Evening journal., 1909-10-09
Editorial
Opinion
The Gospel Of Outdoors.

The Reading Herald.
There is certain restlessness on
the part of old-fashioned folk over the
modern tendency toward sport. They
do not sympathlze with the playground
movement. They show no enthusiasm
over athletic achievements. They de-
precate the sporting page. And they
shake their heads sadly over the de-
generacy Of the times.
1t was not so when they were young
they sigh. And they wonder where this
mad hilarity will end and what the
future OF this headlong sporting spirit
may be.
To them we commend the remarks
Of Cleveland parson; John ID. Rookie
feller's pastor" In fact.
It is nothing to US that he is owned
by John ID. Rockefeller. It Is much 70
US that he expressed himself so forci-
bly, and sensibly. What we need, he
declares, is less powder and paint and
gay white way, and more outdoors and
sunshine and exercise"
Which Is just about as true as II
we had said II ourselves. II John DIS
pastor had but waited awhile maybe we
would. We certainly have meant it a
thousand times. We are bound to ap-
ply 1t now.
THE people need less pleasure" he
runs on, "and more Joy. Less society
and more sociability. Less theatre and
more tennis court"
Which shows John d. RoclSefeller's
pastor to be a man of strong common
sense When John d. bought him he
evidently knew he was buying a good
thing. He was worth a good round fig
ure. He is to be congratulated on his
purchase. We only hope he won't mar
his new acquisition by infusing into
him some Of his own peculiar ideas, or
deadening the warmth and spirit of the
Of the genial gentleman. Untouched by
John ID. and unalloyed by borrowed
IDEAS, this new Cleveland parson is
evidently all to the good. May his tribe
Increase; and may the gospel they
preach be diligently practlced.
There may be danger of too much
sport. The sport OF the great white
way. for instance; the sport OF the
melodrama and the vaudeviile: this
sport OF the pool room and the dance
hall; the sport of the gambling para.
phernalia OF a Berks County fair; ever
the sport OF the moving picture show
All these things-good in their wa,
perhaps-are IN imminent danger o
being overdone. This headlong age Il
liable 10 grow apoplectic from overdosel
OF bridge whist and burlesque show
and Bernard Shaw drama and prize
waltzes and all that sort Of thing.
The old-fash,oned wiseacres may be
wise In deploring this, and harkinl
back TO the good old days when yor
couldn't see all the details of a trair
robbery In a kinetescope. or carry 6
risque song home in a grpahophone re-
cord. But tho wiseacres are wrong 4
they include all recreation In on,
sweeping rebuke.
The powder and the paint and the
gay white way are dangerously un-
healthy. But the sunshine and the
breeze, the parkway and the play
ground. the open road and the athletic
Geld, are strictly wholesome. The more
of them the better. And the sooner
all the world gets its share the health
Ter and the happier--yes, and the hoi'
ier--will this old world be.
II is not a very pious world as It is
There's a good deal OF wickedness here
and there. Some people are not nearly
so good as they might be. Some com
munities display a sad lack OF sounS
morality.
But cut out little of the great white
way, the flaring lights, the late hours
the Champagne Charlie spirit and the
joy-riding. midnight supper fever, ant
for them substitute baseball and run
ming tracks and tcnnis courts and the
Ike, and you'll find your immoral com