Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-01-12

when we visit the sick or unfortunate,
we should leave our smiles at the door,
compose our face and manner to dole
fulness and talk Of anything heart
rending Thus we carry darkness to
those I'm darkness, shade to those In
shade. We increase the isolation Of
solitary lives and the monotony Of the
dull and sad. We wall up some exist
ences, as II were, In dungeons, and
because the grass grows round their
deserted prison house we speak low In
approaching II, as though 1t were n
tomb. Who suspects the work OF in
fernal cruelty which is thus accom-
plished every day in the worldl This
ought not to be.
When you find men or women whose
lives are lost In hard tasks or In the
painful Office of seeking out human
wretchedness and binding up wounds,
remember that they are beings made
like you; that they have the same
wants; that there are hours when they
need pleasure and diversion. You will
not turn them aside from their mission
by making them laugh occasionally,
these people who see SO many tears
and griefs. On the contrary, you will
give them strength to 60 on the better
with their work.
And when people whom you know
are In trial, do not draw q sanitary cor
don round them, as though they had
the plague, that you cross only with
precautions which recall to them their
sad lot On the contrary, after show
ing all your sympathy, all your respect,
for their grief, comfort them, help
them to take up life again, carry them
a breath from the out Of doors-some-
thing, in short, to remind them that
their misfortune does not shut them
OF from the world.
And SO extend your sympathy to
those whose work quite absorbs them;
who are, so to put 1t, tied down. The
world is full Of men and women sac
rificed to others, who never have either
rest or pleasure and to whom the least
relaxation, the slightest respite, Ia a
priceless good. And this minimum Of
comfort could be SO easily found for
them IL only we thought of it. But the
Ing and it seems as though 1t could
not be fatigued. Let us rid ourselves
of this criminal blindness which pre-
vents us from seeing the exhaustion
of those who are always In the breach.
Relieve the sentinels perishing at their
posts; give Sisyphus an hour to breathe;
take for a moment the place Of the
mother, a slave to the cares of her
house and her children; sacrifice an
hour Of our sleep for some one worn
by long vigils with the sick. Young
girl, tired sometimes perhaps Of your
walk with your governess. take the
cooks apron and give her the key to
the fields. You will at once make 9TH
ers happy and be happy yourself. We
go unconcernedly along beside our
brothers who are bent under burdens
we might take upon ourselves for
minute. And this short respite would
suffice to soothe aches. revive the fame
of Joy In many heart and open up a
wide place for brotherlincss. How
much better would one understand an
other II he knew how to put himself
heartily In that others place. and how
much more pleasure there would be In
life!
/ have spoken too fully elsewhere
of systematizing amusements for the
young to return to 1t here in detail, but
l wish to say in substance what can
not be too often repeated: II you wish
youth to be moral do not neglect its
pleasures or leave to chance the task
of providing them. You will perhaps
say that young people do not like to
have their amusements submitted to
regulations and that, besides, in our
day they are already overspolled and
divert themselves only too much.
shall reply, first, that one may suggest
ideas, indicate directions, offer oppor-
tunities for amusement, without max
ing any regulations whatever. In the
second place, shall make you see that
you deceive yourselves In thinking
youth has too much diversion. Aside
from amusements that are artificial,
enervating and immoral, that blight
life instead Of making 1t bloom In
splendor, there are very few left today.
Abuse that enemy Of legitimate use,
has 80 befouled the world that 1t Is be-
coming difficult to touch anything but
what is unclean; whence watchfulness,
warnings and endless prohibitions. One
can hardly stir without encountering
something that resembles unhealthy
pleasure. Among young people Of to-
day, particularly the self respecting,
the dearth Of amusements causes real
suffering. One In not weaned from this
generous wine without discomfort. I'm
possible to prolong this state of Affairs
without deepening the shadow round
the heads of the younger generations.
We must come to their aid. Our chill
dren are heirs Of joyless world. We
bequeath them cares, hard questions.
a life heavy with shackles and COM
plexities Let US at least make an ef-
fort to brighten the morning Of their
days; lot us interest ourselves In their
sports. find them pleasure grounds,
open to them our hearts and our homes;
let US bring the family into our amuse-
ments; let gayety cease to be q COM
modify Of export; let US call In our
sons, whom our gloomy interiors send
out into the street, and our daughters,
moping in dismal solitude; let US mul-
tiply anniversaries, family parties and
excursions; let US raise good humor In
our homes to the height of an institu-
ton; let the schools, too, do their part;
let masters and students - schoolboys
and college boys-meet together often
err for amusement. 1t will be 80 much
the better for serious work. There Is
no such aid to understanding ones pro-
fessor as to have laughed in his COM
pany, and, conversely, to be well I'M
derstood pupil must be met elsewhere
than In class or examination.
And who will furnish the money!
What a question! That Ii exactly the
error. Pleasure and money-people
take them for the two wings OF the
same bird! A gross illusionl Pleasure,
like all other truly precious things In
this world, cannot be bought or sold.
II you wish to be amused you must do
your part toward it. That IN the es-
sential. There Is no prohibition against
opening your purse. II you can do 1t
and find 1t desirable, but assure you
II is not Indispensable. Pleasure and
simplicity are two old acQuaintances.
Entertain simply, meet your friends
simply. II you come from work well
done, are us amiable and genuine as
possible toward your companions and