The Grange advance., 1874-11-24
How shall Wo Pass the Evening.

NJ" snS4l No x1SS tho EVeDlo6.
Everybody, unless We except persons
engaged in retail trade, aud perhaps q
few others, have many hours that go
in to make up our long winter evenings
in which they have nothing to do, and
the best way to pass these hours is a
matter Of general interest One thing is
certain these long evenings should not
be wasted, yet We do not propose to un-
dertake the discovery of some plan by
which they may be passed in the per-
forming of some indoor work. We are
not of those who believe that every mo.
ment not occupied in work is lost.
The man who, converts himself into
mere working machine wastes his life,
not only because he fails to get the en-
joyment, intellectual growth and soul
development out Of it, which God de-
signed every mortal should get out Of
this life, but because he does not sue
ceed as rule so we'll in his work as
would with less work and more think
ing. The old saying that "All work
and no play makes Jack u dull boy"
contains large grain of truth. The
inclination to make these long evenings
Of fall and winter occasions for social
gatherings is natural and proper. The
cultivation of the social side of human
nature is as needful as any other cul-
ture. When these social occasions be-
come times for light gossip, or scandal,
or are rendered occasions for undermi-
ming the health by indulging in the
modern luxuries of over heated and i'm
pure air until the "wee small hours"
and in late suppers of rich food, the
evil only becomes greater than the good,
and these are only the abuse: We
doubt whether large parties or assem-
blies of any kind are very beneficial.
There are an abundance Of ways combin-
ing social enjoyment with intellectual
developments and keeping inside of the
rules Of health. The old fashioned fam
lily visiting, accompanied by converse
tional discussions among the older peo-
pie on the different questions Of trade,
politics religion, philosophy, or agricul-
ture, which have naturally come up out
Of every day work and from reading the
papers, and With innocent plays and
games by the younger people, is one Of
the simplest and best ways Of passins
sa occasional evenings - plan certain
y far ahead Of the dissooial socials Of
the present day. Then the fornatioa
Of reading ciiroles, tho members Of which
choose SELECTIONS from standard work
Of travel, history, biography % fetioa,
which are rsadia their nssting. and
made the subject of eonuent and criti-
eilm = containing iatellectual and social
culture, stands Inst. Then tho debating
olnb b q yoeam ahosds means for
recreation and education that Is free
1 from objeetion. Right here, in agrii-
enltnral districts comes, ia the Grange
which combines the good qualities Of
4 tie tie family gathering, the reading circle
md the lyceum. Yet hack of III these
and before oil these is the family circle.
= The home should always be plaoed int,
The most Of the long. evening. should
bsspaled = home, With only tie, men,
bers of the family present, ID prefsrsnee
;to sll other places under the sun or
moon either. The homo ! should 81
nade st6s fplsalantst place o. esrth,
~ I'D - nu1ssry Of every faculty 81 ths
mind md sonl i I. q
asof q having so.ls .sabsr of
~ tanilly lslate sols q iailsii i ~
ID