Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-17
AGNES REPPLIER RAPS
"PLIAYTINE DOCTRINE"
AND GLAD" NOVELISTS
In Commencement Address to
Girl Graduates of Catholic
High Essayist Satirizes
Modern "Isms'i
SOFT" GENERATION

Miss Agnes Repplier, Philadelphia essav-
ist. severely criticized what she called ooi,r
pathetic poignant desire to set tho world
AT play in an address TODAY at the COM
mencement exercises of the Catholic High
Sehool for Girls In tho Academy of Music
She said the modern tendency was to shift,
the responsibility for the raising of the fam.
NY from the individual to the community.
ana that the result was that we are rear
inJ a generation of parasites unfit for cit
izenshp"
She took issue with Miss Jane Addams
and other social workers who are working
on the theory that children can be kent out
OF mischief by being taught to play prom
erly. poked fun at the phrase playground
work and said that instead of distractinR
the children from crime they should be
taught to reject It from their souls.
Miss Reppler attacked the new school
OF onHressively blithesome novelists," whom
she ed professional purveyors of good
cheer"
Rational amusement calls for spirit and
intelligence" she asserted at is not a
sacred duty or n duty at all in these sad
days when the suffering of Europe wrings
our hearts, when men did In agony and
women and children starve, when the de.
serted churches of Belgium lie open to the
SKY when France with sustained herosm
defends her assaulted home, her sacred
freedom, and when our own dead lie under
the sea, dishonored by our Indifference
our best approach to happiness lies In the
help that we give, the service that we
render and when our souls are purged of
littleness.
The last words shall say to you grad.
uates today" she concluded, "are the tren.
chant words of Schiller. If you have no de.
sires you have no need of virtuous resolu
tion.'"
Miss Replied drew, comparison be-
ri ifn mis- .f n1I
of soberness," and the modern doctrine
of amusement"
Now, what has led us to travel so far,
so fast in the traditions of oun anvestors?'
she asked. What point have we reached
on that journey, and what is indicated by
our pathetic poignant desire to set the
world at play? Did you ever realize what
the titles of popular papers and periodicals
are? What would John Bunyan have
thought of a serious appeal entitled,
Amusement as a Factor In Mans Spiritual
Upllft'?
1T is the restless sentimentalism of our
day which has sent us all at work making
people happy against their wills and against
their sober judgment.
I'VE are so determined that children shall
play, and we are beset by groundleSs
alarms lest they should not play that
schools and commissions are striving fever
ishly to foster the spirit of diversion. Play
ground work is the delightful phrase now
in vogue, and it means that teachers are
being solemnly taught how to teach chill
dren to play.
"Our passion for statistics gives US not
only vast deal of useless knowledge which
we cannot do better than forget, but also
a curious insight worth while to remember.
Nothing is too trivial to be deeply studied
in these days"
The opening address, written by Josephine
Kane, was read by Mary Bonner The clos
ing address, written by Frances OlivieTe,
was read by Elizabeth Canning. The bene-
diction was by Archbishop Prendergast.