The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-21

Of DIR. Talmage is in accord with all inno- !
cent hilarities, while it ~reprehends aniuse- |
ments that belittle or deprave; text, II
Samuel ii, IA, "Let the young men now
arise and play before us"
There are two armies encamped by the
pool of Gideon. The time hangs heavily
on their hands. One army proposes a
game of sword fencing. Nothing could
be more healthful and innocent. The
other army accepts the challenge. Twelve
men against II men, the sport opens. But
something went adversely. Perhaps one
of the swordsmen got an unlucky clip Or
in some way had his ire aroused and
that which opened in sportfulness ended
in violence, each one taking his con-
testant by the hair and with the sword
thrusting him in the side, SO that that
which opened in innocent fun ended in
the massacre Of all the "a sportsmen.
Wa there ever a better illustration of
what was true then and is true now-that
that which is innocent may be made
destructive?
What Of q worldly nature is more inn
portant and Strengthening and innocent
tina amusement, and yet what has count
ed more victims? I have no sympathy
with a straitjacket religion. This is a
very bright world to me, and l propose
to do all l can to make it bright for 9TH
ers. 1 never could keep step to a dead
march. A book years ago issued says
that a Christian man has a right to some
amusements. For instance, if he comes
home at night weary from his work and,
feeling the need of recreation, puts on
his slippers and goes into his garnet and
walks lively round the floor several times
there can be no harm in it. / believe the
church Of God made a great mistake in
trying to suppress the sportfulness Of
youth and drive out from men their love
of amusement. If God ever implanted
anything in us, he implanted this desire.
But instead Of providing for this demand
of our nature the church of God has for
the main part ignored it. As in a riot the
mayor plants q battery at the end of the
street and has it fired off, so that every
thing is cut down that happens to sta"i
in the range, the good as well as the bal.
so there are men in the church WHO
plant their batteries Of condemnation and
fire away Unfortunately. Everything
is condemned. But Paul the apostle com-
mends those who use the world without
abusing it, and in the natural world God
has done everything to please and amuse
us. In poetic figure we sometimes speak
of natural objects as being in pain, but
is q mere fancy. Poets say the clouds
weep, but they never yet shed a tear, and
that the winds sigh, but they never did
have any trouble, and that the storm
bowls, but it never lost its temper. The
world is a rose and the universe n gar
Hand.
And 1 am glad to know that in all our
cities there are plenty of places where we
may find elevated moral entertainment.
But all honest men and good women will
agree with me in the statement that one
OF the worst things in these cities is
corrupt amusement. Multitudes have
gon down under the blasting influence
never to rise. If We may judge of what is
going on in many of the places of amuse-
ment by the pictures on board fences and
in many of the show windows. there is
not a much lower depth of profligacy to
reach. At Naples, Italy. they keep such
pictures locked up from indiscriminate
inspection. TSsspicturPs We're exhulI-
ed from POmpeii All are not fit for pub
lie gaze. If the efTrontcTy of ba'! places
Of amusement in hanging out improper
advertisements OF what they are dulug
night by night grows worse in the s&me
proportion, in 90 years some of our mod
ern cities will beat Pompeii.
Find Out For Yourselves.
] project certain principles by which
you may judge in rCca-J! tn any aIuUS''
ment or recreation. timing ont for your
self whether il is right ar wrong
] remark. in the first place. that you
can judge ~ tEp moral character OF any
amusement by its heaIthful result u: Ev
its baleful reaction. There are people
who seem made Up of bard facts TLey
are a combination Of multiplication tables
and statistics. IL you show them an rX
nniciro Uinfuro th.v will hptvyu m fJSrI-s
the pigments involved in the coloring.
If you show them a beautiful rose they
will submit il to a botanical analysis.
which is only the post norton
ton Of a flower. They have no rebound
In their nature. They never do anything
more thar smile. There are no great
tides OF feeling surging up from the
depths OF their soul in billow after bill
low OF reverberating laughter. They
seem as If nature had built them by con-
tract and made a bungling job out Of it
But blessed be God, there are people in
the world who have bright faces and
whose life is q song. al anthem, a paan
OF victory. Even their troubles are like
the vines that crawl up the side of a
great tower on the top Of which the sun
light sits and the soft airs Of summer
hold perpetual carnival They are the
people you like to LAY come to your
house; they are people I like to have
come to my house. II you but touch the
hem Of their garments you are healed.
Now, 1t Is these exhilarant and sympa-
thetic and warm hearted people that are
most tempted to pernicious amusements.
In proportion as a ship Is swift it wants
q strong helmsman, in proportion as a
horse is gay it wants q stout driver, and
these people OF exuberant nature will do
well to look ut the reaction Of all their
amusements. If an amusement sends you
home at night nervous, SO that you can
not sleep, and you rise up In the morn
ing not because you are slept out, but
because your duty drags you from your
slumbers, you have been where you ought
not to have been. There are amusements
that send q man next day to his WORK
with bis eyes bloodshot, yawning, stupid,