Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-06-08
ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS,
How to Decide whether Aay Recre
stie. L. RixAs or wresn-spsst
q Means. Net a.. Esa--wsrs-
fng 60 Young Men.
lCopyright 1901 by Louis klopsch. ~. IL
Washington MAY -


belitsle or deprsve: text III. 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 helpful and
innocent. The other army accepts
the challenges. Twelve men against
I2 men, the sport opens. But some
thing went adversely. Perhaps one
of the swordsmen got an unlucky
clip or In some way had his ire
aroused and that which opened in
sportfuiness ended in violence, eatA
taking his contestant 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. Was there
ever better illustration Of what war
true then Is true now-that which is
innocent may be made destruetive2
What of a worldly nature Is more
important and strengthening and in
nocent than amusement, and yet
what has counted more victims7 l
have no sympathy with a straitjaciIet
religion. This is a very bright world
10 me, and I proI ose TO do all I can
20 make Il bright for others. I never
could keep step 20 n dead march. A
book years ago issued says that a
Christian man has a right 20 some
amusements. For instance. IL he
comes home az night weary from his
l. = -.
tion. puts on his slippers and goes
into his garnet and walks lively
arolnd the floor several times there
can be no harm in it. ! believe the
church Of God made a great mistake
in trying 70 suppress the sportful-
ness of youth and drive out from
men their love Of amusement. IL God
ever implanted anything In Us. he inn
planted this desire. But instead OF
providing for this demand OF our ma
ture the church Of God has for the
main part ignored a.. As in a riot the
mayor plants battery at the end OF
the street and has ia fired of. 80 that
everything is cut down that happens
20 stand in the range. the good as
wen as the bad, so there are men In
the church who plant their batteries
OF condemnation and FIRE away indis-
criminately. Everything is con.
demned. But Paul the apostle com
i mends those who use the world with
out abusing 81. and In the natural
world God has done everything "a
| please and amuse US. In poetic fg
ureS we sometimes speak OF natural
objects as being in pain, but IL l. q
mere fancy. Poets say the clouds
weep. but they never yet shed tear
aud that the winds sigh. but They
never did have any trouble. and thai
the storm hovls. but il never lost it'
temper. The world is rose and the
universe q garland.
And I am glad 20 know that IN al
cur cities there are plenty of places
where we may find elevated moral en-
tertainment But all honest men anC
good women will agree with me il
the statement that one of the wors
] things in these cities is corrup
amusement Multitudes have gon'
down under the blasting inhuenc
never TO rise. II we may judge o
what is is going on In many places o
amusement by the pictures on boar
fences and in many OF the show win
dOws there is not a much lowe
depth OF profiigacy 90 reach. a
Naples. Italy. they keep such picture
locked up from indiscrininate inspeC
ton. Those pictures wee eXhume
from Pompeii and are not fit fcf put
lie gaze. II the effrontery of ba
places OF amusement In hanging on
improper advertisements OF wha
they are doing night by night grow
worse in the same proportion. in S
years some OF our modern cities wi
beat Pompeii.
Iproject certain principles by whic
you may judge in regard TO any anus,
] ment or recreation, finding out "a
| yourself whether il is right or wronl
remark In the first place. that yO
can Judge of the moral character G
any amusement by it's healthful resu
or by SIS baleful reaction. There ar
people who seem made up of har
. facts. They are n combination {
, | multiplication tables and statistics.
you show them an exquisite pictuI
. they viii begin TO discuss the pi,
, mentS involved in the colOring. IL va
, show them q beautiful rose they wi
|. submit il 10 a botanical analysis. whic
1 Is only the post-mortem examinatio
. OF n flower. They have no reboun
! in their nature. They never do an,
thing more than smile. There are .
, great tides Of feeling surging up fro,
!, the depths of their soul in biilow a II,
4 biliow of reyerbersting laughte
: They seem as IL nature had built the
. BY contract and made bungling j.
cut OF a.. But. blessed be God, thel
;. are people In the world who ha'
bright faces and whose life il a son