Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-03-31
Sabbath Breaking.

One of the forms of ungodliness at tn
present day is Sabbath breaking. Wit
some classes of people Sunday is the da..
of all others for trade and traffic
Others make it day of pleasure ant
recreation. Some of the grasping ant
avariciouS work and connive in sort O
secret manner in order to get "a littl'
MORE, but it is always offset by some
accident or misfortune soon afterwards
or perhaps,-mOre properly speaking
by an overruling Power.
As a general thing persistent Sabbath
breakers are not trustworthy people. Il
they will try to cheat God they will try
to cheat their fellow men.
There is another class of people who
break the Sabbath because they have no
reverence nor respect for anything.
They seem to be too careless and lawlesS
to realize the necessity or Importance of
law or divinity, following the dictates of
greed, passion and appetite without fear
of consequences. The fact that these
customs are common or fashionable de-
tracts nothing from their wickedness.
Of course there are instances where it
is necessary to do work on the Sabbath,
but it is not difficult to judge between
the necessary and the unnecessary.
Running excursion trains on Sunday is
hardly to be tolerated and might be done
away if the mills and factories would
shut down every other Saturday and
give the operatives chance to go and
to do business for themselves, especially
through the summer season, when ex-
cursions are most in order. In case Of
fire it is necessary to run trains to carry
help and fire extinguishing apparatus,
and To carry passengers to and from a
religious meeting is no more breach of
good order than using a horse team.
Teachers have Saturday to themselves
but factory workers have no day except
Sunday. This is all wrong and ought to
be changed. If they conld have Satur-
day afternoon it would prevent much
Sunday work.
People who live on farms are obliged
to do "chores" on Sunday, and they fire.
quently have little "odd jobs" that need
to be done in order to save property, in
case of accident, etc., but no doubt much
work is done that might be put off until
Monday, or perhaps ought to have been
done Saturday.
The Sabbath was instituted for day
of rest, change from labor and worldly
from business schemes,
ETC., and for thought and spiritual de-
velopment,-things that have to be put
off in the whirl and rush of the worlds
business. People can go to church and
still not keep the Sabbath properly.
They may go for vain purposes with
out any idea of worshipping the Great
Creator sin spirit and in truth.
Young people sometimes go and have
a sort of pious Irritation which is not very
commendable.
heard an anecdote some years ago of
a terrible setback" that an avaricious
old farmer received from young man
who worked for him. Every Sunday in
haying time there would be some hay to
take care of, and the boy made excuses,
and wanted to 60 away, and argued
against Sunday work, whereas the old
man would repeat the Scripture: "What
man among you having an OK or an ass
fall into a pit, will not straightway help
him out on the Sabbath day?" This same
programme with the same Scripture
passage had been repeated every Sunday
morning until toward the last of haying,
when the boy said, "If ] had an ass that
would fall into pit every Sunday for
six weeks, would either fill up the pit
or kill the ass"
Nothing gives to a family or commu-
nifty a more definite sense of integrity
and reliability than keeping the Sabbath,
either quietly and peaceably at home, or
at church.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy" w. w. MAXIM.