ical rest and recreation, but moral
improvement. The former are proper to the day only so far as they
are subservient to the latter. The whole human race have the
conscious need of being made better, purer, and more spiritual; the
whole human race have one common danger of sinking to a mere animal
life under the pressure of labor or in the dissipations of pleasure;
and of the whole human race the proverb holds good, that what may be
done any time is done at no time. Hence the Heavenly Father
appoints one day as a special season for the culture of man's
highest faculties. Accordingly, whatever ways and practices
interfere with the purpose of the Sabbath as a day of worship and
moral culture should be avoided, and all family arrangements for the
day should be made with reference thereto."

"Cold dinners on Sunday, for example," said Bob. "Marianne holds these
as prime articles of faith."

"Yes,--they doubtless are most worthy and merciful, in giving to the
poor cook one day she may call her own, and rest from the heat of
range and cooking-stove. For the same reason, I would suspend as far
as possible all traveling, and all public labor, on Sunday. The
hundreds of hands that these things require to carry them on are the
hands of human beings, whose right to this merciful pause of rest is
as clear as their humanity. Let them have their day to look upward."

"But the little ones," said my oldest matron daughter, who had not as
yet spoken,--"they are the problem. Oh, this weary labor of making
children keep Sunday! If I try it, I have no rest at all myself. If I
must talk to them or read to them to keep them from play, my Sabbath
becomes my hardest working day."

"And, pray, what commandment of the Bible ever said children should
not play on Sunday?" said I. "We are forbidden to work, and we see the
reason why; but lambs frisk and robins sing on Sunday; and little
children, who are as yet more than half animals, must not be made to
keep the day in the manner proper to our more developed faculties. As
much cheerful, attractive religious instruction as they can bear
without weariness may be given, and then they may simply be restrained
from disturbing others. Say to the little one, 'This day we have noble
and beautiful things to think of that interest us deeply: you are a
child; you cannot read and think and enjoy such things as much as we
can; you may play softly and quietly, and remember not to make a
disturbance.' I wou