American citizen., 1879-02-22

The normal little boy or girl, if igno-
rant of catechisms made by men who
had long forgotten that they were ever
young, would doubtless name as the
chief end of life: "Having fun!" 1t
takes almost literally "no end" of repres-
sion and discipline, work and worry, care
and trouble, to seal up the fountains OF
fun in the hearts of men and women
the most pitiable results of our high
pressure style of living and 'doing bus
mess" in this country, that even our
high-school boys become as grave as
Roman Senators, and young fellows get
gray and careworn, and as juiceless as
a January cornstalk, in all the lively,
buoyant and effervescing human quail
ties, before they are half through their
thirties.
There has been plenty of preaching
and protesting against this abuse Of the
good gifts of God that make for happi-
ness, and still fun-and all that it in
cludes-is chiefly thing of special oc-
casions in this country. We ego"
somewhere, and buy an admission tick
ct to see it. We look about for it in a
vague sort of way on holidays; and if
we would be honest, confess that we feel
relieved when the anniversary or the SET
occasion is over, and we can go at our
ordinary avocations again. We look
everywhere except within, and slight
the means of enjoyment at hand because
too listless or too ignorant to improve
them.
The best fun is spontaneous, and
therefore natural, just as the rarest
pleasures are often unplanned and un-
expected. But as there is such thing
as planning for pleasure, so there is
such thing as organizing fun, and cul-
tivating methods of amusement. Peo-
Pile are merry on Christmas and happy
on New Years with very slight provo
cation Yet it is not the day, nor the
dinners, nor the gifts, so much as the
spirit and tine purpose that make them
so. We put ourselves in the mood and
the way of being happy, and so sue
ceed. Why not carry a little of the
Christmas cheer and the New Years
good will through the yearP Why not
give ourselves to ourselves and to our
friends, and only lend ourselves to the
| world and its hum-drum cares, big and
little, on other days?
Unless we are unfortunate in our op-
portunities for observation, there isn't
half enough fun in the homes of this
land. There is reading and decorum
Gin some of themD and frequently
music; there is peace, harmony and
love; but too seldom does one find evi-
dences that merriment and frolic have
their legitimate place. The father
when he is at home-is apt to be de-
voted to his easy-chair and newspaper,
and to have a rooted dislike to noise.
"Donr!" and "Keep quiet!" are his
audible contributions to the evening s
enjoyment. Even the mother gets
| of the children: as natural to them as
friskiness is to a kitten. The older
brothers and sisters take themselves cut
of the range of the youngsters, or else
wonder "why children need to keep up
such racket
Is it strange that children grow either
grave or petulant so early. consid-
ering the repression they undergo, and
the slight encouragement they receive
in so many homes to be joyous and
happy in their own wayP Almost any
thing in the line of merrimert is better
than moping, and nothing is really bad
except quarreling and hurtful mischief.
And yet children often fall into these
ways because 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
a bubbling spring of water does, to
keep pure and sweet.
In the wisely managed household,
therefore, there will be q time for fun
fun, too, in which the older members may
join. For it was a true Saying of the
ancient philosopher, that "The wise
man is he who keeps his child-heart. u
Golden Rule.