Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-26
GROVES OR GRAvEYARDs.

Dr. Robert Forbes, secretary of the
M. T.. Church Extension Society. is re-
ported to have shocked a number Of
lay and clerical members of his de-
nomination who listened to his address
at The celebration Of the fiftieth ami
versary of the church at Eldora. DIR.
Forbes, who had come from Philadel-
phia to appear on that occasion,
preached a gospel Of happiness. He
told his auditors that he preferred lead
ing the children on a walk or for
drive on the Sabbath day, or q trip
to the woods for flowers over taking
them to read the epitaphs on the tomb
stones in the cemetery. He believed
In being happy as well as religious.
If the report of the Eldora correspon-
dent is correct the gospel of happiness
as preached by the eminent Philadel-
phian met the dlsapproval of the more
rigid churchmen.
DR.. Forbes, 1t would seem. takes the
liberal view that there are forms of
Sunday amusement that the not to be
cllssed as Dissertation Of the Sabbath
In this he will be supported by the
majority of the communicates Of his
church and broad minded people In
general. The instinct to prefer groves
to- grave yards Is q normal one which
belongs to the religious as we'll as the
unregenerate. The epitaph reading
habit is piety turned sour. The re-
ligious who carry the precepts of pure
plety farthest afleld by their daily
walk and example are not graveyard
habitues. Asceticism is perversion Of
religion. Happiness is it's soul.
While the blue laws are not entirely
expunged from the statute books the
day Of their enforcement has gone by
and the spirit that enacted them is
rapidly disappearing. People have
learned that the epitaph habit is more
dyspeptic than religious. Sabbath OBJ
stervance is q matter Of conviction less
than Of church. or state legislation. In
tlividauls will always object to others
making their religion and prescribing
Its observance.
servance. even those to whom the day
has no religious significance-but Of
! what Sunday observance consists be-
comes a question to be settled largely
by Individual conviction. No one be-
| lieves in dissertation Of the day. 1t is
| simply a question of what constitutes
| Dissertation. Most Of us deprecate
noisy amusenlents on Sunday but their
suppression rests entirely on the senti-
ment of the community. Legal pro-
ceedings rarely bring about good re-
Suits If one man considers the quiet
| amusements Of driving or picking wild
| flowers no dissertation 1t is scarcely
within the rights of the one who takes
| the opposite view to forcibly deprive
his neighbor Of this simple pleasure
he lOSlC OI Ills SItISINclll lOliOWS iii u
the catalog Of Sunday amusement.
Noisy and riotous exhibitions which
disturb worship or approximate nuis-
ance are amply provided for outside Of
sumptuary legislation. 1t is impossible
to draw an arbitrary line on question
of personal liberty.
DR.. Forbes Sunday program will
be approved by liberal people. Why
not go out to the grove and watch the
sunlight filter thru the leaves and the
shadows dapple the green grass be-
meath the trees? A big tree is closer to
it's creator than a big building; the
violets and Sweet Williams nearer the
First Cause than the dadoes on wall.
The groves are better than the grave
yards. It Isl better to contemplate life
at its beginning than to read the CHS
eled legends that mark it's close
FORSEE A NEW COMBINE.