Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-01-04
SOMETHING GOING ON
Correspondence OF the staunton y1Np1cAroR

Waged With the Devil, with all its varying
fortunes sometimes being on top and,
alas. oftener still, he having excellent
reasons for crowing-a sort of family
feud, as it were, exceedingly discreditable
in it's results as all such feuds are-I have
never ceased to urge amusements for the
young. I have advocated theatres
opera houses, music halls. They may not
be Enthusiastically they are not so
regarded by some other members of our
family, who have, indeed, gone so far as
to Intimate that I was on the side of the
Fallen Member of the Family instead of
against him. Nevertheless I do stoutly
maintain the ground that if we are to
gain any permanent advantage over the
arch enemy have named, we must have
something going on for young people
something which must, from the pressure
of public opinion. if for no other reason, be
respectable. orderly and attractive. There
is good deal in this vague term of "some-
thing going on" A town without some.
thing going on is exceedingly dull, and a
house with nothing going on is dull
place to young men. No private family
can have changed programme of home
entertainments for the young men of the
household three hundred nights in the
year. On the contrary it is hard in a
well ordered family to have any variety
worth the name. It is this monotOny at
home that makes 1t so important to have
the right sort of thing going on outside.
which will attract the young, instead of
the wrong sort of thing. For--and
pray you mark this well-you may be GER
tain that there is always something Of
this last sort going on. am speaking
from no church point Of view, from no
elevated religious plane; am mere man
of the world, with few prejudices and
still less squeamishness. In the great
fight between Good and Evil I simply
enlist in the army of the former-an un-
certain, rickety sort of soldier at the
best, but one who very sincerely desires
the success of the cause. So, when I
express anxiety about the young, you may
take it that it Is not. what the world calls
SUNDAY School opinion" but an
earnest wish to see them, when it comes
to a decision, cast their lot under the
banner of those striving for the Good,
and-seeing how modern ideas have given
them so much better opportunities for
training in that direction to make bet
ter soldiers than we oldsters, who had
nothing in youth but strict home, be-
tween whose restraints, and outside Ii
cense, there we're no innocent, healthy
grounds like those that have been estab-
lished in this day.
All this and more came into my head
the other night by an accident. Walking
down the broad Main street here, I saw a
large building lighted from top to bottom,
and at its lower entrance dazzling cleo
trio light that would hold its own with
any saloon entrance light. Crossing the
street found a bulletin board. It read
something like this: Rehearsal of Orato-
rio O'Clock" Training Glass o'clock;''
Young Mems Bible Glass 8:15;" "Young
Mems Meeting $780," "Gymnasium from
10 A. M. to P. Nj ;;"'Short Hand School
P. M. ;';"Class of Bookkeeping Sis z.
NJ" ''Penmanship, 2. M Here was
something going on" with a vengeance!
In fact there seemed to be no end of it.:
there was something Oh every floor. Young
men and ladies were going in and others
were coming out. The place looked busy
and inviting. 1 looked at the head of the
bulletin board. There stood the explana-
ton Of the whole thing-"Y Dung Mems
Christian Association" and at the bottom
was "Come in and look at our rooms"
Of course I would, why shouldn'tI? I
was strolling down the street looking into
the store widows, because there was moth
ing going on at the theatre, and here
seemed to be a different sort of thing ''go-
ing on' on every floor of the house.
The inside, from the bottom to the top
for l went all over twas one of the most
ingenious devices for giving young man
good morals, good muscle, good health land
practical education that ever saw. Let
me give you sort of rough crayon picture
of it. At the head of a broad stairway
yon turn to the left and see young fellow
at rallied IN desk. He is bright, chip
perry young fellow, apparently about TWEEN
ty-four, symmetrically built, and a pair of
those frank, earnest blue eyes, that are
always saying without words, What can
l do for your" He is the General Seere-
tary, and reminded me very much in his
manner of your General Secretary Dad
mum. On that floor there was going on
that night-let me see IT I remember
right-a completely appointed gymnasium
with some thirty young men there; chess
room with some staid looking men playing
chess and goodly gathering of on-look-
ers; large reception room in which the
people were reading; another room in
which there was meeting of the Asso-
citation going on or of the Executive Com
mittee l forget which, and another
room in which there was class OF young
men learning bookkeeping with an expert
teacher. The furniture of the rooms
was handsome, the carpeting rich, and the
ensemble was busy and varied enough to
interest any man, young or old. On the
door above, was something else ''going
on." In pretty hall, holding four hun
lred chairs like those in your Opera
House, and with platform curtainsd off,
was party of young gentlemen and ladies
rehearsing an oratorio, or ''Plnafore" I !
forget which. to be given for some benev-
,lent object, and adjoining was beauti-