Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-10-24

iald upon every man the necessity Of
work, and for this reason has distrib
uted to every man his work" Is il
not Just In this connection that We
may be justified in finding fault with
the professional sport, the man who
gives up his whole life to pleasure
When the main thing In college and
university life is athletics are we not
justified In protesting that life's main
purpose is being lost sight Of? Play
and amusement is but a side issue in
HE; when it becomes the whole
thing, then ii is harmful and sinful. nc
matter whether the amusement In
question be in the forbidden category
or not; then even innocent amusement
becomes morally bad. Amusement is
TO work what whetting the scythe is to
harvesting; he who never stops to
create an edge tolls hard and cuts but
little. while he who whets the scythe
all day cuts none. II the mother en-.
| Joys amusements more than she does
her children. the wife more than her
domestic duties, the husband more
than his home. the man more than his
labor, and the student more than his
books. then amusements are harmful
and wrong
2. The true Christian will see to 1t
that his amusements are really recre-
alive. and not dissipative.
A man may lie so long in a bath
that he comes out of 1t all exhausted.
or he can take plunge or shower and
rome out all the better prepared for
the duties Of life. So is It with amuse-
ments; II may be just the opposite
The amusements OF the Christian
should build up lost tissue, rest the
tired body and rejuvenate the faded
mind, they must build up the whole
man - physically, mentally, morally
and spiritually.
l. The Christians pleasures will
recreate physically. The body of the
Christian is the temple of the holy
ghost. II is incumbent upon him
therefore that he keep his body in as
good. clean, pure. and healthy a con.
dition as possible. The body needs
relaxation; IL needs rest from tho
strain and tension OF life; IL needs
new blood, new nerve tissues; il needs
by means of recreation. to be better
lifted for the real tasks that lie with
In its sphere OF labor. Bad thinking
Dften comes from lack OF exercise
Some people do not have enough body
mil
There may be time when it is nv
duty to play rather than pray. to
romp rather than read, to take a good
brisk walk rather than prepare a good
talk.
The test the Christian must apply to
his pleasures Is this: do they recreate
md restore the waste tissues of tho
body? Excess In athletics is not rec.
reation. Young men have died from
over-strain in running; girls have
been ruined for life by excessive rope
Jumping. Many pleasures dissipate
The powers of the body instead OF re-
creating them. Apply such a test TO
certain forms OF popular amusements
prevalent today: the theater. the
dance. the card party. Do they recre-
ate. or do they dlsslpate? Do they
violate the laws of physical health by
their late hours, their impure atmos-
phere. their mode of dress and con-
duct, or are they perfectly consistent
with the observance of the laws of
good health and hygiene? II these
amusements violate the laws of
health, then. until such times as they
can be brought within the realm OF
recreative pleasures, the sChristian
must place them on the forbidden list
z. The pleasures Of the Christian
should recreate mentally. The physi-
cal must not be developed at the ex.
pense OF the mental. Giantism must
by no means supplant intellectuaIism
Mind Is greater than body, as Glad
stone and Bismarck are greater than
John l.. Sullivan or James J. Jefries
The Christian must ask himself there.
fore. What effect do my pleasures
and smusements have upon my mind
my thought. my thinking? Do thew
build up. ennoble. purify. sanctify: or
do they debase. befoul. besmirch. de.
bauch? Is my thinking higher. nobler
more God-like because of the Meas.
ures in which ! engage?"
All things are not to be Judged by
the eye; the mind discerns also.
shakespeare speaks Of the man who |
bath body filled with vacant mind
gets him to rest crammed with dis |
fressful bread" The Christian is 70 |
nudge his amusements by this stand |
ard. Anrlv this principle TO Nte-a- |
ture. What books do we read, II
he Christians master should inquire.
What readest thou?" what would he
BUR reply? Beware lest our minds be. |
come diseased by the reading OF light
and TRASHY literature.
Judge the theater bv this standard
somecre bss said: "The laugh OF the
theater is the laugh that speaks OF
No vacsnt mird." "The lesfess deser.
of the mind; the waste of feelings mn.
Byron. Are we purer In
thought. more virtuous in our dreams
sweeter IN our imagInations: have we
more earnest views OF life: is the
mind sensualized or spirituslized By