Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-04-06
VOL. XXXVIII.
Rational Amusements.

poets Tor this world and the world 10
come. ! on have already learned from what
have said that have no sympatly for
ecclesiastical straighljackets, or with those
who attempt to ignore all amusements
aud recreations as though they were some
thing not fit for Christians to enjoy. l
think one of the ghastliest attempts ever
made by Christian men is the attempt to
put down the sportiveness of youth and
drive out the desire for amusement and
recreation from the people. | have known
men of such morbid taste and such twisted
theology that they were opposed to ball
playing and hated puzzles and denounced
charades and despised tableaux and cried,
away with all parlor amusements!' and
when young people iull of exuberance and
vitality asked {" What shall we do by way
of recrealion?' they were answered
" prayer meetingsw | have noticed, how
ever, that the people who don't know how
10 play don't know how TO work. l have
noticed that tHe mightiest men in the
church of God in all ages have joined in
hilarities and recreations. William Will
heriorce trunded hoop with his children !;
Martin Luther helped to dress the Christ
mas tree; Helen Chalmers told me that
her father, Thomas Chalmers, in the awful
hour of Scottish history when the free
church was about TO come out from the
established church-that almost every dav
Thomas Chalmers played at flying kite
with his children on the common. The
men who know how to play, and in the
right way. generally know how to work.
The first test | want you to apply to
every amusement is, has it healthful
influence or u baneful reactionP There are
some men made up uf hard facts, a com
bination of statistics and the multiplied
ton table. They have no rebound in their
natures. They never do anything more
than family smile. 1t seems to me that
nature made them by contract, and made
a bungling job of it. But, blessed be God
there are people with bright faces and
genial hearts, and their life is pean of
victory. Often their sorrows are like
vines growing around a great tower. on
top of which the sunlight sets and the soft
airs of summer hold perpetual carnival.
If you but touch the hem of heir garments
you are healed. | know men so large
hearted, SO fervid so genial and sympa-
thetic that | would rather have them come
into my house than to have twenty minis
lers pronounce on me the benedction,
God sends them out with shining face
and great soul TO lift your burdens and
wipe away your tears and heal your
wounds But these exhlarant and re-
bounding spirits are in most peril of going
into dangerous amusements. The gayer
the horse the more important to have a
stout driver; the swlfter the ship the more
important to have strong helmsman.
There are amusements that send one to
the practical duties Of life bloodshot and
yawning and stupid and nauseated. There
are amusements that disgust one with the
work and drudgery of everyday life; with
tools OF trade because they are not swords
with work aprons because they are not
robes; with tame cattle because they are
not the infuriated bulls of the arena. If
any amusement gives you longing for Il
| life of romance or halrbr eadth csca pes, ,and
love that takes poison and makes you i'm
practical in the great duties of life-such
recreation ought TO be rs obnoxious to you
rs 1t is to God. Our recreations were in
tended to build US up, and if they pull us
down in our moral or physical health they
are bad amusements, and charge you, q
young men! steer clear of them.
Again, never 90 into amusements which
will lead you to spend more money than
YOU can afford. Do not be 50 silly AS to &C
twice to place of amusement and come
away feeling 'now time and money are
both wasted" Excursions that in day
make tour clear around a month wages
ladies whose lifetime business it is to &C
shopping; all these have their eclo it
bankruptcies that appall the church anc
shake he money market and send drunk
enness staggering across the richly figured
carpet of the mansion, dashing into tn,
mirror and drowning the carol of music il
the whOopng of bloated sons come home
to break the hearts of their old mothers
After tracing in vivid language the down
ward career of young men addicted tt
drink and debauchery, Mr.. Talmage con
tinued:
Again charge you not to make amuse
ment your lifetime business. Life is al
earnest thing do not care whether yol
have been born in a palace or in hovel
atf1uent or pinched, you have got to work
II you do not sweat with toll you will swea
with disease. Besides that, you have
soul which is to be transfigured amid tn,
vi Il utN anu dlttI I'll
sea has chanted lis last anthem and tn
mountains have come down in avalanche
of rock you will be living in II calm wher
seraphs sing or demons howl Our amuse
ments are only the playing of the orchestr
= while the tragedy OF life plunges throng
3 its five acts-infancy, childhood manhood
, old age and death. Then exit the las
8 chance for mercy-enter the overwhelm
= ing realities of the eternal world.
e Shun all amusements that do not max
} your home happier. That is the great tes
= address you as Gehazi addressed tn
: Shunamite, when | look into your face
this day. and say, is it well with theep
= it well with thy husband? Is it we'll wit
thy child?" Go forth, ther, and test a.
5 your amusements by these four or fiv
y tests BE happy in your work. Be happ
in your recreatons. When there are s
n many innocent amusements do no plung
9 into the pernicious. DO not stop your eal
e to a Heaven full Of songsters, and then Ii,
:. ten to the hiss of dragon. Do not tur
} your back upon the mountain side apurp
; with wild flowers, and dashing with nimb
d streams, to 90 with blistered feet climbin
b. up the hot sides of fire. belching Cotopax
S And if there be in this assembly ma
! who is leading others astray let me sa
( you are not only going astray yourself, bl
| leading others astray, and the judgment I
" God will meet you.
!; Talk about the exciting scenes in tn,
u atre. There was never anything enacte
.; in Haymarket or Drury lane theatre equ
to the last spectacular. Scene. the la
day; stage a rocking earth. Enter duke
lords, kings, clowns, beggars. No swort
g no tinsel, no crown. For footlights, II
kindling flames of II world; for gallerie
the clouds filed with angels; for orchestr
> the trumpets that wake the dead; for al
: plause, the clapping floods of the sea; fi
l. curtains, the Heavens rolled together as
g scroll for last scene in the fifth act, II
tramp fnations across the stage-these
l. the right, these TO the left. "Behold +
= cometh with clouds, and every eye sha
o see Him."
g THEORY AND FACT When DIR. Frank
IS visited Paris rs ambassador from Il
II colonies, be was asked why it was that