questionable amusements and worthy substitutes-第8节

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to　his　crime　of　theft　the　professional　gambler；　through　passion　or　drink；

becomes　a　murderer。　　I　knew　a　professional　gambler　who　killed　a　man；

with　whom　he　had　been　playing　cards　for　money；　for　fifty　cents。　　After

it　was　all　over　the　man　was　sorry　he　had　done　it；　for　he　had　committed

the　crime　in　a　passion　while　he　was　intoxicated。　　The　one　who　speculates

on　the　markets　is　not　counted　dishonest　by　the　world；　but　how　often　and

how　quickly　it　leads　one　into　crime！　　In　our　neighboring　town　in　Illinois

a　man　of　a　good　family　and　of　good　standing　in　the　community　began　to

speculate　on　the　Chicago　Board　of　Trade。　　He　was　as　honest　a　person；

perhaps；　as　you　or　I。　　He　thought　he　was。　　For　years　he　had　been　a

trusted；　Christian　worker；　and　treasurer　of　the　Sunday…school。　　But　he

made　just　one　venture　too　many。　　He　had　lost　all；　could　not　even

replace　the　Sunday…school　fund　that　he　had　simply　used；　no　doubt

expecting　to　replace　it　with　usury；　but　the　loss　and　disgrace　were　too

much　for　him　to　face；　so　he　deserted　home　and　friends　and　honor　and

all；　and　secretly　ran　away。　　The　speculating　gambler　became　a　deserting

embezzler。　　The　person　who　has　acquired　a　passion　for　betting　on　races

and　games　is　on　a　fair　way　to　professional　gambling　and　to　speculating

on　the　markets。　　And　rarely　does　one　ever　escape　these；　if　once　he　gets

a　start　in　them。



The　evil　of　society　gambling　is　most　dangerous　of　all；　because　it　is

most　subtle　of　all。　　Ah　first　no　one　would　suspect　an　innocent　game　of

cards；　played　just　for　fun。　You　may　be　the　fourth　one　to　make　up　a

game；　you　may　not　know　how　to　play；　but　you　are　told　you　can　quickly

learn。　　You　brave　it；　and　go　in　for　a　game。　　The　next　time　a　similar

circumstance　arises；　you　can　not　easily　decline；　for　you　must　confess

you　have　played；　and　so　you　go　in　as　an　old　player。　　This　may　be　as

far　as　the　matter　ever　goes　with　you。　　But　here　is　one　who　is　more

impulsive　than　you；　his　surroundings　are　entirely　different。　　He　learns

to　play；　and　comes　to　revel　in　it。　　A　passion　is　created　for　the　game。

He　is　shrewd；　soon　learns　the　tricks；　and　one　eveningpurely　by

chance；　as　it　seems　to　himhe　wins　his　first　five　dollars。　　Strange

possibilities　with　cards　lay　hold　upon　him。　　He　is　consumed　by　that

passion。　　He　plays　for　business；　for　keeps；　he　has　become　a　professional

gambler。　　Ah！　this　is　no　finespun　tale；　it　is　being　worked　out　every

year　in　our　country；　all　over　the　world。　　Among　many　things　for　which

I　have　to　thank　my　father　and　mother　not　the　least　is；　that　they　would

allow　no　gamblers；　nor　gambling；　nor　the　instruments　of　gambling

about　our　home。　　Better　keep　a　pet　rattlesnake　for　your　child　than　a

deck　of　cards；　for　if　he　gets　poisoned　by　the　snake　he　may　be　cured；

but　if　the　passion　for　card…playing　should　happen　to　seize　him；　there

is　little　chance　of　a　cure。　　The　inmates　of　our　penitentiaries　to…day；

almost　to　a　man；　testify　that　〃card…playing　threw　them　into　bad　company；

led　them　into　sin；　and　was　one　of　the　causes　of　their　downfall。〃　　Dr。

Talmage　was　asked　if　there　could　be　any　harm　in　a　pack　of　cards。　　He

Said：　　〃Instead　of　directly　answering　your　question；　I　will　give　you　as

My　opinion　that　there　are　thousands　of　men　with　as　strong　a　brain　as

you　have；　who　have　gone　through　card…playing　into　games　of　chance；

and　have　dropped　down　into　the　gambler's　life　and　into　the　gambler's

hell。〃　　A　prisoner　in　a　jail　in　Michigan　wrote　a　letter　to　a　temperance

paper；　in　which　he　gives　this　advice　for　young　men：　　〃Let　cards　and

liquor　alone；　and　you　will　never　be　behind　the　gates。〃　　Friends；　not

every　one　who　touches　liquor　is　a　drunkard；　but　every　drunkard

touches　liquor；　so　not　every　one　who　plays　cards　is　a　professional

gambler；　but　every　professional　gambler　plays　cards。　　Is　there　nothing

significant　about　these　facts。　　〃A　word　to　the　wise　is　sufficient。〃　　〃In

a　railway　train　sat　four　men　playing　cards。　　One　was　a　judge；　and　two

of　the　others　were　lawyers。　　Near　them　sat　a　poor　mother；　a　widow　in

black。　　The　sight　of　the　men　at　their　game　made　her　nervous。　　She

kept　quiet　as　long　as　she　could；　but　finally　rising　came　to　them；　and

addressing　the　judge；　asked：　　'Do　you　know　me？'　　'No；　madam；　I　do

not；'　said　he。　　'Well；　said　the　mother；　'you　sentenced　my　son　to　State's

prison　for　life。'　　Turning　to　one　of　the　lawyers；　she　said：　　'And　you；

sir；　pleaded　against　him。　　He　was　all　I　had。　　He　worked　hard　on　the

farm；　was　a　good　boy；　and　took　care　of　me　until　he　began　to　play

cards；　when　he　took　to　gambling　and　was　lost。'〃　　Dr。　Guthrie　writes：

〃In　regard　to　the　lawfulness　of　certain　pursuits；　pleasures；　and

amusements；　it　is　impossible　to　lay　down　any　fixed　and　general　rule；

but　we　may　confidently　say　that　whatever　is　found　to　unfit　you　for

religious　duties；　or　to　interfere　with　the　performance　of　them；　whatever

dissipates　your　mind　or　cools　the　fervor　of　your　devotions；　whatever

indisposes　you　to　read　your　Bibles　or　to　engage　in　prayer；　wherever

the　thought　of　a　bleeding　Savior；　or　of　a　holy　God；　or　of　the　day　of

judgment　falls　like　a　cold　shadow　on　your　enjoyment；　the　pleasures

you　can　not　thank　God　for；　on　which　you　can　not　ask　His　blessing；

whose　recollections　will　haunt　a　dying　bed　and　plant　sharp　thorns　in

its　uneasy　pillow；these　are　not　for　you。。Never　go　where　you　can

not　ask　God　to　go　with　you；　never　be　found　where　you　would　not　like

death　to　find　you。　　Never　indulge　in　any　pleasure　that　will　not　bear

the　morning's　reflection。　　Keep　yourselves　unspotted　from　the　world；

not　from　its　spots　only；　but　even　from　its　suspicions。〃







IV。

DANCING。





DANCING　is　the　expression　of　inward　feelings　by　means　of

rhythmical　movements　of　the　body。　　Usually　these　movements　are

in　measured　step；　and　are　accompanied　by　music。



In　some　form　or　another　dancing　is　as　old　as　the　world；　and　has　been

practiced　by　rude　as　well　as　by　civilized　peoples。　　The　passion　for

amateur　dancing　always　has　been　strongest　among　savage　nations；

who　have　made　equal　use　of　it　in　religious　rites　and　in　war。　　With

the　savages　the　dancers　work　themselves　into　a　perfect　frenzy；　into

a　kind　of　mental　intoxication。　　But　as　civilization　has　advanced

dancing　has　modified　its　form；　becoming　more　orderly　and

rhythmical。　　The　early　Greeks　made　the　art　of　dancing　into　a　system；

expressive　of　all　the　different　passions。　　For　example；　the　dance　of

the　Furies；　so　represented；　would　create　complete　terror　among

those　who　witnessed　them。　　The　Greek　philosopher；　Aristotle；　ranked

dancing　with　poetry；　and　said　that　certain　dancers；　with　rhythm　applied

to　gesture；　could　express　manners；　passions；　and　actions。　　The　most

eminent　Greek　sculptors　studied　the　attitude　of　the　dancers　for　their

art　of　imitating　the　passions。　　In　a　classical　Greek　song；　Apollo；　one

of　the　twelve　greater　gods；　the　son　of　Zeus　the　chief　god；　and　the　god

of　medicine；　music；　and　poetry；　was　called　The　Dancer。　　In　a　Greek

line　Zeus　himself　is　represented　as　dancing。　　In　Sparta；　a　province　of

ancient　Greece；　the　law　compelled　parents　to　exercise　their　children

in　dancing　from　the　age　of　five　years。　　They　were　led　by　grown　men；

and　sang　hymns　and　songs　as　they　danced。　　In　very　early　times　a

Greek　chorus；　consisting　of　the　whole　population　of　the　city；　would

meet　in　the　market…place　to　offer　up　thanksgivings　to　the　god　of　the

country。　　Their　jubilees　were　always　attended　with　hymn…singing　and

dancing。　　The　Jewish　records　make　frequent　mention　of　dancing；　but

always　〃as　a　religious　ceremony；　or　as　an　expression　of　gratitude　and

praise。〃　　As　a　means　of　entertainment　in　private　society；　dancing　was

practiced　in　ancient　times；　but　by　professional　dancers；　and　not　by　the

company　themselves。　　It　is　true　that　the　Bible　has　sanctioned　dancing；

but　let　us　remember；　first；　that　it　was　always　a　religious　rite；　second；

that　it　was　practiced　only　on　joyful　occasions；　at　national　feasts；　and

after　great　victories；　third；　that　usually　it　was　〃performed　by　maidens

in　the　daytime；　in　open　air；　in　highways；　fields；　or　groves；〃　　fourth；

that　〃there　are　no　instances　of　dancing　sanctioned　in　the　Bible；　in

which　both　sexes　united　in　the　exercise；　either　as　an　act　of　worship

or　as　an　amusement；〃　fifth；　that　any　who　perverted　the　dance　from　a

sacred　use　to　purposes　of　amusement　were　called　infamous。　　The　only

records　in　Scripture　of　dancing　as　a　social　amusement　were　those　of

the　ungodly　families　described　by　Job　xxi；　11…13；　who　spent　their

time　in　luxury　and　gayety；　and　who　came　to　a　sudden　destruction；

and　the　dancing　of　Herodias；　Matt。　Xiv；　6；　which　led　to　the　rash　vow

of　King　Herod　and　to　the　murder　of　John　the　Baptist。　　So　much　for

the　history　of　dancing。



The　modern　dance　in　which　both　sexes　freely　mingle；　irrespective

of　character；　purely　for　amusement；　at　late　hours；　at　which　intoxicants；

in　some　form；　are　generally　used；　is；　essentially；　an　institution　of　vice。

The　modern　dance　is　as　different　from　the　dancing　of　ancient　t