Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-11
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Sunday Reading.

The DAYS are past when children were
compelled to sit upright all day on Sunday
learning to recite hymns, or the catechism, or
John Rogers rhymes, and older persons read
the Bible, or Baxter's Saints Rest. All these
are good books for some persons, but incom-
prehensible to children. | know those who
were obliged, when children, to read those
books till they hated the very color of the
covers. When a child, | remember reading
the memories of good children till ! con
sidered it very unsafe to become pious at an
early age, for an early death seemed sure to
follow. There is always danger of reaction
from any extreme, and this has taken place
in Sunday reading. Books for that pur-
pose have become more and more conformed
to the world, till now we have variety OF
mere Sunday novels Many Sunday-school
hooks are mere love stories, in which the
principal characters fall in love, and are
married in connection with conversion, or
embrace religion as a solace for unrequited
love. believe in making Sunday day Of
rest, and of soul-growth, as far as possible
and after the claims of the church are sat
isfied, let the time be spent in manner
most conducive to that end-each person
being his own Judge. A walk in the fields
or quiet streets, visit to the village GENE
terry on Sunday evening, invigorates body
and mind, and need not lead our thoughts
astray Many persons who would not take
a walk on Sunday for fear 1t might not look
proper, do not scruple to go to bed and sleep
away the hours, or to spend the time III read
ing secular papers. For tired mother,
who cannot leave her little ones, or take
them to church with her for those who have
learned TO worship the Creator through his
works, there is a place of worship provided
overlooked by all but a favored few, who
know how to find it, from the love they
bear it. In shady groves, and deep, quiet
woods, there are soft carpets and luxurious
seats. There are long, dim aises, and
huted columns arched roofs and stained
windows, such as no cathedral ever boasted,
and the cares and excitements of the week
must all fade away beneath the hush and
repose. Here let me put in plea Tor short
sermons in our church worship. Sunday is
the only day which many families can spend
together. The morning duties are hurried
through, and after much worry and hustle
the family all get to church. Those accus-
toned to active exercise keep up an interest
in the exercises for while, but after thirty
or forty minutes, nature asserts herself, and
they become sleepy. Soon it becomes i'll
UoIeraDie, anu sIeep muSV ioio"; VI eA'S
restless, inattentive condition, which puts
the speaker out of sympathy with his hear.
ers, and his words fall on deaf ears. If the
sermon were condensed into twenty-five
minutes, the quality might be improved
Ind the hearers remain interested to the
close. Our grandparents used to listen to
sermons of sixty or seventy-five minutes
nut they had but little to read at home, and
their minds were thirsty for new ideas
| rhe sound old doctlinal sermons were writtel
with great labor and care, and heard will
reverence and attention, and talked of for {
long time afterw ard. If sermons we're the
| principal mental food now, we could take
longer oues, but with them for strong meat
aud all our science and literature, aud Sun
lay novels for dessert, we must have less o.
Que or the other, or spoil our digestion.