The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-02-16
THE TOM THUMB WEDDING
Criticism Of a Feature of Recent
School Entertainment

School Entertainment
To the Editor OF the Banner; Will
you kindly allow me space to make
certain suggestions concerning the
burlesque of the marriage ceremony
by children, and the Friday evening
entertainment in the public SCHOOL,
Yesterday, Sunday, | ventured 10
summarize certain views of the mat
ter at the morning service, and II /
may be allowed, will repeat the
same here.
Upon the part Of the teachers and
all others conce ned, the Friday per,
folmances showed u great deal Of
patient and unselssh work In all
except the Tom Thumb wedding 1t
was most admirabla exhibition. /
should like TO testify to Sny apprecia-
ton of the spirit which moved the
principal and teachers TO devote
themselves TO such work. Under
tHcrS circumstances thNt W Hi~N
shall say is not to censure anyone,
but only TO remind ourselves of GER
tain facts. Facts are stubborn
things.
First, Marriage is Of sacramento
character; this is the teaching Of the
Church Catholic. If it were common
~ believed we should avoid many
pitfalls, lesser ones like this Tom
Thumb affair, and terrible tragedies
like the hasty and ill-considered
marriage. II ma 'iage is merely one
Of lifo's business contracts. an ar
rangcment devised only for the pleas
ure Of the contracting parties, then it
may be parodied, played with. or
even broken at Will But if it is AN
outward and visible sign Of an in
ward and spiritual grace" ordained
OF God f,om the days OF mans in
nocency, then certainly it is only TO
he entered into 'discreely adyisedly
soberly and in the fear Of God. In
this case it is no more to be psrodied
tbf+si 10 tilt i4tld ~ tAs anu AtAt
bond once made and contaminated is
no more to be broken than is the
seYonth commandment What more
solemn moment Is there for man
and woman. then when they stand 20
gether, in the sight of God, and in
the face Of mankind, rep ,esented by
witnesses, to take each other, to
have and to held til death Thus e
is that the churchman believes in the
sacrament which POUNDS the family
and more or less in agreement with
that standard, are the views Of most
devout Christians
When now we turn to consider
the question OF the training of the
child, the effect OF action upon
character becomes significant. 4
cou tetcus demeanor. for example in
duees kindly feeling, even when it
did not exist before; reverence Of
bodily attitude produces reverence Of
mind. The contrary is equally true.
Picture now little boy and girl.
paired off in mock ma riage. How
more effectually could the whole
group taking part in the performance
learn indclicacy OF feeling? Again.
after hearing the words of the MAJ
riage service turned into joke and
banter. how will the solemn phrases
themselves Impress the children a.?
With boy in cassock and Gotta.
raising his hands in mock blessing,
while all who take part bow the head.
what reverence will these little ac-
tors have for the benediction from
the altar? Is there anything which
will tend to make young persons
more ready to enter hastily and I'M
advisedly into marriage at eighteen
than to pu, them through the mo-
lions at eight? And al this is car
ried home into the child's receptive
mind amid the laughter and applause
OF their parents and elder friends
81 have no criticism of any person
or persons in this particular case. #
ever dare hazard such. it must be
when there Is manifested a very diff
fe-ent spirit from that on this recent
occasion. ! can see here only an ef-
fort generous and unselhsh. and one
which looked only for the larger
welfare Of the school and the com
munity. Such spirit can only ad-
mire. and to future school entertain.
ments J wish all success.
Yours truly.
Thornton Floyd Turner.