HOW THE UPPER TEN SPEND SUNDAY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1837, 10 May 1888, Page 3

HOW THE UPPER TEN SPEND SUNDAY

A SWEEPING IMPEACHMENT. The Biehop of Exeter, In the Upper House of Convocation, presented a petition from the Lord's Day Observance Society. The petition stated that there had been a very marked Increase m the employment of the afternoon and evenings on Sundays for amusements of various kinds m the upper and faijhlonablo classes of society. Those of recent date inoludlng formal dinner parties, smoking oonoorts, theatrical performances, comio jj reoltattone, exhibitions of jugglery, coach drives, boxing at a club, show Sundays m the studioa of artlata, lawn teunis, dances at club?, and private houßea, and Snadaya o;p the rlvor. The long Hat of those amusements embraced men of art) science, politics, and commerce, as well as a large number of mere dilettanti and of men and of women of means, whose promlnenoe was only that of devotion to pleasure. Many of those amusements were public and vrere aoooi'dln^ly open to celticism, and their prevalence m our midst testified to very loose Sunday habits on tho pact of the rich and great and noble of the land, The Bishop of London, at the dlaou3 sion which followed agreed that the practices oornplalned of had been increasing quietly for a considerable number of years. He particularly regretted that the upper classes should take pleasure on a day which ought to be to them, more 'than to others, a day for public worship and for doing honor to God. The evil was a very serious one, although it w«s much more exousable In tha lower olases of society, where there was unremitting toll throughout the week, and where the aspect of the Sunday — that It was a day of rest from toil — must nooesaarilj. take up vory rauoh larger space In their thoughts than tho aspect and oharaoter of it as a day of worship,. He thought the proposal m the memorial that they should join m a public protest against Sunday amusements and entertainments was rather a doubtful one. Protests of this kind, if issued and allowed to fall flat, did more harm than good. But tho evil was serious, and if they could make a eerious difference m it by public protest, a public protest would be well worth while.