FOLLY

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 23, 1879

The adage has been in use for years, that “the fools are not all dead yet.” This is true, but this is not the worst of it. They are actually increasing, if we may judge from some exhibitions as reported in the papers.

Illustration: One Madame Anderson has been walking on a wager to complete 2,700 quarter miles in as many quarter hours. She has just finished her performance. One dollar was charged for standing room in the hall during the closing scene, and two dollars for reserved seats. And yet, with these prices, two thousand persons were packed into the hall which would comfortably seat but one thousand. Twice the number were gathered outside, half women, where they endured the jam for hours without complaining. Some fainted. Inside, the hall was a roaring pandemonium. The band tried to play, but their loudest notes were drowned by the vociferous applause, the women joining with the men in the yells and wild excitement.

And all for what? To see a woman make a fool of herself, and so to make fools of themselves. Suppose she could walk the distance in that time or could not—suppose she failed or succeeded? What of it? Have men and women become so oblivious to their manhood and womanhood, so lost to all ideas of what is noble and elevating, that they must condescend to act like madmen over such a scene as this? There is nothing in the earth or under the earth or in the sea to which we can compare it; for no other member of the animal kingdom would be guilty of actions so supremely foolish.

Madame Anderson will now be under the necessity of submitting to the most careful medical treatment, to enable her to rally from her severe physical prostration.