The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-03-22

pavement. cautiously ana carefully, Il
,teadlod hin until his crutch slipped and
he fell. I helped him up as well rs 1 could,
gathered up the fragments OF the package
ns we'll as 1 could, put them under ono
arm and the crutch under the other arm,
but whom l sgw the blood run down his
pale cheek burst into tears. Fifty essays
about the sufrerlngs OF the poor could not
lou oh one like that little drnma OF accident
and suffering.
Oh, we want in all our different depart.
ments OF usefulness more OF the dramatic
element and less OF tue didncti,. The
tendency IN this day f. to drone religion,
to whine religion. to cant religion, to moan
religion, TO croak religion. to sepulcharige
religion, when We ought to present Il In
animated and spectacular manner.
What we want, ministers aud laymen, Is
TO get our sermons and our exh hortatlOns
and our prayers out OF the old rut. The old
hnckneyed religious phrases that come
snoring down through tho centuries will
never nrrest the masses. What we want
to-day, You In your sphere, and In my
sphere, IL TO freshen up. People do not
want In their sermons the sham flowers
bought at the millinery shop, but the
iaponicas wet with the morning dew, not
the heavy bones OF extinct megatherlum
of past ages, but the living reindeer caught
lust August at tho edge OF Schroon Lake.
We want to drive out tue drowsy and the
and Introduce tho Brightness and the
vlvneity and the holy enroasm and the sane.
llned wit and the epigrammatlo power and
The blood red earnestness and the flro OF re.
iiglous zeal, and do not know OF any way
oi doing It ~ well as through the dramatic.
But now let us turn to the drama as an
amusement and entertainment.
Rev. DR.. bellows, OF Now York, many
years ago in very brilllent but much criti-
cised sermon took the position that the
thonter might be renovated aud made aux.
Hilary to tho church. Many Christian Poo
Pile arc OF the same opinion. 1 do not
agree with them. have no idea that sue.
cess is In that direction. What l have said
heretofore on this subject, as far as I caa
remember, Is my sentiment now. But to.
day take u step Ia advance OF my former
theory. Christianity Is going to take full
possession OF this world and control its
maxims, Its laws, its literature, Its science
realm OF Christianity anything and you
give 1t up to sin and death.
IL Christianity Is mighty enough to
manage everything but the amusements OF
the world, then II IL u very detective Chris
tlanlty. Is 1t capable OF keeping account
OF tho tears OF the world and incompetent
10 make record OF It's smilesP Is 1t good to
follow the funeral, but dumb ut the worlds
play2 Can 1t control all the o.her elements
Ot our nature but tho dramatic element2
My idea OF Christianity Ia that II can aud
will conquer everything.
Now, what we want Is to hasten that
time. How will II be done2 Dy Che church
going over to the theater2 1t will not &c.
BY the theater coming to tho church, It
will not come. What wa want Is a reformed
amusement association In every city and
town OF the United States. Once an.
nounced and explained and illustrated,
the Christian and philanthroplc capitalist
Will come forward TO establish II, and there
will be public spirited men everywhere who
will do this work for the dramatic element
OF our natures. We need new institu-
tion to meet and recognize and develop
and defend the dramatic element OF our
nature. 1t needs to be distinct from ey-
erything that Is or has been.
| would have this reformed amusement
association having In charge this new In
stitutiVn OF the spectacular take possession
OF some hall or academy. It might take q
smaller building ut the start, but 1t would
soon need the largest hall, and even TINT
would not hold the people, for he who
opens before tho dramatic element In
human nature an opportunity OF gratllca-
tion without compromise and without
danger does the mlghtlest thing OF this
century, and the tides OF such nm instltu-
tion would rise as the Atlantic rlsos at
Liverpool docks.
There are tens OF thousands OF Christian
homes where the sous and daughters are
held back from dramatic entertainment for
reasons which some of you would say are
good reasons aud others would say are
poor reasons, but stlll held back. But on
the establishment OF suoh an institution
they would feel the arrest OF their I'm K xletes
aud would say on tho establishment OF this
new institution, which 1 have called the
spectacular, ''Thank, God, this IL what we
hive all been waiting for"
Now rs I believe that make suggestion
OF an institution which wiser men will
develop, want to give some charaoterls.
ties OF this new institution. this spectacu-
lar, II 1t Is to be u grand social and moral
success. In the first place, its entertain.
ments must be compressed within an hour
ana throe-quarteis. What kills sermons,
prayers and lectures and entertainments
ot nll SORTS Is proiNlty. At u reasonable
hour every night every curtain OF public
entertainment ought to drop, every church
service ought to cease, the Instruments OF
orchestras ought to DO unstrung.
On the platform OF this new institution
there will be drama which before render
Ing has been read, expurRated, abbreviated
and passed upon by Il board of trustees
connected with this reformed amusement
association. II there be In drama u som
tenee suggesting evil. It will be stricken
out. II there be In n Shakespearean play n
word with two meanlngs--a good meaning
and bad mcnning--another word will be
substituted, nm honest word looking only
way. The caterers to public taste will have
10 learn that Shakespehrean nastiness ia no
better than Congrevean nastlness. You
say, WHO will dare to change by expurga.
tion or 1bbrevIation a Shakespearean
play?" dars. The board OF trustees OF
this reformed amusement association will
dare. II Is no depreciation OF dramn,
tho abbrevlntion 1t. would like to hear
thirty or forty pages OF Milton's paradise
Lost" read at one time. but should be
very sorry to hear the whole book read at
one sitting. Abbreviation is not deprecla.
tlon.
On the platform OF this nAw institution
this spectacular, under the care OF the very
best men aud women In tho community,
there shall be nothing Witnessed that
would be unit for u parior. Any attitude,
any look, any word that would offend you
seated at your own lreside, In your family
circle, will be prohibited from that plat
form. BY what law of common sense or OF
morality does that which Is not 1T TO no
seen or heard by Ave people become nt to
be seen or heard by 1900 people2 On tho
platform OF that spectacular all tue scenes
OF the drama will b. as chaste us was ever
n lecture by Edward Everett or sermon
by +. W. Robertson. On that platform
thore shall be no carouser no inebrlnte, no
cyprtan. no foe OF good morals, masculine