Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1885 — The Next Greatest Reform. [ARTICLE]

The Next Greatest Reform.

Truly, it is a very large thing, when one comes to reflect on it, that while* society has progressed as regards health, comfort, and decency in every way, it has gone backwards as regards cheerful amusement, which is as«necessary a factor in a well-spent life, especially for women and the young, as any other. In early ages, in medieval times,' and so on till within a century, people of all classes amused themselves in tensely with a heartiness and genial abandon such as no person now understands. Much of it was cruel, much vulgar, but what I wonder at is that, with all our progressive morality, intelligence,and humanity, we have not known how to be joyous and refined. One by one fairs, and processions, and all kinds ol out-of-door festivals have been voted low and given up. What gayety we have consists of high classical music in crowded halls, by gaslight, where one sits for hours in a pestilent atmosphere, to feel seedy all next day. In old times, the people generally took the day to amuse themselves. No one now could ever spare a day from business, so all pleasure goes on after office hours. The result is overstrung nerves, weakenecFbyesight, the living of two or three lives in one, but that one with 200 or 300 per cent, less real enjoyment in it than people hadjyn theirs of yore. The next, and greatest and best reform for mankind will be to find for it some way to be sociable and merry by daylight, in a healthy manner.— Leland's Letter.