The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-06

of animals, has q keen sense oil the humor-
ous and will scent fun as readily as game.
He Is at times uproarious in his delight.
The house-dog, sober and sedate as he
generally is, may be as frolicsome as a cir
Gus clown. lie is adapted to this capacity
for frolic and as his creed he lives upon It.
The horse was next brought up by the
speaker in the most glowing and vivid de-
scription Of n frolic with that noble animal.
He described with much interest to his au
diencc, the great amusement he himself en-
joyed in a frolic with a horse of his own,
and with the drawing of a strong magma
ton pictured the l~oftiness and grandeur of
motion which the animal displayed in his
play with him.
Every animal has some love of play
and where did they get it? The birds
have a particular hour and place to take
their exercise; the trout as seen in the
Adirondacks by the speaker, congregate in
schools and enjoy their sport, the bear shows
his delight by a dance, while even the pig
has n twinkle of humor in his eye.
We all laugh and love to tickle the
right nerve. The first sign of in
telligcnce id the face of the babe is a
smile. Its first ripple suggests the joys and
rays of the soul, and when the tired soul
is at last freed from earthly pain the old
loot sc nnaco and joy comes back to it and
1t reposcs upon the bosom of God with a
happier look. This craving for fun and
laughter was God-given. Whatever amuses
me, said the speaker, betters me. Man is
happier and more liberal in doing a happy
thing. Some quote the Saviour as being
opposed to jollity and that lie never
laughed. The speaker cmphatically de-
MED it, and called for the chapter or the
verse that would prove it. lie asked how
would a I perfect man look without a smile
upon his face? 1t was imperfect with
out it. No smileless face was ever known
in the long list of saints, while the pictures
Of Christ gave a smile 10 His face, and an
unseen beauty different from any other.
The artist may paint the traditional halo
about the head, but the remainder is the
face of a common man. Then another
reason TO prove the fact of His being fond
of laughter was that all people loved to
have Him at their feasts. And here let il
be remembered there were no religious men
in His time, yet they loved to have Him
there at the festive occasions which were
like the Thanksgiving and other family re-
unions observed in Vermont. The chill
dren too, loved Him and they never loved
a graye-faced man. 1t was utterly insup-
portable to imagine that He never laughed.
The speaker believed in a piety that made
men never so happy as when making some
body else happier. Some people never had
learned how to use the good things of this
world without abusing them. They reject
dictation and oppose all counsel. Mr.. A.,
thinks il wrong to play a game Of whist
and so he should not do it. Every man
should he Il law unto himself for other
wise il fosters tyranny and hypocrisy to
attempt dictation. No man should set
himself up as an oracle of divinity. A
parish who take every occasion to fling
their former pastor into the face of the new
minister are too mean TO sit under good
gospel preaching. These are the men who
wish to impose their views as laws upon
everybody else the church and the neigh
bornood, who vote against sinners coming
to the table of the Lord. They forget that
it is the Lords table and not the churches
table yet. The speaker recalled one of
these saints who now lived in Chicago,
who when he resided in New England
argued strongly against the practice of rid
ing in the hOrse-cars on Sunday. He said
it was a dissertation of the Lords Day.
that it was undermining the Evangelical
doctrines of all ages. He moved from
New England to Chicago, and now when
he goes to church he did not walk, neither
did he keep n carriage. But. said the
spe lker, let us be charitable! No Chris
tian has a right to dictate to another Chris
tian in these matters. The speaker had
enough faith in the men of his church
to believe that they meant to do
about right as much as himself. Modern
Phariseeism which assumes a higher intel
ligence on matters of christianity than their
fellows, is no proof of piety on their part.
He held that each man should settle these
matters for themselves. Their own con-
sciences was the best guide. lie was asked
by a young lady member of his church if
it was wrong for her to dance? He
answered that he was not the keeper of her
o.,.,.,,,, ,l,o. eI,n ,ra, 10 10 .-
herself. She knew its effect upon her
health, her mind and her thoughts, and the
decision rested with her. That was his
''creed." Men who use tobacco, play bill
anyone else their effect upon them and
upon their consciences. The speaker treat
ed these men as a christian brother, but be-
You'd that he had no right to go.
But what were proper amusements?
Had the speaker been in one of the New
England pulpits twenty years ago, no one
knew how he would have planted himself.
lie had read much upon the subject, had
listened much and his mind was this The
rules, in regard TO amusements were in the
majority too strict. There were not games
enough connected with our religion. Amer
leans, ms a general thing, were the poorest
in resources of entertainment of any nation
on the earth. 1t Is found difficult to en-
terrain the same company W. evenings in
succession. The French wife has no
trouble, neither has the English or German.
The puritanical influence which had hung
us so long, had chilled us through and
1t had been our object to build