Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-10

| people nave cndnSeU. OOm6 OF Lnc OtO
blue laws still remain upon the statute
books, but they are, nevertheless, almost
dead letter. And so it is with some of the
articles of belief once firmly held by good
| Christian people. Nobody nowadays be-
| lieves that infants who have died without
| baptism are condemned to everlasting
flames, nor will anybody be found to accept
| the old Puritanic notion that the saints In
glory have their joys enhanced by gazing
over the battlements of heaven and seeing
their earthly friends and neighbors suffer-
ing the torments of the lost in the seethlng
fires poked up by Satan and his hosts.
But perhaps nothing shows more the great
| revolution in sentiment and opinion among
the church people than their disregard OF
| the old rules as to amusements. Card play
ing, novel reading, dramatic entertain
ments and dancing-all once so strictly for
hidden, are now almost as common among
church members as among those who make
no profession of faith. Not long ago
minister felt impelled to preach
A SERMON AGAINST DANCING.
His remarks were received with smiles,
and the little winks went round from pew to
pew. The cause of this amusing by-play
was that the children of nearly all of the
prominent members went to dancing school.
ment for young folks seem to have disap-
| peared, and judging by the crowds that now
attend dancing schools it would almost ap-
pear that society had a law like unto that of
the Spartans, which obliged parents to e1-
| ercise their children in dancing from the
age of 5 up to maturity.
Novels, once so strictly prohibited and de-
cried, now constitute the bulk of the Sum-
| dav school libraries. Theatrical entertain
ments, once so roundly denounced, are now
largely patronized by the truly good people.
| Dancing was never more largely INDUCED
in than at present, despite the countless
sermons preached against it and the an
athemas pronounced upon those who take
part in it, while card playing is the COM
mon amusement of all classes of the laity,
old and young, rich and poor, church mem
bers and outsiders.
1t behooves the reverend brethren to make
a note of these things and consider whether
it is well for them to waste time and breath
and energy in endeaVoring to put down pri-
vate judgment. People think for them
selves in these matters. They have got be-
yond the stage when the dogmatic utter
ances of even their spiritual teachers carry
weight unless supported by their own
conscience and common sense. When
reverend brother denounces card playing
from the pulpit as an evil or sin, the ma
jority of his people know by their own ex-
perience that game of cards is no more
wrong than a game of croquet or tennis.
They take no stock in the idea that painted
pasteboard is any more sinful to handle than
balls, or mallets, or rackets, or Jack straws.
If there is any truth in Brother Moody's
idea that everybody who plays progressive
euchre" will be sent to'dWell with Satan and
his angels some Of the very best people in
the world will be shut out of fheaven-people
who fulfill the law OF charity, who are full
of good works and whose names are written
as those who love their iellowmen.
John Wesley, when found fault with for
adapting holy hymns to earthly music, said
he did not believe in allowing the devil to
have all the good music. Perhaps if the
reverend brethren in the pulpits and the
stiff old deacons would take thought and
consider they would decide that the devil
should not be allowed to have
ALL THE GOOD FUN.
The Young Mems Christian Associations
now find their greatest attraction and strong
est power for good in their gymnasium.
their field sports, base ball and reading room
pleasures, rather than in prayer meetings
and tracts. 1t would seem as if the pastors
and church authorities might profit to some
extent BY their experience and make the
churches minister, not only to the spiritual
needs of its members, but their temporal en-
joyments as well. The grand temples that
cost so much money and are only used one
day in the week, or perhaps twice, mighe be
utilized for the social pleasures of the con-
gregation. The young folks love COM
pany, and for that matter so do
their elders, when it is congenial. What
valid objection can there be to the
parlors and lecture rooms of the churches
being utilized for the social enjoyment of
all. Young men and even Young girls,
whose homes are unhappy and whose sur
roundings are unpleasant, spend their
evenings on the street to enjoy company and
to get out of the close and dirty quarters in
which they live. What would it not be to
them to have a church reading room,
room where they might find pleasure and
recreation in games, a lecture room where
they might hold meetings, engage in dis
cussions, join in literary exercises, or listen
to good music? The church buildings are
not used enough. They are as a usual
thing full of stale air and the chill of
vacancy. Through the week the lecture
room is opened for a sparse and melancholy
prayer meeting, or perhaps the
ladies have good old-fashioned gossiping
sewing society, or occasionally a church
supper to make money for the heathens, but
these give no adequate returns for the capi-
tai invested, either spiritually or socially.
Said lady from Oakland, or thereabouts,
one day: I'VE had to organize a club house
out here in order to keep our bows from go
ing downtown to spend their evenings. At
first" she said, 81 zealously opposed it; 1
thought it was dreadful to have them 90
where they could play cards and billiards,
and all that sort of thing; but after had
been induced to visit it my objections all
went by the board. 1 saw it was a GOOD
thing, and means of keeping the boys
from the temptations of the saloons and
resorts, where they were liable to fall into
the wiles of wickedness. This work
might have been done, and per-
haps better done, by the churches, and
at less expense. 1t would not be surprising
if some day the progressive people of the
churches should see the vast amount OF
good they might do in this line. As the
world moves the churches must move, or get
left. Considering the vast advances in the
last halfcentury it would not be surprising
to find before long the first story of the
sanctuaries given over to free reading rooms,
parlors for card playing, chess. and other
games, billiard rooms. bowling alleys,
lecture rooms for literary exercises and
discussions on Looking Backward" and
the living questions OF the day by the
talented members of the congregation, both
men and women, who would give scope to
their powers and instruction to their
hearers.
This may be set down by many as a ridicu-
lous fancy, but as the old order changes it
may become practical reality.
BESSIE BRAMBLE.
HOW TO MAKE A HYPOCRITE.