The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-12
THE CHILD.s SUNDAY.

Mrs. James l.. Hughes OF chicago,
prominent member of the League of Amer
lean Mothers, gives expression to some
opinions respecting the child's Sunday
| that are worthy of the earnest thought
OF all parents. There are thousands of
American children who regard Sunday
with feeling next akin to horror. 1t is
day on which their privileges are cur
tailed to the limit On Sunday there must
be no running, romping and playing; all
games must be put aside; there must he
no communion with princesses and fairies
through the medium of story books; dolls,
pocket knives, hoops. kites, tops, ETC.,
must be put aside. In starched clothes,
and with faces shining of SOAP the little
folks must go to church and to Sunday
School, whether they wish to or not, with
punishment as an alternative, and during
the remainder of the day under threats
of dire consequences they must be prim
and precise-and miserable.
THE childs ideal of Sunday" says
| Mrs Hughes, Should be to make every
one happy. 1t should not be made a
special day to be good. Games that are
not harmful on other days are not harm
| full on Sunday. Anything that is not
good enough for my children to do on
Sunday 1 would not consider good enough
for any other day in the week. I would
not send my children to church or Sum
day School If they did not want to go.
would not teach them doctrines nor
catechisms.'
Such an expression rs likely to call
| forth criticism. Indeed, it is open 40
criticism, especially with respect to the
teaching of doctrines and "catechsm ;"
| Parents cannot, with safety, neglect 70
inculcate religion, along with morality, in
their children. And some pressure should
be brought 10 bear-a gentle and loving
pressure-to direct the children into the
way of attending religious services from
| preference.
Meantime. is 1t not fact that many
adults of to-day have been turned away
from strict observance of Sunday by
the obnoxious, the tyrannical manner of
their Sunday training in childhood? Ar
irving at the years of personal liberty,
they have rebelled against the harsh and
narrow limitations of their chiIdhood's
| Sunday, and in many cases, have gone 10
the other extreme. From involuntary and
enforced Sunday observers, they have
become voluntary Sunday breakers" in a
considerable degree by way of protest
against former unreasonable and irksome
restrictions.
1t is meet and desirable, of course that
Gods day shall be kept reverently; but
that does not mean that children shall
sit in straight Jackets and sing pslams all
day. 1t does not mean that they shall re-
strain their laughter, talk On an under
tone and go about upon tiptoes. 1t does
not mean that they shall be forced to sit
in a church pew, tired and bored, while
the minister drones a long and dry doc
trinal sermon which they do not under
stand. We believe with Mrs. Hughes,
that the chld's ideal of Sunday should
be one of brightness and happiness; and
that the little folks should be taught
goodness because II is good, and not
! to simulate a semblance of goodness in
order to escape punishment. They should
be taught to love Sunday, not to dread it,
and to attend religious services as a
pleasure. not forced to attend as a pen
ance.