We are sometimes accustomed to make rather gloomy comparisons between our days and those of our fathers. The ground for our doing so is oftener grounded in sentiment than fact, and yet there are some differences which are deplorable. This is especially true with reference to the observance of the precepts laid down in our religious teachings. We feel painfully lacking when we reflect upon the sturdy faith of the pioneers who blazed the way not only for our economic but also for our religious advancement. Perhaps nowhere do we feel that there is more discouraging contrast than in the matter of Sabbath observance. A little girl in one of our large cities heard the minister say in his sermon, one Sunday, that in heaven every day would be like Sunday. She told her mother, upon arriving home, that she expected to find heaven a grand place, for if every day were to be like Sunday, then the ceaseless round of theaters, cards, and ball games would certainly be delightful. Between this conception of the Sabbath Day and that of the stern Puritan who refused to allow his children to play and be happy on Sunday, there lies a long distance. Both are extreme views and neither could be said to be altogether desirable, but if American life continues in its present direction, the one may become as real as the other once was. We do not want our Sabbath Day to be a season of agonizing gloom and long faces. Nothing could be farther from the apparent attitude of Jesus toward it. Neither do we want it to be a day of selfish pleasure and frivolity. But we do want it to be a day of meditation, prayer, and quiet service. To keep the day holy does not necessarily imply absolute passivity, but in a Christian land, the Sabbath Day should be a day of rest. And yet the doors of many business houses are wide open; petty amusements reap a harvest of small coin, theatrical performances are given, and often the authorities fail to close even the saloons. Not only must we face these facts, but also that many so called Christians fail in very questionable ways to keep the day sacred. We may well ask whence this great difference between our age and that of the preceding generation. We are so justified by the fact that every effect has a cause. The tempter has many ways of accomplishing his purposes. He can not only quote to his purpose, but he can also utilize the social forces to his own advantage. Where such a force is the cause of men doing that which they should not do, we can best do the work of our Lord by fighting the force and not the act. We can not kill the dragon by cutting off the heads; we must strike at the life-giving root of the evil.