The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-14

How the Day Is Spent-NOt Made a
Time of IL Disregard for the Sab
bath Sanctity-The Results on the
People,
Those who write for American read
ers concerning the habits and customs
of the German people, generally speak
of the manner in which the Sabbath is
observed, if not with absolute COM
mendation, at least with apologize
sanction.
This is hard working people, they
say. They use the Sabbath as day for
rest; day for the recreation of those
special functions of the body that have
been worn and exhausted by the six
days of toll. For instance, the man of
manual labor will give his physical
powers complete rest and will exercise
his mind by some amusement, such as
the theatre or the opera if he can afford
it, if not, by lOunging in some beer gar
! den, where he may listen to good
band concert, or may be enjoy some
cheap stage show. The man whose
weekly labors tax the mind seeks some
| physical activity as means for resting
on the Sabbath. An excursion into the
country it may be, or n stroll in the
many parks and gardens. If neither of
these, he will at least allow himself to
be entertained in such manner as shall
not call forth any mental effort, but
shall soOthe and refresh the mind. The
deep thinker, the scholar may get the
needed rest by listening to the weakest
stage nonsense while he drinks his beer.
In short, he who is shut up in doors
all the week will rush to the gardens,
parks or fields for fresh air on Sunday.
And he whose work is out of doors will
as surely spend his Sunday in some in
door resort.
All will thus find themselves Monday
morning recreated; made better and
stronger by having observed the God
| given Sabbath according to the dictates
of a God-given nature. This, they say,
is the natural way Of observing or using
day of rest. And they ask; rs it not
after all more rational than the Ameri-
can or puritanic manner of demanding
that all, whatsoever their circumstances
or vacations in life, observe the day in
one and the self same way? Theoreti-
cally this sounds very well, and if the
German people really did observe the
day as here represented they would be
less open to sharp criticism in this mat
ter,
1t is perhaps fortunate that all observ-
ers do not see with the same eyes.
Either their opportunities for observa-
ton differ, or some "having eyes, see
not"
What statements l make are from
personal observation, and, | believe,
fairly represent the matter.
The fact is the largest portion of the
people are occupied with the same
duties on Sunday as on week days, at
least until the last half of the afternoon,
Stores of all kinds are open and appar-
emily do a driving business. They count
on Sunday for big trade. What seems
most inconsistent is the closing of the
stores on any and all of the numberless
church days during the week. Yesler-
day, Sunday, could have made any
purchase | might have desired at any
time before three or four o'clock. To-
day everything is shut up,
even many of the bread houses
except perhaps for two hours in the
middle of the day, when few of them
are open, These things are quite veXa-
tions. Holidays, the larger part of
which are church days. are quite the
bane of business and enterprise in Ger
many. These people never murmur be-
cause they have to work on Sunday, but
cannot be persuaded to do so on a holt
day during the week. 1t is not simply
in the places of trade that the Sabbath
is as other days. The actors have no
day of rest for the opera and theatre re-
serve their most attractive and difficult
bills for Sunday, when the house will
be crowded The tailor will take an or
der for suit of clothes Saturday and
deliver it Monday noon, because he and
his men are at the bench all day Sun
day. The tap of the cobbler's hammer
is Just as constant on Sunday as on
'week days, An artist can take an order