El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-09
Amusement a Necessity
Dancing Is Good Exercise, the
IheHSer May Teach Useful Les
son; billiards No WOrse
Than CrOquet.
BY Madison G. I'eters

TITLE question OF amusements can
not be dismissed with a sheer or
byignoring it Even the preacher.
as the writer happens to be, dares not
evade this question, but must find out.
not only what is safe, but what is sane
and while he fcrrets out the evil must
also IN justice. commend the good
Perhaps the conservative has given
too much thought TO safety first and
we have taught the world how TO be
kept from its dangers rather than our
duty to the world.
ADJUSTMENTS, having the effect t.
make men feel kindly toward the world
falling in with human inclination. have
been regarded as unsafe and there
fore as a thing to be kept at arms
length by the church. and il let in at
all TO the sacred folds only in hand
cuffs
Amusement n Necessity.
Amusement is as much a necessity
OF mans nature as food or drink Man
needs something besides change Of en-
ploymenL he needs something to sOoth
with a view solely to enjoyment
Men who have no time for fun and
want 10 die in the harness are gener-
ally furnished the opportunity Of do
ing so some years earlier than would
be demanded in the ordinary course
OF human nature II man insists on
working continuously and persists in
%
ture ne VIII have to pay the penalty
in being prematurely laid aside in Ell
Their uselessness or death. Many OF our
most successful men die when they
ought TO begin to live, burning the
candle at both ends aud in the middle,
they die OF old age before they are 50.
All sensible people are agreed that
amusements in the abstract are not
wrong, therefore the question is dis
elimination Some good people are
quite sure that il is sinful to play bill
lizards, but very innocent TO play GRO
quet Now what is the moral distinc-
ton between balls OF ivory and balls
OF wood; between mallets and cues. be-
tween green cloth and green grass
Dancing in proper forms and reason
able hours is healthy; it tends TO re-
heve youth OF natural awkwardness.
Dancing frequently leads to sacrifice
Of health. because Of excessive exer-
else in heated and over-heated rooms.
II late hours. in insufficient apparel
and gourmandish Indulgence in the
suppers that often follow. Bring dane
ing within the bounds OF reason, and
no man OF even ordinary sense can find
fault
Instead Of initiating the foolish Gus
toms OF European society. let good
become fashionable Ny objection TO
the dance is that the dance takes too
great q place and occupies too much
time In modern society, it effectually
Stops intellectual Improvement anu
crowds out tntlligent conversation
Conversation is one OF the lost arts
Good takers are almost extinct crea-
lures. Many peoples talk is merely I
an exercise OF the tongue No other |
human faculty has any share in il. /
At War With Youth
One reason why the church has lost I,
so many young men and young women I
is because she has been at war with /
them and laid down laws she dared !
No ]
Conferences. conventions and synOds no l
longer pass resolutions against amuse-
ments. because many OF the best men
and women in the churches have BILL D
Hard rooms in their own houses and /
in many Christian families dancing IS
allowed. indeed many Of the most faith
ful church members and even ministers
are now INDUCING in amusements. /
which traditional church teachings de-
nounced only a few years ago
Church and Theater.
The scandalous chasm which so long
divided the church and theater IS now
plays. and there are theaters which
ought to be closed tight. But there
are plays which are not only sources
OF intellectual Improvement. but Of
rich pleasure The theater Is here to
stay Reform is the note Of the fu-
ture. Eliminate the bad and encourage
the good
Be temperate even in your pleasures
Inere are men so gwen 10 leFltE lnaE
they are incapable OF serious thought
Dugal Stewart tells US OF a man who
spent Is years trying TO balance q I
broom on his chin There are thou
sands Of men and women scarcely bet
ter employed. They are wasting their
time in a round Of pleasure and throw I
ing opportunity for useful service to !
the four winds-pleasure seekers only
whose frivolities Of the night unfit /
them for the serious duties Of the day
Ditiful butterfly species. fitting from
Hover to flower and dying like autumn
nal sects, and forgotten
-. 1-,,-5,- a. ,r,-,-f11,;-, in