Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-09-29

be superinduced in some of its min
lstratlons in particular cases as men
grow wiser, but the. we'll trained
thinker IN the pulpit will not COM
plain when the people come nearer
to his plane Of life. The shrinking
few who fear the march of intelli-
gence have but to make their faith
IN God more real by strong exer-
else and broader vision, and their
tlrnidity will be no longer a cause of
offence and stumbling. They can
not stay the tide, nor chance the
current of the ocean of thought
which n,w surges around them.
They must try to understand it.
Sunday is peculiarly adapted for
the dissemination of knowledge and
the stimulation of thinking power
among those men and women whose
bodily strength is tasked during the
other days of the week. Recrea-
ton and rest may be attained in
many cases by change of occupation,
better than by idleness. The brain
can be refreshed and invigorated by
change such as these Sunday lee
lures will afford. Sometimes it
happens in this age of competition,
that an artisan must work in his
shop until sleep is the only balm for
his fatigue. Talk to that man about
mental culture, and he will nod his
assent to your manifold propositions,
until well developed snore tells the
story of exhaustion conquering po-
likeness. His nervous force can bear
no more. Sunday finds him COM
paratively rejuvenated. "Ti:ed ma
lures sweet restorer, has given fresh
vigor to his brain. The ordinary
exercises proper to the day have not
diminished his acumen. He is
ready for communion with the best
thinker that may happen to fall in
his way. More than that he will
go in search Of a teacher if one may
be found. Just that condition Of
mind is hun gering and thisting now,
in every city in the Union every
Sunday afternoon, and an hour of
vigorous thought OF description in
some commodious lecture hall, will
best supply the mental vacuum in
Dictated.
Books alone will not serve the
purposes of humanity. The living
voice is the best teacher. Plato,
Epicurus, Socrates, and our best
Exemplar, Christ, all spoke to their
several disciples, and their personal
influence vivifed thoughts into deeds
with results beyond computation.
Books which were then too few for
general use, are now in large de-
gree imperative, because they are
too many, and the living teacher is
demanded to make the best words
fruitful. He has moreover another
function, to discriminate in the mass
of matter which is daily printed,
and at his peril to protect his hear
ers from the avalanch of rubbish
which might overwl1elm them.
The highest priced takers may
not be available for every associa-
ton. That is not always disad-
vantage. Fashion and vulgar
curiosity to see a person with
whom scandal has been busy, may
compel the payment of absurd
prices for an article not intrinsically
of value. Mr.. Beecher probably
gave as good lecture for $50 in
his early days as he could give now
for twenty times that sum. Good
courses of instructive and entertain
ing lectures can be given in every
city in which a committee will in
augurate the work, and the enter
prise will be self-sustaining in every
instance if the executive acts wisely.
THE GOLDEN AGE, edited by
William T. Clarke, speaks as fol-