An Old Player's Sermon Against Sunday Ball

Friends: I was "short stop" of Ihe champlon club of the state when most of you were bables. You'd have to run well to catch me on the diamond now. Listen a miuute to what an older brother has to say, and "don't dispute the umpire" - the uoncbt eonsclence God Las put in you. Is not base ball too good a tblng to gire to the devil ? I have always considered it king of out-donr games - the vcry game of manly sports. It is the ripe fruit of mucli ath'.etic study. It ou}rht to last as a popu lar game as long as the world endures. It tries courage, brain, muscle - the whole man. It delights the onlooking crowds. It is well named. 'The lieautiful Game." But it is the abuse of a good thing to breuk up the luws of God and man to indulge t. God made the Sabhath law and has never revoked It. He bas v ritten it in the constitution of your body. You may defy him a few years, but in the end he will carry the day. Hegrips the world as easüy as you grasp a ball. He uever Iets go. He has made tbc Sabbath "a dellght" and you can it yon will. Yon can take your dog a walk- "it's a good 1 1 ¦ ï m jr for a man to have :i dog,'' the dead Beeclier said, and you and I know it. You can piek flowers for the girl you love and with them umi her come to me when the happy day arrivés and the law says its all right. If you will earry comfort to the sick or take the poor cripple out to alde, you can exerclee your favor ite horse on Sunday. I have my pleasantest rides on tliat day, nor do I take everybody's dust. I dislurb no oue and keep within the law of God and man. It takos a little wil tor a Christian to iet a real live Sumiay, hut it there be a willink mind, wit grow?. But when you go by nosy trains, with bandl of mualc and shout and yell at the "home runs" and the "donblo plays," you distuib the qulet of oihera. You break the laws of man and God both, I've copied them out carefuliy, so you cannot say 'I didu'l know." It is abad way tu begin lile, tn cla vour-elt among crimináis, for this is what ycni do when you break the criminal laws of your state. It wou't pay. If man's law is wrong, go to work and repeal it. The surest way to make a bad law obnoXlom Is to obey and enfoice it. But the lands whic'h obey good laws, taken out of the Book of God, are the "lands of the f ree ai d home of the brave," and you don't want to be citizens of nny other. One thinsr more, for ['m luaruiug tobe "'short stop" in my preaching as well as in ball playing. Kvery jjame pliyed on Sunday isa blow at the cause of labor. W'heu your muscles get a little too stitl' to ilay you will have to labor for your Uring. lt's the co in m on lot. Truc men have great sympathy with short hours of lab r and au interest in the half-holiday Saturday. 1 go for all proper bolldayi for all classes. If ytm open up Ood's day to games vou shut the door to holidays. Hure! England. with her Sabbath, lias holidays. I never saw cricket played on Sunday. An old player says he never did. On the Continent they have no holidays and labor grinds on. Every ticket you buy for a Suuday game is a repeated ballot against short hours and frequent holidays. Your noi-e on Sunday liurts me - hurts my Sunday scliool - hurts thousands whö are your fcllow cilizens and your best friends. Stop short. It any worthy man is iu trouble with h is game contrwts let's pass the hat and help him out. Give me tbc tirst chance te "Chip in." But let's not curse the city we love, break the laws our best men have made, and ppoil our citizenship for two worlds. Pitch in for Saturday afiernonn, and we're all with you. Yuur