The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-12-06
CHECKERS At HOME
Experience of a Business Man
in the "JuntO Club"
THOUGHT HE WAS couRrlNa
The Man Who Argued Religion With
His Wife Got WOrsted-She
Knew the Bible.

There was an unusual interest in tn,
last meeting Of the Junto Club on ac.
count of the promises several members
had made in regard to entertaining their
wives and sisters. We were all interested
in the outcome and were anxious to hear
the experiences of those who had beer
temporarily converted from the error Of
the ways of those who neglect the rights
of the family circle by being absent al
the time when all should gather at the
family flreside.
Usually our serious conversation does
not begin until late in the evening, for
we spend the earlier hours in discussing
weather, business or railroad progress un-
til all the members have come in and
have been welcomed to a place at our
club table So, of course, the conversa-
tion that is made public is only small
part of that which we enjoy. There is
usually round of stories-sometimes
quite fusilade of jokes-and quite often
some member reads an editorial from
some leading paper.
Our club seems to have no definite OBJ
ject, yet we all feel that we are gaining
definite and much-desired end. We
are all bent upon self-improvement, and
there is no question but that we are ac-
complishing much along that line by our
conversation, which is at least free from
those qualities that render a conversation
improbable.
We talk often of the family relation
and of religion-so much so, indeed, that
one might almost infer that such is our
object-but We are guided in the selection
OF our subjects only by our Individual in
clination, so 1t must be that we drift into
the discussion of those subjects because
they are of supreme interest to each one
Of us.
And we can readily believe that these
subjects are of supreme interest, for Ma
ture has endowed man with a desire for
religion and conjugal love which is
stronger than the desire for self-preserva-
tion, which has been called the first law
of Nature. If we discuss love and re-
ligion very frequently we have at least
this assurance-that all men are thinking
as we are, though there are many who
claim to have no concern 3or either, and
think, probably, that they are believed
when they proclaim it. There never
religion.
But on the evening of our last meeting
we were all on time, and, as l said be-
fore, SO interested in the reports some of
our members had to make that we did
not spend the first part of the meeting
In the usual manner, but called immedi-
ately upon those who had promised to
try experiments upon the home entertain
ment proposition.
well" said the first member, IT hardly
know what to say. I was so surprised
last week that / haven't recovered yet,
and it would be difficult 10 tell my ex-
perence. 1 took the ch ecker board
home and hid it away, so my wife would
not find 1t and begin TO ask questions.
When we had finished supper / asked,
Would you like to play checkers with
me tonight? She looked at me in what
was little short of astonishment and
perhaps wondered whether 7 was getting
ready to go to the asylum, but in a mo-
ment said, I'll have to wash the dishes
first Well, I'll help you," said I, and
we both worked at them together, she
and wiping them. both talking
as we had not before Cor several years.
When we had finished got the checker
Joard and drew a chair up facing mine
Tor my wife to sit on when she came in.
But she didn't sit on that chair. | CAM
-ell you where she did sit, for It reminded
ne of the way we used to act before we
we're married, and you know a man never
ellis of that. We 1idn't play checkers
hat evening, but we did the next even
l feel like young man again"
We'll, how did you come out?" we
lsked the man who intended talking
modern theology to his better half
Not very well. / managed some way
o get started on the subject, but my
wife was not disposed to be converted TO
ny way Of thinking, so she undertook to
lrestion my theories and argue the point.
thought / understood the question, ana
am sure this idea Of eternal tort ire is
erroneous, hut 1t seems that there are
wo sides to the question, and / had
ooked at only ore side, and that very
,arelessly
She could quota the Bible and /
couldn't. had only one argument
'oorly supported-whilc she had meny
veil supported. she could answer mine
md couldn't answer .hers. knew
vas right, but as had started the dis
'ussion it would not do for me TO get
lrbitrary: on the other hand, she had
very advantage, and, to put II plainly,
did me up The only trouble was that
had been satisfied with one argument
IN my SIDE and had not examined the
easoning Of that well enough 10 defend
t; and had not considered the other side
It all I'll study up on that and try again
ome time"
And I" said the young man who had
Promised to entertain his sister. have
lad glorious time all the week
tayed at home every night in the week
md took my sister to church Sunday
yening I'm going to keep 1t up"
Then Il seems to me that we ought to
i've up all our lodges. club meetings
tc., and spend our evenings at i1ome.rI
aid another
No; not necessarily. 4 Is a duffy
very man owes to his family 10 be a
member OF one good strong secret So
iety. Time Will disclose nearly all things,
ut il viii never revenl The f,nod thai