The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-04-22


thousands of young, middle-aged and old.
Some have broken up families, set sur
geons to work at perilous operation,
created lifelong ailments, and are re-
sponsible for eternal misfortunes. / will
not be misunderstood. Whosoever repre-
sents me as giving unrestricted approval
or condemnation falsifles my position,
and will be found to be defamers by those
who read the stenographio report Of this
sermon. For years, as many Of you
know, have carried loaded gun ready
to aim at every style of vile amusement
that came out Of the thicket to put its paw
and tooth upon the young, but I must al
ways discriminate.
The gamekeeper, Macdonald, Of Glen
garry, came homo and found that his
home had been ransacked by q regiment Of
English troops and his family infamously
treated, and that the chief offender was an
officer who rode on q white horse. The
next day, the troops passing. Macdonald
emptied the saddle of the man riding on
the white horse, and found out afterward
that the horse was ridden that day by an
other offi ,er, who had borrowed it. Great
was Macdonald's chagrin. The next day
the troops passed again, and again Mac
donald fired and again killed the wrong
man. Now, my soul is full Of wrath
against the amusements that have raw
aged so many Of the homes of America, but
must not aim at the wrong ones. must
know which are the offenders and which
ought to be unhorsed and slain.
To me, rightly precautioned roller-skat-
ing is the most beautiful and healthful ex-
ercise / ever Witnessed. It eclipses in
gracefulness and dhealthymovemen all the
croquet and coasting and lawn tennis and
football and moonlight gliding over frozen
ponds, and all other hilarities of house and
playground. 1t is good for the lungs,
good for the limbs, good for the circula-
ton, good for the spirits. l see in ii possi-
bilities for the best exercise ever invented.
1t has all the advantages of the gymna-
sium, with more exhilaration Of the spirits.
1t has all the exuberance of the skating
pond, on which our fathers and mothers
used to dart out, tippetted and furred,
with none Of rhe dangers of breaking
through the ice. 1t has all the vivacity OF
outdoor games, without being depend
ent on condition of the weather. II
would he grand thing If all our young
men could, for one hour almost every
evening, take round at this merriment.
The women of America who decline
tho stout, brisk walk, called the constitu-
tional, which keeps English women rose
ate and strong, would do well II almost
every day or night they would leave darn
ing and mending aud bread-making and
parlor-dusting and table-setting and
housekeeping for one hour and join the
whirl Of the skating rink. Some OF those
hollow cheeks would I'LL up, and some Of
those lack-luster eyes would get back theiI
lost light, and stopped shoulders would
become erect, and incipient consumption
and merciless neuralgia and nervous pros
trations would take everlasting departure
But while these are the possibilities Of
health and recuperation In this exercise or
wheels, many have used 1t TO the damag
ing Of body, mind and soul; and hence
speak of the restriction. First, let us hav,
no more of this vulgarity and immodesty-
seen every night in our city--of young
women, alone and unattended, skating In
rinks and forming indiscriminate ac'
quaintanceships. Let such young person
be chaperoned by father, or mother, OF
brother, or elder sister, and when q man
however well dressed, on the floor without
proper introduction tips his hat to lady
let tho officers of the rink, always on
guard, invite him 10 make rapid stride
toward the door, and help him down tn,
front steps with any such means Of increas
ing his momentum as may be suggested
Let those well-dressed devils who some
times haunt such places get quick justice
and our skating rlnks will be as free Of then
as Frida,' night prayer meeting. Let al
those who wish properly to employ thi
entertainment not allow the blaze of light
and the enchantnent Of drums and cornet
a-piston tempt them to a prolongation o
the amusement Let 1t not be a matter o
contest who can skate the longest or coun
up the most fabulous number Of circuits
Stop when you have got out Of the recrea
| tion all there Is in IL. Remember the law
Of health are the laws Of God. Keep tn
Ten Commandments written on your lung
and heart. Remember that group o
pneumonias on every cold night stand a
the door OF every amusement, howeve
honest, and would like to escort you b
the sepulcher. Cool Off before you fac
tho north wind. Accept no unwarranta
BILE gallantries. Know that the same Law
that dominated the parlor should dominat
the skating-rink. Know that the evil
reprehend is not confined TO skating-rinks
There are parents in all our cities VIII
need to look more carefully after thei
children. iai 1ni
In other words, Irritation Is damnation
When 1 see at the evening hour on Bread
way, New York, or Fulton street, Brook
lyn, as gentlemen return from business,
group OF young women with a conspicuou
manner and giggle that is intended to at
tract attention Of the masculine passerby
horror strikes through my soul, and
say l wonder IL the parents of these youn
people are aware OF this. The most O
those who make everlasting shipwrecl
carry that same kind OF sail. The pirate
Of death attack that style OF craft, l wisl
had voice loud enough TO be heard fron
the Penobscot 10 the Rio Grande, and
would repeat, Hlrtation is damnatlon.
i remark further that craze on an.
thing Is deplorable. Ball playing, fror