130 HOME-LIFE. 



of the whole question I Perliaps the only feasihle 

 way is by a more general understanding on the 

 part of heads of families of tlie sujjreme necessity 

 for liarmless and healtliful social intercourse. It 

 has perliaps been too much the habit in many Pu- 

 ritan households to look with disfavor upon every 

 form of social relaxation, however innocent or de- 

 sirable in itself. Our somewhat austere national 

 life, undoubtedly on the whole a great element 

 in the strength of the country, does little harm 

 and much good in country pLaces ; but, when 

 brought to bear too hardly upon the artificial con- 

 ditions of our great towns, it often results in an 

 almost total negation of all pleasures and all social 

 meetings of every sort for young people. It is 

 unhappily the fact that many of the means actually 

 provided for the amusement of our population 

 generally are open to serious objection on the 

 score of thc'r moral tendency. Alter all, our 

 masses, viewed in the mass, have very little choice 

 except tlie saloon and the music-hall. What is 

 really needed, therefore, is that heads of families 

 and persons in authority generally should recog- 

 nize more fully the existing need for wholesome 

 and harmless social amusements. It is possible 

 for people to get rid of that essentially mistaken 

 and unhealthy feeling that there is something 

 positively wrong in the lively meeting together of 

 young and old ; and, if we could only once banish 



