Milford chronicle., 1896-04-03

YOU can for tho Philharmonic and the
Handel and Haydn societies. Feel that
tho 81 90 or 81 TINT you spend for thc pur-
pose of huarine an artist play OF sing is Il
profitable investment. Lei your academies
OF music rour with tho aoclanation Of ap-
pregiative audiences assembled ut the con-
cert or the orutOrio
Physical Culture.
Still further. I commend, as worthy OF
their support; tho gymnasium. This in
stitution is gaining in favor every yoar
and | know Of nothing moro free from
destination, or moro calculated to reauper-
ate the physical and mental energies.
While there are good many people who
have employed this institution, there IS a
vast number who are ignorant Of its ex-
cellcncies. There are men with oramped
chests and weak sides and desp0ndont
spirits who through the gymnasium might
be reused up to exuberance and exhilara-
ton of life. There arc many Christian
people Respondent from year to year, who
might, through such an institution be
benefited in their spiritual relations.
There arc Christian people who seem to
think that it is "A good sign to be poorly;
and because Richard Baxter and Robert
Hall were invalid, they think that by tha
same sickness they may come to tho same
grandeur of character. l want to tell the
Christian people of my congregation thai
God will hold you responsible for your IN
validism If it is your tdult, and when,
through right exercise and prudence You
might DO athletic and we'll. Tho effect OF
the body upon the soul you acknowledge.
Put a man of mild disposition upon the
animal diet of which the Indian partakes,
and i'm q little while his blood will change
its chemical proportions. II will become
like unto the blood of the lion, or the tiger,
or the bear while his disposition Will
change. and become fierce and unrelent-
ing. Tho body has n powerful effect upon
the soul.
There are good people whose ideas OF
heaven arc all shut out with clouds OF To-
bacco smoke. There arc people who dare
10 sbatter the physical vase in which God
has nut the Jewel of eternity. There are
men with great hearts and intelleots, In
bodies worn ont by their own negloots-
magnificent machinery, capable OF pro
Melting a Majestic across the Atlantic, yes
fastened in a rioiloty North river propeller.
Martin Luther was SO mighty for God,
first. because he Lad noble soul, and sec
ondly because he had a muscular develop
ment which would have enabled him to
thrash any five Of his prosecutors, lift had
baan Christian so to do. Physical dovel-
opnent which merely shows itselfin tabu-
lous lifting, Or in perilous rope walking OF
i'm pugilistio encounter, pEcltoS pnlY our
contempt; but we confess to great admira-
ton for the man who has . great soul in
an athletic body, every nerve, muscle ana
bone of which is consecrsted bright uses
oh. it seems 60 mo outrageous that men,
fbfoueh neglect, should allow their phys
ical health to go down beyond repair-a
shin which ought, with all sail set and w
cry man at his post, to be- carrying a rich
oargu tor gtorulty, employing all its men
In stopping up laakaggsF WheB you may,
through The gymnasium, work off youF
spleen ANA your querulousncss and one
half of your physical and mental ailments,
do not tuTn yoFP haak upon such grand
medicament.
ParloF Games,
Still further, commend to you a large
class Of parlor games and recreations.
There is way Of making our homes a
huudredfaid more attEaGtiyd than they atd
now. Those parents cannot expect to
keen their children away from outside dis
sipntinus unless they make the domestic
circle brighten than anything they can hnd
outside of it. Do not, then, sit IN youE
home surly and unsympathctic and with q
half anndannatorY look BECAUSE 81 Fhe
spoptfulness of your children. You were
Young once yourselfi let your children pq
Young. Because your eyes ara dim ana
YOUR ankles ara stiff, do not dunoupce
qportfulness in those upon whose eyes There
is the first lustor, and In whose foot there
is the bounding joy Of robust health l
thank God that in cur drawing rooms and
in our parlors there ARE innuinerable games
and sports which have noH upon them the
least faint of iniquity,
Light up ali your homes with innooenb
hilarities. Do not sit down with the rhou-
matism, wondering how children can go
on so. Rather thank God that their hearts
are SO light, end their laughter is so free
and their checks are 50 rudy, and thas
their expectations arq so radiant. The
night will come soon enough, and the
heartbreak, ind the pang, and tho desola-
tion-it will come soon enough for the
dear children. But when the storm aetu-
ally clouds She sky it will be time enough
for YOU to haul out yodr reef tackles
y
innocent sports and games which are the
inventions OF cur own day Put Inc games
which come down with che spOptrulness OF
all the past ages-chgss ana eharades ana
tableaux and batilcdore and calistheDios
and lawn toanis, Hpq oil thQsg ampsemepts
which the young people OF our homes khoW
so we'll how SO contriye. Then there VIII
be the parlcr socialities-grOups OF people
assembled in your homes, with wit ana
mimicry ana joviality, filling the room
with Joy from door to mantcl, and from
the carpet to the ceiling. Oh, is there any
sxhilaration like a scuro Of genial souls IN
one room, each one adding contribution
of his own individual merfiment 70 the
aggregation of general hiiaFity!
Suppose yoa want to go abroad IN ting
city, then you will find the panorama, and
the art gallery, and tho eSquislte pollee-
lions Of pictures, You will lind the mu-
scum and the Historical society rooms full
of rare euricsites, and scores Of places
which can stand plainly the test of what Is
right and wrong In nmusemonts. You
will find the lecturing hall, which has been
huuorod by the names Of 4 gassiz in natural
history, Dorcmus in chemistry, Boynton
q geology, Mitchell 10 nslraagmy, John
b. Cough in moral reform, and scores anu
hundreds Of men who have poured their
wit and genius and Ingenuity through
that particular channel uppn tho hearts
and consciences and imaginations Of men,
setting this country 90 years farther in
advance than it would have been without
the lecture platform.
rejoice in the popularization Of ostdoor
sports. I hail tho ornquet ground, and
tho fisherman's rod, and the sportsman g
gun. IN our cities life is so unhealthy
and unnatural that whom the census
taker represents city rs having 100000
Inhabitants there are only 100000 since
1t takes Mt least two mon to amount
to one man, SO depicting and unnerv-
ing and exhausting is this metropoii-
tan life. We want more fresh air, more
sunlight, moro Of the abandon Of field
sports. 1 cry out for it in behalf Of the
church of God as well as in behalf Of
secular interests. / wish that our ponds
and our rivers and our capitolino ground;
might be al aquake with the heel and the
shout Of the swift skater, / wish that
,r,hn,, tho warm weather comes the gracO