The Contemporary.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3150, 11 March 1889, Page 3

The Contemporary.

The most interested paper in tho Contemporary Keviotv, is tin Bishop ot Wakefield's account of "The Eist Hud." Dr. f IValsliam How really knows the liast Hud, ■ind rtS:nts exceedingly tlio widespread 1 idea ihatit is filled witli tho profligate ruffiaas, Such inon txi-t there, no doabt, and ia considerable numbers, being reinforced by tho scum of the Three Kingdoms and oi all liur pe; but tho immense majority of tliu population. aro hard-working men and women, \vhu!;e improvement in civilisation, in conduct, diess, manner, and " care for children becomes more manifest with etery decade. Thsoidhatred of the clergy is dead, and much of the old dislike of religiui, though the bulk of the people still hesitate whether tbey shall accept a creed or not. A little more than 1J per cent are believe Ito bo criminal or Bemi-criininal, and II percent aw thriftless ; but a considerable section are distinctly Christians,' whilo all ara entirely frcs from every form of hypocrisy. Tno Bishop-soems uioro doubtful of tho faolcirygirls than of any class-which is curious, if you think of it, for theso girls work steidily and hard- imd notices how gMtiy the difficulty of dealing with thorn iiplcreissd by their utrong caste ing!"The factory-girls oro a hard imt lo crick. They are very rough, coarso in language, independent, and impatient of restraint. Their. lives and habits, like tlie lives and habits of duehss-es, are moulded upon tho. public opinion of their class. Unformna ely that public opinion is exceedingly tolerant of things that should not bo, andiiii mcaF.yt.l3k to influence or regulate that public opinion. Then there .fflmai in, even her-, ihesime social liiffiwhiuh m >y bo oli-en-ed at tho other l|ll 0; tho social scale-the difficulty of social trades a d ciiipie.i, so'that the artificial flower girls can' ot be invited to meet the jam girls, ami the jam girl; look dwu upon tho ir.tcli girls, aid the match girls have no idea oi a soomiing with the rnpe jirls, You must therefore have a gitd many agencit s at work, mid I fear little has . as yet cei-n done to win and help aud humanise, ani chrisiitnise, theso it or girls." We lnve been told by an experienced witness that thero is a inste-linc stronger even than the:o, and'that nothing will induce the working giris who own their Sunday lists to with tho girls uffiire tbem. Hiring finery ii c msiderij utterly disreputable. The Bishop of Wakefield .entirely refuses to lose hope; aud whether his lppj is ju.-tified or not, that must be ih; light atti ulc of mind,