am glad that certain Christian families
of high standing in the church of all denominations, have at last asserted
their right to act out their own convictions in this matter, and have
demonstrated that even this much berated amusement may be elevated,
refined, and made a source of social pleasure and profit by the infusion
of Christian principle.

One more case in point. When our Young Men's Christian Association of Troy
furnished their new rooms, they did so on the principle that prayer
meetings and religious periodicals, though important in their place, would
not, of themselves, suffice to attract young men from without. They had
tried the experiment in their forlorn rooms under a machine shop, in an
out-of-the-way place, furnished as a miniature chapel, and a very seedy
one at that, and the result was that about six months ago the Association
was in a fair way to die, and make no sign. Young men would not go to that
dismal hole to spend an evening when more attractive places abounded in
the city; and I would not if I had been in their place. But the
Association got a new lease of life. It engaged large, airy, pleasant
rooms, in a central position. It kept its prayer meeting room neatly and
appropriately furnished, but it added a large social parlor, its walls
adorned with pictures, a fine piano invitingly open, the best current
periodicals, secular and religious, upon the tables, and games of
checkers, chess, and dominoes distributed about the room. The young men
came in crowds. They were thrown at once into contact with the Christian
youth of every church in the city; with the city pastors; with committees,
specially appointed by the churches to take strangers in charge, with good
music, religious literature, and innocent amusement. For one I thanked God
with all my heart. I thought the Association had done a great Christian
deed. I hailed it as a happy omen that the Christianity of our city was
beginning to see that the Devil had tools which _it_ might use to
advantage, and was going to take them away from him. But so did not think
others who turned their backs on the Association, and denounced it as
_encouraging gambling_.

This, in short, is the course pursued to a very great extent with this
whole subject of amusements: assuming that the gospel has no business with
it except to denounce and warn; taking the leaven away from the lump,
instead of putting it in. Creating a wide separation between two things,
whic