO PERNICIoUs AMUsEMENTA
In proportion as q ship Is swift 1t wants q strong
hemsman; In pIopoiiio as horse Is gay 1t
wants u stout driver, and taese people oi ex-
uberant nature Will d. wei 10 look al tire reaction
OF all their amhsemenss. II an amusement sends
you home at night nervous, so mat You cannot
Sleep and you rise up IN the morning. not because
you are slept out, but because your duty brings
you from your slumbers. you nave been where you
ought not TO have been. There are amusements
that send man next cay TO Mis- vi ork boodshot,
yearnlnR, stupid, exhausted, and they are wrong
kinds OF amusement. There are entertainments
that give man disgust with the drudgery ci lie;
with tools because they are not swords; with
working aprons because they are not robes; with
cattle because they are in uriated bulls O, lhe
arena. ii any amusemenLs send JOu home
LONGING IOR A LIFE or koGANcE
and thrilling adventure. love that takes poison
anu shoots Itself, moonlight adventures and hair-
breadth escapes you may depend upon II tnat you
are the sacrificed victim of unsanctined anuse-
ments. Our recreatlODS are intenued to Luild US
up, and II they pull US down a. ~ our NORA or az
to our pnyscal strength, you may come 10 the con-
text as being corrupt and prolane anu aband0nel.
Those aM usements are wrong which lead GU intO
expenditure ceyond your means. Money sgen. IN
to come from place o amusement feeling that
We nave wasted our mones ana wasted our lime.
more tnan the transaction that yiedei you q
hundred or thou and ooli-rs. But now many
PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN KiDDLED By COSTLY
AMUsEhENIS
The table has been robDed to pay the club: tho
champagne mas cheated the children's wardrobe;
the carouslng party has burned up the tOy's
primer; the table cloth AZ the corEer saloon Is IN
debt TO the wie's iaded dress Excursions that IN
q Gay make tour ~ 0un a " hole Ia Onth's wages,
ladies' whose Incline business 1t Is 10 60 shopping.
bets ON horses aud box a. the theatre have tneir
counferparts often Ia uneuucated child en-, bank
ruptcies tnat shOck the money market and Rppal
the Church and that send drunkenness sta. q ring
across the richly figured carpet Ol the mansion
ana dashing In to the mirror. and ownlng out the
carol ol music with the wnOoplng ol biasted sons
come home 10 preak tner old motners' nea ts.
lenty late ~ night. TIE son had been on IN
sinful amusemenis. HIS comrades were brlnaing
him nome. They carried MIN 10 the door. They
rang the bell at one O'Clock IN the morning.
Father and mother came 0Own. Tney were walt
ing for the wandering son. And then the com-
rades, as soon IS the door was opened, threw him
hcadlong, the prodgal son, INTO the doorway, into
the haIl, crying. "rnere he Is, dead drunkl ha,
hap When men go INTO amusemenIs Ihey can
NOT AFFORD III the nrst place lney borrow what
they cannot earn, anu then they steal what .hey
cann0t borrow. First they get into embarrass-
men, and taen they set into lying. and then they
get INTO tnet, and wnen man gets Is lar ON as
tnat ne does not stop snort Of Inc ienitentiary.
There Is not q prison IN the LAND where tAere are
not
Merchant OF New YORK, IL there dlsarrange-
ment IN your aecountsy Is there = leakage IN
oU1 as @ no, VIII me e Garn
Is young man iu your store wandering OF into
sinful 9e ssa Ky You na give
Amasenents in wnicn he nas entered, and ne takes
by stealth tnat winch you do NO. give MIN IN law
menr, how bright It opensl The young man
says:-"Now am on Tor good time. Never mind
did acting in fne theatres to-nignt What I nne
road. What beautimi day ior ride. Crack rne
boys now Ill hign your glasses. Drink
long lite, health, plenty VI rides just like
noois and LOOK no a ana % say Wny, w. wonder where
those Fellows get their money froml We nave TO
ton and drudge. rney do nothing and yei tney
ride iastn To these gay men lie Is . thrill and
Al excitement Llle / an earnest thing. Vine her
we were born In howell or whether we are
do not sweat with toll you win swear with disease.
Your sports are merely means to An end They are
ann STRONG enough 70 bring up the bucket out Of
the deep well OF pleasure. Amusement 10 0nlv the
bower wnere business and philanthropy rest while
Of toll and the Dlossomlne Of the ham
has on mis- sporting jacket, ready TO
hunt for game; ne Is not hall well on as the
greyhound that runs by his side. A man who does
not ork does not know how TO pav. II God nad
intended US TO do nothing but laugh We would
sahe,a nave oeen aa mouth; Dut he 1 mas gwen US
when TO work, ana BRAIN WIN wncn to thinx,
and the anusements Of life are merely the Or
cnesrra playing whiie the great tragedy OF lie
plunges thi ougn the i've acts-lnancS, childhood,
MANHOOD old age and death. All smusements
amusement tnat gives y dstaste Tor domestic c
HE is bad amusement There are before me
aas n
nents that could sii.nate their anections
/ want you 10 try ali amusements, aud
1 especially want you TO try the American
theatre, an institution OF wnicn have been
speaking Tor two three SabDatns. 1t cannot
stand the tesr. II Is at war on home II Is at war
on ply slcal health: II Is at war on mans moral
nature. II Is the broad avenue through when
tens o thousands press INTO the lroR snop and the
DrotaeL Christian people. stard back ro,n
I'll DO not say. IL 20 sometimes" stand oack rom
itl Tney Tell NE tnat sometimes ministers oil the
Gospel go To such places. There may be some here,
or tpere may be some 70 whom these words snail
couie, who thus stutify themselves and make
themselves obnoxious to God. Let me tell you OF
minister who went to a theatre In Boston, some
years ago, and sat In the pit with his nat drawn
tlaughteu-and a ruifian recognized him He
had not his hat drawn GOWN enough,
and the ruf1al called him out by name, "Rev. MT.
SO and So.n and calied IT with a blaspheiny, and
concluded by saying. "Let US pray.u tLaughter)
The attention OF tie Whole audience was directed
TO him. Wnat " as the matter Why did he sit
with us hat drawn uOwn over his eyes 2 He was
ashamed TO oe there He had no BUS ness to be
there. A vast incongrulty in the case OF any