The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-05-04
WHOLE NO. 1906.
Sunday Afternoon

DuuddY afternoons which give q
most of us a feeling of perfectleisure
How do we employ them? The at
tendance ON morning church and
Sunday School is over, and before
the evening bells shall ring we have
this space, this margin, which is an
opportunity for repose, for reflection,
and for improvement, such rs no
other day in the week affords.
Well, some OF US 90 to bed. The
Sunday afternoon nap is taken by
people who never think Of lying
down except on Sunday. Monday
for washing, Tuesday for ironing,
Wednesday for baking, Thursday
for mending, Friday for sweeping,
Saturday for q grand campaign OF
everything combined. and Sunday
for a collapse.
That is their way, practically. II
they go to church, they are too tired
to gain the real good they ought to
gain in Gods house. So when after
noon comes and dinner is over, they
90 to their rooms, shut out the sun
shine, darken the blinds, turn the
key and go to sleep. We do not de-
claim against daily nap. Every
woman who can get it is better in
health, and the fresher in feeling,
and will last the longer in her use
fulness and energy, il every day she
will lie down for half or a whole
hour, and rest, and sleep if she can.
But we do not approve of making q
convenience of the lords day, and
spending its golden time in slumber,
simply because it IS His day, and we
cannot sew nor scrub.
Some people write letters on Sun
day afternoon. There is sort of
correspondence which It is perfectly
proper to engage in in holy time.
but it goes without saying it is cor
respondence suited to the day and
to the spiritual tenor Of thought and
feeling which the day should induce.
To save secular time by writing let
ters in sacred time is a sin. To de-
vote the pen to the service OF busi-
ness, of gossip, Of compliment, or OF
mirth, is to defeat the object for
which the hallowcI day was given,
and to lower the tone Of ones relie-
ious character.
1t is not remembering the Sab
bath day TO keep it holy, not OBJ
serving it by q holy resting ali that
day from employments appropriate
to other days.
Some people read novels on sun
day afternoon. They may be sprin-
kled with piety as q caA is coated
with sugar, or favored morality
as a pudding Is spiced with numeg.
But they are neverthles- wor,s of
fiction, whose primary p- pose IS to
please the fancy, to amusv @a Idle
hour, or to afford recreation 10 a
jaded mind. We thoroughly APP
prove of good novels, for secular
reading. For Sunday afternoon, we
entirely disapprove OF them. Stand
ard Christian classics are abundant
Biography presents 4 wide varict
from which to choose. and no read
ing is more directly efficient in form
ing character than that Of the lives
of good men and women. Deyo-
tional poetry and missionary litera-
ture are elevating and profitable.
Many of US could not do anything
for ourselves quite SO beneficial as
to set apart our Sunday afternoon
leisure for Bible reading and study.
Few OF US study our Bibles so
deeply and so thoroughly as we
ought.
The mother with her little ones.
some OF them too young as vet to
comprehend distinctions of day from
day, is doubtless the person who can
least secure a season Of unbroken rest
on Sunday afternoon. But in the
Christian family the children early
learn that the more noisy play Is
prohibited on the Sabbath. They
are willing, while yet very small, to
have the little wagons, and drums,
ana whips, and tops put in the clos
ct till Monday, and though the wee
grille may take care of her dolly, as
mamma does of the baby, and the
little boy run and jumpoutof doors,
as the lambs frisl, and the colt leaps.
they soon catch the Sunday atm0s-
phere; they like TO see the Sunday
picture books and to hear the Bible
stories.
Mother ought not to have the
whole work OF entertaing and teach
ing the children left her. Father
should share It. or auntic. or elder
sisters, and the duties OF the day
should be so adjusted that every one
under the home roof should receive
into the soul the blessing and the
gladness of the day which is Ged's
ever benignant gift to man.
Another six days work isdaac
Another sabbath Is begun.
Let body, soul and spirit, three
fold union, enjoy and delight in the
e