Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-02-05
WHOLE NO, 1901
Having Fun,

VINO hAu lphs lplbolch lilNt Vley
were over young, would doubtless
name as the chief end Of lie "llay-
Ing fun T. It takes almost literally
''oo cnd" Of repression and discipline,
work and worry, care ard trouble, 10
seal up the fountain, Of Iun In the
hearts Of men and women born with Il
love Of Il, And 1t Is ono Of the most
plliabIo results Of our hlgh-prcssurc
style Of living aud "doing business
In this county, that even our hiell'
school boys become rs grave ~ l'o-
man Senator'S, and young fellows get
gray and cayowom, and as juicelos' MS
Il January condalk, in all the lively,
buoyant aud cilGrvcsciug human quail
ilics, before they are half through
their thrlics,
There has been plenty OF preaching
and protesting against this abuse oL
the good gifts Of God that make for
happiness, and still iun-and all it
iucludcs---is chiefly thing OF special
occasions in this country, We go
somewhere, aud buy an admission
ticket to see il, We look about Tor il
in n vague sort OF way on holidays /;
aud if we would be honest, confess
tha. We feel relieved when the annl.
yersary or the sct occasion is over
and we can 60 at our ordinary ayoca-
iions again, We look everywhere
except within, and slight the means
of enjoyment at hand because too list
less or too ignorant to improve them.
The best fun is spontaneous, and
therefore natural, just as the rarest
pleasures are often unplanned and I'M
expected. Bnt as there is such
thing as planning for pleasure, 50
there is such thing Is organizing
fun and cultivaling methods of amusc
mcnts, People are merry on CHRIS
mas end happy on New Years with
very slight provocatioh. Yet it Is not
the day, nor the dinners. nor 'h- o'''"'
so much rs Inc spirit and the purpose
that make them SO. We put ourselves
in the mood and the way OF being
happy, and so succeed. Why not
carry little Of the Christmas cheer
and the New Years good will thro'
the year why mot give ourselves
70 ourselves and TO our friends, and
only lend ourselves to the world and
its hum drum cares, big and little. Oh
other days?
Unless We are unfortunate in our
opportunities for observation, there
isn't half enough fun in the homes OF
this land. There is reading and de-
co,um Gn some of them y and tre-
ouen,ly mnsic there is peace, har-
mony and love; but too seldom does
one find evidences that merllment
and trolc have their legitimate place.
The lathor-when he is at home--l>
ao, to be devoted to his easy-chalr
and newspaper, and to have rooted
dislike to noise. Don't. and "keep
quiet |" are his audible contributions
to the evenings enjoyment. Even
the mother gets nervous over tho III
nocent cuttings-up Of the children as
natural to them as irskiness is to 4
kitten. The older brothers and sisters
take themselves out OF the range OF
the youngsters, or else wonder "why
children need to keep up such
racket
Is it strange that children gro"
either grave or petulant SO early con-
sidering the repression they undergo,
and the Slight encouragement they
receive in so many homes to be Joy
ou8 and happy in their own way =
Almost anything in the line OF mer-
,iment is better than moplng, and
nothing IS really bad except quarrel
ing and hurtful mischief. And yet
children often fall into these ways be
cause no better vent is found for their
natural activities of mind and body
A child is product that doesn't I'M
prove by being "bottled up" 1t needs
vent and freedom in its little channel,
and a chance to ripple and make the
natural music of happiness, as much
as bubblng spring OF water does,
to keep pure and sweet, .,
In the wisely,managed household,
therefore, there will be time for fun
fun, too. in which the older mem-
bers may join. For it was true say
inc of the ancient philosopher, that
"The wise man is he who keeps his
child-heart. ."-[Golden Rule Mag.
A daily paper notices the fact that
n shin sailed from Boston, the other
day. bound for the African coast, with
lii hundred Thousand Gallons OF