sunday under three heads-第3章

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a　baby　in　her　arms　on　the　doorstep；　and　who　seems　almost　as　pleased

with　the　whole　scene　as　the　children　themselves；　whereupon　'baby'

not　precisely　understanding　the　importance　of　the　business　in　hand；

but　clearly　perceiving　that　it　is　something　unusually　lively；　kicks

and　crows　most　lustily；　to　the　unspeakable　delight　of　all　the

children　and　both　the　parents：　　and　the　dinner　is　borne　into　the

house　amidst　a　shouting　of　small　voices；　and　jumping　of　fat　legs；

which　would　fill　Sir　Andrew　Agnew　with　astonishment；　as　well　it

might；　seeing　that　Baronets；　generally　speaking；　eat　pretty

comfortable　dinners　all　the　week　through；　and　cannot　be　expected　to

understand　what　people　feel；　who　only　have　a　meat　dinner　on　one　day

out　of　every　seven。



The　bakings　being　all　duly　consigned　to　their　respective　owners；

and　the　beer…man　having　gone　his　rounds；　the　church　bells　ring　for

afternoon　service；　the　shops　are　again　closed；　and　the　streets　are

more　than　ever　thronged　with　people；　some　who　have　not　been　to

church　in　the　morning；　going　to　it　now；　others　who　have　been　to

church；　going　out　for　a　walk；　and　others　…　let　us　admit　the　full

measure　of　their　guilt　…　going　for　a　walk；　who　have　not　been　to

church　at　all。　　I　am　afraid　the　smart　servant　of　all　work；　who　has

been　loitering　at　the　corner　of　the　square　for　the　last　ten

minutes；　is　one　of　the　latter　class。　　She　is　evidently　waiting　for

somebody；　and　though　she　may　have　made　up　her　mind　to　go　to　church

with　him　one　of　these　mornings；　I　don't　think　they　have　any　such

intention　on　this　particular　afternoon。　　Here　he　is；　at　last。　　The

white　trousers；　blue　coat；　and　yellow　waistcoat　…　and　more

especially　that　cock　of　the　hat　…　indicate；　as　surely　as　inanimate

objects　can；　that　Chalk　Farm　and　not　the　parish　church；　is　their

destination。　　The　girl　colours　up；　and　puts　out　her　hand　with　a

very　awkward　affectation　of　indifference。　　He　gives　it　a　gallant

squeeze；　and　away　they　walk；　arm　in　arm；　the　girl　just　looking　back

towards　her　'place'　with　an　air　of　conscious　self…importance；　and

nodding　to　her　fellow…servant　who　has　gone　up　to　the　two…pair…of…

stairs　window；　to　take　a　full　view　of　'Mary's　young　man；'　which

being　communicated　to　William；　he　takes　off　his　hat　to　the　fellow…

servant：　　a　proceeding　which　affords　unmitigated　satisfaction　to

all　parties；　and　impels　the　fellow…servant　to　inform　Miss　Emily

confidentially；　in　the　course　of　the　evening；　'that　the　young　man

as　Mary　keeps　company　with；　is　one　of　the　most　genteelest　young　men

as　ever　she　see。'



The　two　young　people　who　have　just　crossed　the　road；　and　are

following　this　happy　couple　down　the　street；　are　a　fair　specimen　of

another　class　of　Sunday　…　pleasurers。　　There　is　a　dapper　smartness；

struggling　through　very　limited　means；　about　the　young　man；　which

induces　one　to　set　him　down　at　once　as　a　junior　clerk　to　a

tradesman　or　attorney。　　The　girl　no　one　could　possibly　mistake。

You　may　tell　a　young　woman　in　the　employment　of　a　large　dress…

maker；　at　any　time；　by　a　certain　neatness　of　cheap　finery　and

humble　following　of　fashion；　which　pervade　her　whole　attire；　but

unfortunately　there　are　other　tokens　not　to　be　misunderstood　…　the

pale　face　with　its　hectic　bloom；　the　slight　distortion　of　form

which　no　artifice　of　dress　can　wholly　conceal；　the　unhealthy　stoop；

and　the　short　cough　…　the　effects　of　hard　work　and　close

application　to　a　sedentary　employment；　upon　a　tender　frame。　　They

turn　towards　the　fields。　　The　girl's　countenance　brightens；　and　an

unwonted　glow　rises　in　her　face。　　They　are　going　to　Hampstead　or

Highgate；　to　spend　their　holiday　afternoon　in　some　place　where　they

can　see　the　sky；　the　fields；　and　trees；　and　breathe　for　an　hour　or

two　the　pure　air；　which　so　seldom　plays　upon　that　poor　girl's　form；

or　exhilarates　her　spirits。



I　would　to　God；　that　the　iron…hearted　man　who　would　deprive　such

people　as　these　of　their　only　pleasures；　could　feel　the　sinking　of

heart　and　soul；　the　wasting　exhaustion　of　mind　and　body；　the　utter

prostration　of　present　strength　and　future　hope；　attendant　upon

that　incessant　toil　which　lasts　from　day　to　day；　and　from　month　to

month；　that　toil　which　is　too　often　protracted　until　the　silence　of

midnight；　and　resumed　with　the　first　stir　of　morning。　　How

marvellously　would　his　ardent　zeal　for　other　men's　souls；　diminish

after　a　short　probation；　and　how　enlightened　and　comprehensive

would　his　views　of　the　real　object　and　meaning　of　the　institution

of　the　Sabbath　become！



The　afternoon　is　far　advanced　…　the　parks　and　public　drives　are

crowded。　　Carriages；　gigs；　phaetons；　stanhopes；　and　vehicles　of

every　description；　glide　smoothly　on。　　The　promenades　are　filled

with　loungers　on　foot；　and　the　road　is　thronged　with　loungers　on

horseback。　　Persons　of　every　class　are　crowded　together；　here；　in

one　dense　mass。　　The　plebeian；　who　takes　his　pleasure　on　no　day　but

Sunday；　jostles　the　patrician；　who　takes　his；　from　year's　end　to

year's　end。　　You　look　in　vain　for　any　outward　signs　of　profligacy

or　debauchery。　　You　see　nothing　before　you　but　a　vast　number　of

people；　the　denizens　of　a　large　and　crowded　city；　in　the　needful

and　rational　enjoyment　of　air　and　exercise。



It　grows　dusk。　　The　roads　leading　from　the　different　places　of

suburban　resort；　are　crowded　with　people　on　their　return　home；　and

the　sound　of　merry　voices　rings　through　the　gradually　darkening

fields。　　The　evening　is　hot　and　sultry。　　The　rich　man　throws　open

the　sashes　of　his　spacious　dining…room；　and　quaffs　his　iced　wine　in

splendid　luxury。　　The　poor　man；　who　has　no　room　to　take　his　meals

in；　but　the　close　apartment　to　which　he　and　his　family　have　been

confined　throughout　the　week；　sits　in　the　tea…garden　of　some　famous

tavern；　and　drinks　his　beer　in　content　and　comfort。　　The　fields　and

roads　are　gradually　deserted；　the　crowd　once　more　pour　into　the

streets；　and　disperse　to　their　several　homes；　and　by　midnight　all

is　silent　and　quiet；　save　where　a　few　stragglers　linger　beneath　the

window　of　some　great　man's　house；　to　listen　to　the　strains　of　music

from　within：　　or　stop　to　gaze　upon　the　splendid　carriages　which　are

waiting　to　convey　the　guests　from　the　dinner…party　of　an　Earl。



There　is　a　darker　side　to　this　picture；　on　which；　so　far　from　its

being　any　part　of　my　purpose　to　conceal　it；　I　wish　to　lay

particular　stress。　　In　some　parts　of　London；　and　in　many　of　the

manufacturing　towns　of　England；　drunkenness　and　profligacy　in　their

most　disgusting　forms；　exhibit　in　the　open　streets　on　Sunday；　a　sad

and　a　degrading　spectacle。　　We　need　go　no　farther　than　St。　Giles's；

or　Drury　Lane；　for　sights　and　scenes　of　a　most　repulsive　nature。

Women　with　scarcely　the　articles　of　apparel　which　common　decency

requires；　with　forms　bloated　by　disease；　and　faces　rendered　hideous

by　habitual　drunkenness　…　men　reeling　and　staggering　along　…

children　in　rags　and　filth　…　whole　streets　of　squalid　and　miserable

appearance；　whose　inhabitants　are　lounging　in　the　public　road；

fighting；　screaming；　and　swearing　…　these　are　the　common　objects

which　present　themselves　in；　these　are　the　well…known

characteristics　of；　that　portion　of　London　to　which　I　have　just

referred。



And　why　is　it；　that　all　well…disposed　persons　are　shocked；　and

public　decency　scandalised；　by　such　exhibitions？



These　people　are　poor　…　that　is　notorious。　　It　may　be　said　that

they　spend　in　liquor；　money　with　which　they　might　purchase

necessaries；　and　there　is　no　denying　the　fact；　but　let　it　be

remembered　that　even　if　they　applied　every　farthing　of　their

earnings　in　the　best　possible　way；　they　would　still　be　very　…　very

poor。　　Their　dwellings　are　necessarily　uncomfortable；　and　to　a

certain　degree　unhealthy。　　Cleanliness　might　do　much；　but　they　are

too　crowded　together；　the　streets　are　too　narrow；　and　the　rooms　too

small；　to　admit　of　their　ever　being　rendered　desirable　habitations。

They　work　very　hard　all　the　week。　　We　know　that　the　effect　of

prolonged