Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-04-17
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

Rev. MIR. Day breaches About Making
a Business OF Pleasure on That Day--
the Right Rule for the Electric Rail-
rOad---the Bad Practice Into which
the BrattIeborO Drug stores Have
Grown.
Rev. G.. o. Day spoke in a direct and
forcible wayu upon points respecting our local
observance of Sunday in his sermon last
Sunday morning. His theme was the $50
cial aspects of primitive Christianity"
In its development he spoke first of the
true solution of the labor question as indi-
Gated by the spirit of the early Christians;
second of Christian hospitality as repre-
senting spirit of unfailing friendliness
and generosity in the church and the home;
third, of the use of the Bible in creating
public standards of morals, founded, not
upon any strained or mystical interpreta-
ton, but upon its fundamental principles
of righteousness.
Mr. Day next took up the question of
Sunday observance. The day, as we know
it, he said, had its origin in the rising of
Christ from the dead. From that event
the day takes its meaning-the rising to
our best opportunities the development of
our highest ideals. Three features of our
modern life are having a marked effect up
on the use of the day-the Sunday press,
cheap excursions, and the increase of the
commercial spirit. To the reading on
Sunday of paper which is prepared and
printed the day before there is no obiec-
tion. That is not the point. The ques-
tion is what the papers contain-whether
they are morally wholesome and uplifting
and mentally instructive and helpful.
ic pbf r;.I
day for those who need the air and the
change. If the rich may ride in their
way, then others may ride in theirs. The
trouble comes when we make business of
riding and of pleasure excursions on that
day. If that is to be the rule we might as
well have merry-go-round on the island
to amuse people for five cents, or lines of
barges and tally-hos to carry the crowd
whittier they will. On this general prin-
cple the electric railroad ought not to in
vite Sunday business by putting on extra
cars and making extra inducements for
Sunday patronage. Let the business be-
gin and end with what is necessary and le-
gitimate travel.
Under the head of the commercial use
of Sunday Mr.. Day spoke with regret of
the growing tendency of the Brattleboro
drug stores to give the day up to trade in
their ordinary lines of goods. He had
been sorry TO observe on summer Sunday
evenings in the past that it is growing to
be the wont of young men and women TO
throng the drug stores, where they chat
and drink soda water and the young men
smoke. Leaving out all other considera-
tions the question is, how far are we to
carry the commercial spirit on Sunday? 1t
involves the extension of restaurant and
other privileges. Drug stores have no
rights in the way of general trade on Sun
days to which all other lines of business
are not entitled. 1t is not Just to other
dealers who sell soda water, cigars, confec-
| tionery, ETC., that their places should be
closed while the drug stores are open.
The Sunday rule for the drug stores
should be to keep open only as is necessa-
ry to supply needed medicine. One store
on a Sunday is enough, but if each GUS
toner is welded to his own particular
store then let there be certain known
hours when the stores are open, with
single clerk in attendance. Any privilege
claimed beyond this is not only an inva-
sion of the commercial rights of others,
but it exerts a damaging influence against
the higher use and observance of the day.
1t was evident that these remarks, which
were made only in a spirit of kindness and
of Just and merited criticism, made deep
! impression on Mr.. Days congregation,
and they have met with approving COM
ment in the community at large.