South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-18
BY A. READER

The Bob Jones sermon Thursday
evening on Home and Home Prob
LENS" would undoubtedly have
brought out a much larger crowd.
actually packing the tabernacle.
II ne had but assured us-mostly
materialistic minded Individuals
that he would settle there. once for
all. the problem OF the II. c. OF L.
something OF that kind being about
the only thing that too many of US
are capable OF being interested in.
The idea Of anything concerning US,
no. directly related 70 our pocket
books, material conveniences, and
an extra good time, isn't passing
through the average head just at
the present writing.
And the reason IS obvious; nor. is
il alone obvious TO US. The Amer
lean home is fast becoming little
more than a service station. ac-
cording 10 one OF the most widely
known observers Of social conditions
IN the nation, Wa rning US against the
dangers. We refer to Mr.. owen r.
Lovejoy Of New York, deplOring. as
he does. the increasing number Of
diversions that lure father and
mother and the youngsters from the
home evening after evening He
sees in the growing community idea
! the death knel Of the long cherished
bulwark Of the republic.
In detail the indictment IS sweep
ing, indeed. In the morning the
family eats a hurried breakfast.
father rushes 10 the office. mother
hurries the children TO school, and
herself hastens to the bargain sale.
Father and mother lunch downtown,
but not together; the children lunch
at school In the afternoon mother
goes TO the club, or the library, or
the matinee, and. reaching home
sometime after the youngsters have
returned from school, prepares the
/ evening meal. They eat together,
| hurry through with the dish washing
and then rush 10 the movie or the
thester or the lecture. Sunday they
crowd into the motor car and rush
out into the country. On the holi-
day they flee home for the com
/ munity entertainment at the park or
the clubhouse
II is a terrible Indictment The
main objection TO IL is that il is not
we'll founded Father and mother
and the youngsters do not follow
any such mad routine day after day.
IL they did IL would pail them and
from very inertia they would stay
at home O. nights and rest.
II is to be questioned If the
| typical American family may not be
more truly pictured in the living
ROOF in the evening. father with his
/ newspaper, mother with her maya
zine, the youngsters with their
] hnnlrg ord co.. M hn
graph driving serious thoughts from
all of them. Perhaps they go 10
| the movie once a week, to the
| theater once a month, to a lecture
or church entertainment once a
| fortnight, and "calling'-never. The
| gentle art OF inter-family visiting has
| almost vanished. Where, oh, where
! are the 'flinch" clubs Of yesteryear?
| The dancing clubs? The free ex-
/ change of soctabilities? They have
been sacrificed to the growing de-
sire of the American people to stay
at home, or, when they go abroad,
to go singly.
Individually. the motor car has
taken folks from their homes TO a
| greater degree than before. But in
| doing SO it has emphasized rather
than shattered the family unit. In
the "old days" the community OF
inter-family picnic was an appeal
ing event OF every holiday. Now
picnics are more likely to be intra-
family affairs.
The indictment is worthy the con-
sideration OF most OF us. for IL &
| we'll to take stock occasionally OF
our family spirit and efficiency. Il
home is merely a service station &c