Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-05-06

promote wisdom. AS Horace said
go Tis good, It's good at times to play
the fool" To live and to enjoy life,
has been affirmed to be not only the
| fundamental but the most illustrious
OF our occupations. Montaigne, whom
We delight to quote, says: "Have you
known how to mediate and manage
your life; you have performed the
greatest work of all. For man to
| shew and set out himself, Nature has
| no need OF fortune; she equally shows
herself in all degrees, and behind a
curtain as well as without one. Have
you known how to compose your man.
ncrs? You have done a great deal
more than he who has composed books.
Have you known how to take repose?
You have done more than he who
takes cities and empires. The glorious
masterpiece of man is, to know how to
live to purpose; all other things, to
reign, to lay up treasures, and to build,
are at the most but little appendices
and little props"
The stern puritanism of old, which
occasionally breaks out still, even in
County Councils and Petty Sessions,
put the ban upon many innocent
pleasures, and interdicted any SEM
blance of them on Sundays. The peO-
pie were taught by their spiritual
guides that to look upon the green
fields and running brooks was "Sab-
bath breaking" and that Sabbath
breaking was of equal turpitude with
drunkenness and fornication. Thus
their moral and religious ideas became
confused, and they were driven to re-
volt against all restraints, on the prin-
ciple that one may as we'll be hanged
for a sheep as lamb. A Saturday
night hymn for children commenced ::
Haste, put your playthings all away,
tomorrow is the Sabbath day" A
stanza OF another, sung in infant
schools, went:
I'VE must not laugh on Sunday,
But We may laugh on Monday,
On Tuesday and on Wednesday,
On Thursday, Friday. Saturday
Till Sunday comes again."
In regard to the question of OPEN
ing the Crystal Palace on Sunday,
The Record, which describes itself as
as " Liberal Conservative" and the or
gan of Low or Evangelical Church.
men, said, 40 years ago: "It is sur.
prising that any animal, with a head
OF a higher order than Chimpanzee,
should pronounce it innocent to open
place for public worldly amusement
on the Sabbath" 1t is through inHu-
ences such as these that hypocrites-
young men and old-have been manu-
factured in multitudes, and that crime
and immortality are unwittingly pro-
moted. The crying want of the time
is more abundant means of Sunday
recreation and of cheap and harmless
evening pleasures tor the toiling mill
lions when their weekly and daily
tasks are done. The narrowness of
Sabatarianism should be repudiated
by all who lay any claim to intelli-
gence. A cheerful spirit and love of
wholesome pleasures should be en-
couraged through life. Nor should
we be too squeamish in our discrimi-
nation. The eyes that see NOTES often
suffer from beam. The same pleas
ures are not suitable for all, yet all
may be suited. And the man who in
vents new pleasure is undoubtedly
public bcnefactor. But whether we
are old or young, rich or poor, ignor-
ant or learned, or occupy middle sta.
ton, as the old moralist said: with
al, let us be gay and sociable."
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