Punch (71.1876)

December 9, 1876.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVAUI. 257

THE AMATEUR TENOR AT HOME.

Mrs. Brown {in the midst of the lovely prelude to Gounod's " Maid oj Athens," which melody

Brown is practising for the Smiths' party). "Would you-give Baby-one of those

Powders, James, or do you-—-think a——Linseed Poultice will do ?"

A BRITISH PETE EOR EBANCE.

The Members of the French. Senate, and Chamber of Deputies too, have lately received
a very acceptable present all round; to wit, a copy of Me. C. Hill's prize essay, entitled
Sunday, containing an introductory letter by that prince of living letter-writers and polemics,
Mr. Gladstone. This useful and appropriate gift was also accompanied by a letter from
the donors, the President and Secretary of the Committee of the Working Men's Lord's Day
Rest Association, on the part of that Society. The presentees are severally addressed as
follows:—

" Sir,—Will you do the Committee of this Association the honour of accepting the accompanying
little book, entitled Sunday : its Influences on Health and National Prosperity ? The observance of the
Sabbath Day has been an incalculable blessing to Great Britain, and it is the desire of the Working Men
and others connected with this Association to see their brethren and sisters in France enabled, like them-
selves, to enjoy the Sabbath as a day of rest from labour. We regret to learn that in France and other
Continental countries labour is carried on to a great extent on the Lord's Day, and we feel that if prac-
tical measures could be devised for promoting the observance of the Sabbath, and reducing the amount of

Sunday labour to that which is necessary, a great
blessing would descend on the French nation."

The above appeal has elicited the most
satisfactory answers. This is one of
them:—

Permit me, Gentlemen, to offer you
milliards of thanks for your valuable tract
on Sunday by the eminent Hill, in addi-
tion to one of the celebrated letters of your
incomparable Protestant ex-Minister, Sir
Gladstones.

It is admirable the zeal which, in the face
of grave preoccupations, has forced you to
engage your minds with the subject of
Sunday ; and that for others who do not
think of it themselves.

One is astonished to see that British
Workmen, for whom the law has made the
Sunday after their six days' labour a day
of repose, are not satisfied themselves to
rest and be thankful, but, besides, seek to
oblige people not at all sleepy to desist
from enjoying that festival by passing it in
their own way.

Still more amazed is one in finding that
Workmen of Britain, for whom their in-
dustries might be imagined employment
more than full, not only labouring out of
work hours to impose inaction during
Sunday upon their compatriots, but also
exhorting the French Legislature to in-
stitute throughout the whole of France the
British Sunday. One thinks that working
tailors, shoemakers, carpenters, bricklayers,
painters, plumbers, and glaziers would have
quite enough to do to attend to their avoca-
tions, and busy themselves solely with their
needles, awls, saws, planes, axes, chisels,
hods, trowels, solder, paint, and putty. To
abandon their own business for the study
of our welfare is too generous.

It is your desire to see the enjoyment of
the Sabbath as a day of rest from labour
made compulsory on those whom you
affectionately call your brothers and sisters
in France. This is, indeed, a fraternal idea.
It is even more fraternal than Christian
fraternity. You wish your brothers and
your sisters to enjoy Sunday in the English
mode, and likewise to enjoy the Sabbath.
Consequently, your fraternity embraces
also the Jews. Do you wish us all to enjoy,
in doing nothing, both the seventh day and
the first ?

In England you are so happy as to have
no places of amusement open on Sunday
but the public-houses, and those shut
during hours of worship. It is your desire
to close them altogether for the whole day.
You wTould advise us also to shut up all
restaurants and refreshment-rooms, and,
as well, all galleries of art and science, and
every museum, to say nothing of theatres ;
besides to prohibit all races, dancing, and
each possible kind of recreation on Sabbaths
and Sundays. That is how you invite us to
enjoy the Sunday and the Sabbath, and by
legislation to compel everybody else to do
the same. We thank you profoundly for
that so kind invitation, which, however, the
insuperable opinions and sentiments of the
French People compel us to decline.

Accept, Gentlemen, the assurance of my
distinguished consideration.

Toutiionceil.

A Sign of the Times.

Portentous display of Ritualism! Where
are the comments of the Record and the
Rock on this last notable sign of the times ?
We observe that even at the Mayor's
Banquet at Birmingham, the other day, a
Chamberlain was present with a Cross !