The San Francisco call., 1899-12-09


certain philantnropist was aghast at see
ing dear elderly couple with cotton
EiONe5 ~, anu neat, threadbare attire. driv-
lng through the park. Girdcd with the
stalwart purpose OF correction. she called
az their tenement fiat the next day. but
before she mad time % begin her reproof
they Droke forth into gratitude "Oh.
Mrs, Fiske: We thank you so much for
the y you sent US for groceries. but you
see Tor forty years we've talked about
how fine 10 would he TO sit up In n car
riage and look around. and we ala h yes
teTday. and it's given US sOmcthirg %
tax ABOUT as long as we live. John land
the old wOmans hand stole into that OF
her husbandl. he shuts his eyes and ne
Tells me what ne saw, and / shut my eyes
ana tell him, you can see beautiful things
so much better II you shut your eyes
when you are thinking OF them" As
Mrs. Fiske glanced round the bare room
she knew what they meant. and involun-
tarily putting her hand on theirs resolved
hencetOrth 10 make her helpfulnCss more
radiant In happiness She found then
the secret Of Recreation
We all take life too SERIOUSLY instead O.
iettlng a sense OF humOr, by which no
J0ke talls nat, carry US over difficulties.
Alas! In the treadmil homes OF the daily
routine OF daily duties there Is scant time
or means for amusement though III one
GLd GoLd but know II recreation Is cheaper. as
.nat implies a'receptive state OF mind 20
the influence OF nature and books. IL
taxes a bright person 10 discover that the
sPlIlt o! tun Is something which we carry
Nlthlh US ana that both amusement and
recreation are chcerless unless one lends
a hand 10 ones self in the business OF
being jolly.
Earnestly would / plead for home as
the place for good times We have mar
Ties Tor our little and our middle-aEed
GGhlldren, but after they are grown up a
klnd or supineness comes upon us and
We think We cannot manage it auv long
er' not wholly aware what we mean bv
~ the result being that our boys are out
waiting for some one 10 come in or dcern
u stupid 70 play checkers with the old
loIK. All depends on how you do IL.
II Is rather provoking that four causes
which are lessening the capacity Tor
nome enjoyment are yet in themselves
part OF Inevitable progress. Outdoor
afnuSements. golf and bicycle. croqt.et
anu Dall games. add so much 20 health
that we have 10 forgive those pursuits
ioT taking their followers away from the
indoor pleasures Of home We next have
70 forgive public reading rooms and IL
praries for enticinE children OF from tho
iahlly center table. or course. IL is bet
yer 10 nave libraries than TO be without
0ooks ana 10 nave coffee rooms than
liquor saloons ana clubs than solitude
sun, II IL possible that outside means for
enjoyment are depreciating the pleasant
slmplicities of home life More than haif
the blessing OF Chautauqua is It's bring
Ing OF books and studies into the home
even the stupidest member becoming IA.
jccts.
Then in many country towns that can
not support certain grades OF schools the
children Of a sparsely settled district are
carried at public expense TO the most
central schOOlhOuse. Their cOnvevauce
insures them far better schooling thar it
would be possible 10 obtain in an Isolated
community. costs the town less than a.
maintain several small schools and IL "a
loSlcal necessity OF the right OF a State
10 educate its future citizens Vet me
children thus early begin 20 find knovl-
edSe ana amusement outside their homes
Ior recess time and the hour spent In the
wagon that carries them hack and form
are merry and home gradually becomes
a place chiefly 20 sleep In and keep ores
Lastly. in cities philanthropy exerts
ltseII IN manifold ways 20 provide amuse-
Iaent for those whom IL deems incapable
OF Gbtaining II. SO there is no end TO
working girls clubs sodallties Lectures
/ cheap music hall entertainments. witch
are All right in their way. as less and
iess DO young people wish 10 stav M
nome winter evenings while sunr,c~
philanthropy takes the more hvrieuic
Tscreaton OF picnics and country weeks
rOr the rev persons who were weary In
a couple Of hours of a wealthy Iadv's nri
Nate grounds there are hundreds 10 whom
country outing Is glimpse into the
Wise is the mother who offsets these
dehshts by giving her children still bet
teI goo9 times in their own house. though
~ requires energy and invention 10 10
this, and most mothers are tired and rnost
Idthers nave little spare cash Still lei
Us nave our run at home as far as rs pos
sloIe: remembering that II we ask pe0ple
10 share II with us we must be yyiIIins-
10 go To them I'm turn and that aiv-a,s H.
an ,I places there should be old and young
toBetner. Many village grandmother
mas led Virginia reel and others c0uId
90 II II they were asked. III IS as anirnat
s Ins 70 set ages mixed up as IL Is 10 get
course '0''i Ai'e'-
II it is true that one can know a person
lIgo,,,I ~ nIS ttriehtds' SIN better can he be
people who enjoy funerals. III needs -
tbnro FUur,h ?, OF July TO understand others. Then
itneIe iIni. @ are epidemics In amusement. Not
IONS ago travelling band Of dealers In
medicine encamped in "A Village and Of
tered 10 draw without pay the teeth ~
any one who would buy their remedies
They stayed three or four davs sorJ 49,.
bottles and pulled a peck Of teeth before
Ihe mania was stopped by the announce
that ne should charge extra 10 fh0ss ~.
sirlng false sets OF teeth unless no him,
SELF had drawn their natural ones. Vet
the young men and maidens had looked
upon this wholesale and fndividuaI e,-t-el4
ton as a kind OF lark
After all T. said land much can be) IN
IaNoT OF publlc pleasures. 10 still remains
a parents privilege To lead her cbiidrer
INTO the enJoyments ~ good books garnes
@ ana home-made frolics. or course our
ooNs ana girls may snub our futile efYorfs
ana criticize our shortcomings. but tbc,s
are not as unRrateful as they secm ans
VII WitSr Sncy nave set up their own lares
give their children pleasures as we tricd
~ our day, for In spite Of philanthrony.
-, - sIi"uh,, oI nome loves and home
slGIles sltGlI ahd nome folks Is n shield against
evil. The time may even come when "a
Americans VIII be as glad to insure CO.,
unuance OF the hearth fire carried from,
parents TO children's homes as were 49,.
Romans of old. At Robv Castle D,,r ,ro
nam, England. the hearth fire is sSi5
never 70 nave been eNtlnEuished since fbS
days OF Edward the Confessor ''o
The social life OF tho homo ho.t- -
belng az nome with ones self An irnoet
inauve child II his own entertainer iearI
ing the older he grows the rIortt,.tSt -
the phrase-having resources yyltbin nr y.
sen. ser. AS amusement and recreation foi,
loW upon work and fatigue. the homo n,
sun the center from which friendSbt-,
are developed and the love ~ rcaI'Ip.s
I s.aI's ana 20 which we carry the strengf6
ant,,-ny ,nH JOY that come 10 us from loylns