The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-04-05
THE AMUSEMENTs OF THE RICH.

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active and passive. The active and
weary man and woman-those who
exhaust every day their vital energies in
workable naturally to passive amuse-
ment. A lady of our acquaintance,
engaged daily insevere intellectual tasks,
says that nothing rests her like seeing
other people work. For this she goes to
the theater, and the play upon her
emotions there rests, and recreates her.
Indeed, it is the emotional side of the
nature, and not the active, which
furnishes play to those who are weary
with the use of their faculties. This fact
covers the secret of the popular success
of what is called emotional preaching.
People who have been engaged all the
week in exhansting labor of any kind do
not take kindly to high intellectual
feast on Sunday. They want to be
moved and played upon. This rests and
interests them, while the profound dis.
cussion of great problems in life and re-
ligion wearies and bores them. They are
not up to it. They. are weary and jaded
in that part of their nature which such
discussion engages. The emotions
which have been blunted and suppressed
by their pursuits are hungry. So every
form of amusement that truly meets
their wants must be emotive, and must
leave them free to rest in those faculties
which are weary.
On the other hand, the young, who
are trimming with animal life, and who
fail to exhaust it in study, call for active
amusements, and they must have them.
And here the parent is in danger of max
ing great mistake. Unless boy is a
milk-sop he must do something or die.
Ifhe cannot do something in his home,
or in the homes of his companions, he
will do something elsewhere. 1t is only
within few years that parents have
begun to be sensible upon this matter.
The billiard-table, which few years ago
was only associated with dissipation, now
has an honored place and the largest
room in every rich mans house. The
card table, that once was synonym of
wickedness, is part of the rich mans
furniture, which his children may use
at will, in the pursuit of a harmless
game. A good many manufactured sins
have been dethroned from their fictitious
life and eminence, and put to benefcent
family service on behalf of the young.
Athletic sports, such as skating, boating,
shooting, ball playing, running and leap
ing, have sprung into great prominence
within the past few years-amusements
of just the character for working OF the
excessive vitality of young men, and
developing their physical power. This is
all well-a reform in the right direction.
Much of this is done before the public
eye, and in the presence of young women,
which helps to restrain all tendencies to
excuses ana dissipation.
The activities of young women take
another direction, and nothing seems to
us more hopeful than the pursuits in
which they engage. The rich young
in these days, who does not mar
ry, busies herself in tasteful and intel
lectual pursuits. The reading-club, the
club, the drawing class,
and Kindred associations, employ her
spare time; and now there is hardly
more busy person living than the rich
who is through with her board
ing school. The poor, who suppose that
the rich young wsman leads an idle life,
are very much mistaken. The habits of
voluntary industry now adopted and
practiced by the young women of Amer
lea, in good circumstances, are most
gratefullysurprising. One of them who
is not so busy during the winter that she
really needs recuperating summer, is
an exception Our old ideas of the lazy,
fashionable girl must be set aside. They
are all at work at something. 1t may
not bring them money, but it brings
what is much better to them-the con-
tent that comes OF an earnest and fruit
full pursuit. 1t may take the form of
but it results in training
for self-helpfulness and industry.
So, while not much can be done for
the adult in this matter OF amusement,