The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-10-15

Topic--Your anausements-do they build
UP or tear downc-Ron. Ky. Is: Ps xxxyi.
ia Edited by Rev. Sherman n. Doyle.
d. ID.
The question Of amusements Is y
very serious one. especially when II
Is applied to youth and young people
1t Is at these ages In our life when
we nnd most pleasure-l mean phys
icaI pleasure-of one kind or another.
and yet It Is sad to say that 1t Is at
these very ages that great harm may
be done and we least understand at
the same time the dangers of these
amusements. Our whole aim is to en-
Joy ourselves. to have a good time
and never count the cost. Life Is
made up largely OF amusements and
work. and therefore God. even at what
seems to be the most dangerous time.
wants to get our amusement proclivi-
ties out Of our system, so that when we
have 10 settle down to business and
the serious part Of life 1t should be
gone and not interfere with our work.
Ii. again. youth makes errors. even
serious ones. they may be lived down
ob tAN PASa Va ySuAb Aho AAAAN Va go
perience. but II a full grown man
commits serious wrong little mercy
Is shown to him upon the basis that
'he was old enough to know better"
But amusements do not altogether
cease with age. IAN work and no
play makes Jack a dun boy" The
same Is true Of men and women.
Amusement being such a constant
factor In life from childhood to old
ments." not somebody else's. and what
effect they have upon US. II they
build up we should rejoice and con-
tinue in them. remembering. however.
that even innocent amusements. II
abused. may become harmful. Who
would call croquet anything but an In
nocent game? And yet who has play
ed it frequently without knowing that
. 1t is one OF the easiest OF games to
arouse the temper. to lead to deceit
and fraud? Hence II one cannot play
croquet without these results he should
give 1t up. for to him 1t Is q de
basing and harmful game. But to
day how many innocent games there
are for the young. There are all kind.
of athletic sports. indoors and out,
countless games that can be played In
the evening In the home, and thus do
away with cards. for instance. am
no crank against cards and theaters.
never preached a TRADE against them,
and yet l help young people against
them as much as possible. It takes
not q moment to see that clubs OF NO
men for playing bridge are wrong.
Hearts are broken In the loss Of the
prizes: envy and jealousy are aroused
Moreover, the giving of handsome
prizes is gambling. When 1t has been
tested in the courts 1t has been In some
cases 50 decided. I am opposed te
boys playing cards. and the mothe1
who plays and sets him the example
or even teaches him to play may liv,
to rue the day when she ever saw 4
card. Cards. no matter what may b.
said. are gamblers greatest tools. And
who knows what the boy OF tender
years at home may pass through in 4
lifetime? II he does not know how t.
play he cannot be tempted. but II b.
does and Is lonesome and weary in q
strange city he is likely to be spotted
and perhaps led into a gamblers hell
=, for no fire burns worse than that which
| possesses the gambler. As to dancing
and theater going. people must decide
largely for themselves. But as gen
eral proposition 1t is as well to avoid
| them.
Nor are these things all. Others ar,
| worse. Some may be elevated b.
music at the opera and the produc
ton Of the great dramas and tragedie
| OF literature. But even Shakespear
| is vile and foul in the languag
| which be sometimes uses. But thes.
are the least OF the programs. Wher
a few see Julius Caesar" or Faust
or hear the great operas the thou
sands see very different cast upol
the stage, and II men of intelligence
| would tell the plain, unyarnished trutl
| they would say at least that the aver
| age theater tears down the averag
| character and does not build 1t UP
1t debases and corrupts. and II 1t doe
these things it Is wrong for those VIII
are thus affected and for those who ar
not. for the strong should help tn
weak, and II weak and strong woul,
stay away theater going would stol
| and theaters would be closed by tn
empty seats.
| Then there are amusements whicl
are positively neutrality-suspicious.. i'm
purity and all things which are direct
~ forbidden by the word OF God.
But how may we know when Al
amusement is wrong? Young peopl
say. They don't hurt me-" and tina
settles 1t for them. a glass OF wine
cigasette-I feel no effects" they say
The present moment Is not the tim
| to judge. Some one has said. ''Yo,
| pay for wet feet twenty years after