Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-04-03
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the rheumatlsm, WONDERING hON Snl-
dren can 90 Oh so. Rather thank God
that their hearts are so light, and their
laughter is so free, and their cheeks are
so ruddy, and that their expectations
are so radiant. The night will come
soon enough, and the heartbreak and
the pang and the desolation-it Will
come soon enough for the dear children.
But when the storm actually clouds the
sky it will he time enough for you to
haul out your reef tackles. Garry, then,
into your homes not only the innocent
sports and games which are the inven-
tions Of our own day, but the games
which come down with the sportfulness
Of all the past ages-chess and cbarades
and tableaux and battledoor and calls
themes and lawn tennis and all those
amusements which the young people OF
our homes know so well how to con-
trive. Then there will be the parlor So
cialities--groups Of people assembled III
your homes, with wit and mimicry and
joviality, filling the room with joy from
door TO mantel and from the carpet TO
the ceiling. Oh. is there any exhilara-
tion like a score Of genial souls in one
room, each one adding a contribution Of
his own individual merriment TO the
aggregation Of general hilarity!
Suppose you want TO go abroad in the
city; then you will find the panorama
and the art gallery and the exquisite col
lections of pictures. You will find the
museum and the historical society rooms
full Of rare curiosities, and scores OF
places which can stand plainly the test
of what is right and wrong in amuse-
ments. You will find the lecturing hall,
which has been honored ~ The names
Of Agassiz in natural history, DoreIans
in chemistry, Boynton in geology, Mitch
ell in astronomy, John b. Cough III
moral reform, and scores and hundreds
Of men who have poured their wit and
genius and ingenuity through that par
ticular channel upon the hearts and con-
sciences and imaginations Of men, set
ting this country 80 years farther in ad-
vance than it would have been without
the lecture platform.
Outdoor Sports.
Irejoice in the popularization Of out
door sports. l hail the croquet ground
and the fisherman's rod and the sports
mans gun. In our cities life is so un-
healthy and unnatural that when the
census taker represents a city as having
400, 900 inhabitants there are only
200, 600, since it takes at least two men
to amount to one man, so depicting and
unnerving and exhausting Is this met
ropolitan life. We want more fresh air,
more sunlight, more Of the abandon OF
field sports. l cry out for it in behalf
of the church of God as well as IN be-
half Of secular interests wish that
our ponds and our rivers aud our capt.
toline grounds might be all aquake with
the heel and the shout Of the swift
skater. wish that when the warm
weather comes the graceful oar might
dip the stream and the evening tide be
resonant with boatman's song, the
bright PROV splitting the crystalline bill
low.
We shall have the smooth and grassy
lawn, and we will call cut people OF all
occupations and professions and ask
them to Join in the ball player sport.
You will come back from these outdoor
exercises and recreations with strength
in your arm and color in your cheek and
a flash in your eye and courage IN your
heart. In this great battle that is open
ing against the kingdom Of darkness
we want not only a consecrated soul,
but strong arm and stout lungs and
mighty muscle. bless God that there
are SO many recreations that have not
on them any taint Of iniquity, recrea-
tions in which we may engage for the
strengthening Of the body, for the clear
inV of the intellect, for the illumination
Of the soul.
There is still another form OF recrea-
tion which commend to you, and that
is the pleasure of doing good. l have
seen Young men, weak and cross and
sour and repelling in their disposition
who by one heavenly touch have waken-
ed up and become blessed and buoyant,
the ground under their feet and the SKY
over their heads breaking forth lnto
music "Oh, says some young man IN
the house today, Il should like that rec
reation above all others, but l have not
the means. " Ny dear brother, let US
take an account Of stock. You have
large estate if you only realize it. Two
hands. two feet. You will have per-
haps during the next year at least slO
for charitable contribution. You VIII
have 2. 500 cheerful looks if you want
10 employ them. You will have 5000
pleasant words if you want to speak
them. Now, what an amount that Is TO
start with
You 60 out tomorrow morning. ana
you see case Of real destitution by the
wayside. You give him 2 cents. Inc
blind man hears the pennies rattle IN
his hat, and he says, THANK you' SIT
God bless you You pass down the
street, trying to look Indifferent out
YOU feel from the very depth OF your
soul a profound satisfaction that you
made that man happy. You 20 on SUN
farther and find a poor boy Win
wheelbarrow, trying to get 1t up on the
curbstone He fails in the attempt You
say. "Stand back, my lad; let me Try. -
You push it up on the eurbstone Tor
him and pass on. He wonders who that
we'll dressed man was that helped him.
You did kindness to the boy but you
did a great joy 10 your own soul. You
will not get over it all the week.
On the street tomorrow morning you
will see a sick man passing along.
"Ah," you say, what can do to make
this man happy He certainly does not
want money; he is not poor, but he Is
sick" Give him one of those 2,oOo
cheerful looks that you have garnered
up for the whole year. Look JOY and
hopefulness into his soul. 1t will thrill
him through, and there will be reac-
tion upon your own soul. Going on lit-
tie farther, you will come to the store
of friend who is embarrassed III busi-
~ ill 90 n, oud cav .