HOW SUNDAY HAS CHANGED

Evening Star, Issue 14225, 26 November 1909, Page 8

HOW SUNDAY HAS CHANGED

Nietzsche says in one of his books that the enforced dulness of the English Sunday wa-s a most cleverly-devised institution to make the work-loving Englishman look' forward to getting back to his work in the coming week. But for years past, as a matter of fact, the Englishman has been trying to overcome the dulness of his day of rest, and make it nob only tolerable, but rational and pleasant. The National Sunday League, who celebrated their twenty-first birthday in October, have done an enormous amount of good during their career in brightening up the English Sunday. Of course the organisation was bitterly opposed at, the start, especially by the clergy, but old-time prejudices have been overcome, and opposition to the League’s good work has long since petered out. “ Sunday twenty years ago,” said Mr Henry Mills, the secretary of the League, ” was a day when there was little choice of occupation for the Londoner. It lay between church aud the public-house, a very few railway excursions, and a band in the mornings in, Hyde Park. That was all. Whea the League ramc into existence, in 1888 wo started with one concert, which was attended by 800 people. Hero I may mention that in our season four years ago our concerts were attended by 737,550, and wo have increased our attendance considerably since then. But to revert to our first year. We organised three band concerts every Sunday—one each in Finsbury, Regent’s. and Southwark Parks—and we organised one. railway excursion a week, which was patronised roughly by 1.000 people.. Now we average seventeen concerts a Sunday, with an attendance of 30,000. and at them the foremost vocalists, orchestras, and military bunds appear. We run excursions on neatly every railway line that runs from I-ondou, we have the museums and art. galleries open, and we have a band iir every park and open space of any size in London.” Loudon has not yet succeeded in shaking oft entirely the pal! of dulness which Sunday brings in its train, but it will be seen from Mr Mills’s statement that a vast amount of good has been achieved.—Own Correspondent.