Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1907-12-19
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
*@%+~~++~~-~--~-+--~--~"-I

&~N~~&&&Su>~~~%
Xmas is the time ITO give and to re
oeive. I hope I'll not hear It Il single
drunk this Xmas, most especially
among our yGnng men. Some old sots
will get drunk and abuse their wives
and mistreat their children. Others
will lock and bolt their doors against
the young folks, and say, II am a
christian. / caA't let you have any
fun in any bone. SO the poor girls
haze to be content with what they can
get and the boys must hunt for. fun
somewhere else, and The devil general
ly provides double portion for them.
When christians learn to have a lit
tie more common sense they can cir
cumvent the devil and defeat his plans.
When they learn to lmOvide amusement
for their own children and their neigh
bor's S children, we II not have so many
gambling boys. When long faced hyp-
ocrits cease to ply their trade and
learn what religion truly is and means,
drunkenness win play out. Too many
socalled christians have placed the ban
on social recreation, wise above what
is written. trying to put old heads on
young bodies, a thing impossible. Such
people are an actual hindrance to the
uplifting of humanity. No one feels
at ease in their presence, most especi-
ally young people. The yoHng are nat
urally playful and why this trait is
sought to be smOthered out and dwarf
ed is a problem shall not undertake
to solve. But one thing | say is this:
The children of such parents are gen
orally the worst in the community.
Haven't you heard it said, such man
is a good man, but his boys are terri
BILE? l never thought good reople pro-
duced bad children, and don't think so
now. In a conversation one time with
Judge Estill and some other distin-
guished men, l remarked that the
Episcopalians as general rule raised
better boys and girls than we Metho-
dists, and l could only account for it
by the greater amount of liberty in So
cial life that the Episcopalians gave
their children while we Methodists
clung too closely to the old Puritan
idea of training a child, and in place
of uplifting we dwarfed them. / didn' t
know the Judge and his friends were
Episcopalians, but they thanked me for
the compliment paid their people. 1t s
fact, as whole they beat us badly in
raising honorable boys and girls. They
don't dwarf or stifie the young. They
train while we do nothing but act the
part of despot. That's our style in
training children. Religion means
liberty and when we deprive our child
rem of innocent fun and enjoyment we
dwarf them. Dancing is not as great
sin as some would have us believe
and | doubt very much whether there
is any sin in square dance or not
and the old Virginia and Tennessee
reels. If there is any sin in it. then
keeping step to martial music is also
a sin.
Many things are under the bans that
are really not sinful and to close the
doors to all amusements and recrea-
tions is wrong and unjust and unfair,
and people who do it strain at gnat
and swallow camel Choose your
children's s amusements and don't cut
them off as many of the goody good do.
Don't give the world, the flesh and
devil any advantage to lure your child
ren in their coils, which they will do.
Don't be a despot with your boys.
Give your children joyful Christmas.
Encourage them and keep them in
good society and away from the Jug,
cards and dice. When the church gets
down to the level of humanity, it will
then reach our young people and hell
them. Religion is for human being
and not for angels and God only re
quires you to let those things alone
that are hurtful to your physica
strength, your spiritual and mora
character and to be temperate in al
things. That's the way | understand
the Scripture, it teaches joyfulness ant
gladness.
My doctrine is save the boys, temp
them to associate with the best. Bal
them with the girls is the winnin.
card, boiled and simmered down
!: Nice girls, winsome and fascinating
are the kind | mean. "Oh, where i
my boy tonight" many mother will
say, while others will answer and say
my son is at my neighbor's enjoying
himself with other young folks tonigh
and tomorrow night they are invite,
here" and that mothers eye vii
sparkle with joy. But how the tear
will well up in some mothers eyes thi
Christmas, fearing and dreading t
hear from him, for she knows he is NO
3 in good company. Select the compan
you want your children to keep an
the only way to do this is to keep ope
house for the young people. Invit
} them to social recreations, is the idea
, Have good time but don't touc
strong drink. Girls, plot and plan t
keep the boys under your surveillance
s Have fun and lots of it and let theI
J know you are interested in them hay
0 ing a good time. Why, yes, hav
t box suppers, pound parties and innC
9 cent fun, and if anybody dares kic
= "Uncle.Gid" will read them the rio
act Have fun, jolly, lively fun.
UNCLE GID.