Show A OH observance one of the leading ministers of nation supports recreation A sunday of puritanical rigidity destructive truc tive of 9 wholesome civilization and ruinous of good citizenship the cost of idle hours R henderson of the university of chicago has this to say of sun dayoba servance ail other reforms depend greatly on customs A general and pro fauna ciango ot has taken place thought on this subject during this century cen iury new england is no longer possible or de et rable the legitimate interests of human life are too varied to justify the use of one day in seven precisely as our new england ancestors occupied its hours the modern system of industry and transportation has compelled the town to feel dany the life of the nation and ot the world the tide of foreign immigration has brought among us of honest and religious who hold with the cardinals and luther not with calvin in respect to the observance of the lords day to ignore these considerations is to waste life on a chimera experience proves that we can secure a day of rest on the lords day hy law ordinary industry can be suspended not absolutely but within reasonable limits and all employed emp loyes can be secured thirty six hours some time in each week in all occupations on this platform we can unite all parties but a day of rest from ordinary occupations cupat ions Is an opportunity not an achievement when the one demon of grinding toll has been expelled and the house sweetland swee tand garnished seven devils are waiting to enter unless the good genius of the place has invited a house full of good company puritanism has much to answer tor in diffusing abroad in this country a general impression that sunday must be a day of boredom and misery in which diversion is a eln sunday reformers have not reached even the middle of their social task when they have released the city multitudes from the shop and closed the saloon the question of what can be done with twelve hours of idle time once a week tor of people is one of the most tremendous problems ot our age churchgoing church going cannot meet the need the ministry cannot have the monopoly of sunday culture requires many specialized agencies it we assume merely a negative attitude and are repressive and prohibitive in our methods we shall appear to be the enemies of joy and health in the eyes of millions and we shall misrepresent the lord of the sabbath the english custom of having tor wary people a pleasant sunday afternoon has been introduced into hiis country and it is jan example ot the positive ana beneficent method of p reform by displacement bright music is the chief elements in these meetings Pi tures cheerful talks instructive addresses readings from the best literature social converse a cup of tea the sympathetic hearing of grievances and troubles and wrongs hints ot a practical way out all within one glad and inspiring hour that is a pleasant sunday afternoon it is the beatitudes of the sermon on the mount which makes the prohibition of sinai unnecessary A lamp will drive out darkness aher a club of knotted oak would make no impression the great masses of workingmen are honest and have good purposes they crave recreation cramped muscles and repressed cry out in agony for something different from the monotony of the bench and the furrow we know what jesus said of those pharisaic who were jl shocked at his doing good on the sabbath day his example is still before us if our ministers and deacons would just leave their fine churches a few sundays and move around the workingmen and rude boys whose homes are absolutely without attraction they would often gain a new notion of the best way to spend sunday the european sunday has many bad features but the puritan sunday at the other extreme is from the standpoint of health knowledge beauty and BO caal order an ideal whose realization would bring national decay what so cial welfare requires is neither the puritan the pharisaic nor the libertines sunday but the lords day velch was made for man a day so sweet so calm so joyous so full of E all beauty in song and picture and etory that the weary millions who have known its pleasure will bless the giver for its ever welcome hours here and there we find the beginning of some efforts to realize these dawning ideas but the paralysis the eu t and the apathy of tradition and custom restrict our freedom of invention and experiments meantime to the multitudes who might be helped sunday Is an unmitigated curse the occasion of all the debauchery which must go with idleness and from revolt against a social order which i presents many frowns but few smiles we have as a christian people yet to learn that joy and hope are better regenerative agencies than scolding and tears |