Year: 1874

there not plenty Of occasions where people
can display dress without going to church
for that purpose2 We are all sinners and
should oil meet on common ground at church,
and with united purpose of worshiping


God and not fashion, and while each would
reap rich harvest Of happiness, and spirit
ua and bodily rest by so doing, he would


prove, in proportion to his efforts to gladden.
and bless the souls of others, that " it is more
blessed to give than to receive"


A natural impulse draws US toward those


whose tastes and aims bear some resemblance
to our own, and certain equality of condi-


tion and similarity Of feeling must exist to


promote the fullest enjoyment of any social


gathering Simple, inexpensive reunions,
enlivened by music and literary entertain.


ments, confer much unembarrassed pleasure,


and advance some Of the best aims of social


intercourse. Thousands of people are pre-


vented from participating in the enjoymeuts Of


social life by their inability to meet the ex-


travagant demands Of fashionable society,


and the expense presses heavily upon those


who submit to it only to preserve their


standing in some circle of "upper ten."


The money and labor lavished upon the dress


of those who move in fashionable circles can


in no regard be said to aid, but greatly to


retard, the true ends of society. We are


glad that these truths are becoming in some


measure realized; that the farmers have


frequent gatherings where refreshments are


either excluded or of the simplest kind


where dress is inexpensive, and the hours


are devoted to some settled object Of interest


as regards their employment. Here the


young and the old, the cultured and the ig-


norant, the strong and the feeble, all mingle


in harmony, each one developing in the other


some trait Of character that could only have


sprung into life by the blending of such va


rious elements Those who are wisely and


sensibly educated will be anxious to extend,


not limit it, their social sphere, to a few FASH


ionables Such exclusiveness betrays mar


row culture; on the contrary they apprehend


the true benefits to be gained by the min


Cling of ages capacities and conditions. By


companionship the young reap the wisdom


of age, and the old retain the freshness Of


youth the cultured elevate the less inform


ed, while they themselves gain practical


knowledge of life that books cannot confer.


The views of each person compose, as it were,


a separate field of thought, and each contrib
utes something to the general stock to make


life happier, nobler and wiser, than if they


had not met. From such circles none need


retire on account of limited means, and eve-


ry farmer should avail himself of this privi-


lege 1t is just what that class have always


needed and now have in the grange. By


this means we learn to view things in q
broader light, and lose much of the concert
that is cherished by an isolated existence.
By this means, also, prejudices are overcome,
and kindly feeling cultivated. Friendship


and love beautify and ennoble our lives, yet


our views as does social intercourse Hon.
esty is one Of our articles of faith. 1t seems
, to be the general feeling nowadays that if
one would sail successfully on life's voyage,


he must abandon honesty as his life-guide.
} Therefore every one who is noble enough to
: feel, and courageous enough to show, respect


for character rather than wealth, is aiding
in the progress of humanity toward virtue


and truth. And the person who in his daily


calling places character above gain, not only
contributes his part to the ultimate virtue


and happiness of the world, but is also SOW


ing for himself seeds that will spring up and


bear the richest and sweetest fruits that life
7 can yield. We also recognize that animals
have rights that it is the duty of every one to


respect. 1t has been said that cruelty to
animals is "Satans tribute money" and we


resolve to pay no more such taxes. Faith is


also our shield, hope our anchor, and charity


our rule of life. Prejudice is the opposite
! of charity, and nothing is more abused We


must Judge individuals, not classes. Inward
ly every man is himself, and not one of any
. class, party or country. There is some good


in everybody, if only one knew it, even the
most degraded.


We remember of reading an account OF
i, laboring man in one of our large cities, filthy,
unattractive and old, meeting with an acci-
dent in the street, and was bleeding to DEATH
and there passed the gaping crowd. 1t was
. evening. A woman whom no one who call
f led themselves respectable would speak to
/ or even touch with their garments, she in all


her finery knelt down, and took from her
/. pocket a handkerchief rich with lace, tore it
n in two that it might make better bandage,
n and bound the limb so that his life was saw
3 ed, and went away without word, and was
v never seen again by any one there. The
| lace on the handkerchief was worth fifty dol
@ lars. Was there no good in that woman
a think you? We must all of us feel con-
, scious that We are apt to discover all our
g neighbours faults, but are not 50 anxious to
o discover his virtues. Happy is the man who
takes for his axiom, 4" there is good in every
e mortal" and would set himself to look for
% that good in all with whom he comes in con-
a tact. We have no right to Judge each other
/. as we do, in saying that person is mean,
d treacherOus or contemplate, and put him
# aside as worthless, or he belongs to this or
n that religious sect or society, and therefore
"a we want nothing to do with him. Perhaps
in some mint he is hotter than We are. and