Sairey Snodgins and Sunday Recreation for the People.

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 19, 10 March 1894, Page 10

Sairey Snodgins and Sunday Recreation for the People.

Last week, Mr. Heditor, I receeved some Home papers, an’ was just persuin’ them, as hedn’t had time to look at them before, bein’ busy all day makin’ jam, when Snodgins came in to his tea.

“ Well, Sairey, my deer,” he says, “ what ’ave you got there ? ”

ho says. “ Some papers from Home, Snodgins,” I says, “ but come, my deer,” I says, “ an’ ’ave your tea, as feel sure you want it this cold evenin’,” I says, “ an’ then we will discuss the latest noos from Home,” I says, “ round this cosy bit of fire,” I says. “Very well, Sairey, you ’ave a nack of mailin’ a fellow feel hungry wether he does or not,” he says. “ So after pa '.■talcin’ of tea as would make you think he was hungry, the table was clered, we settled ourselves in front of the fire, an’ givin’ Snodgins a paper, an’ takin’ one myself, I opened it, an’ startled Snodgins by egsclamin’. “Well done, perseverin' ones, you deserve success! ”

“Who deserves success, Sairey? ” says Snodgins. “ Why the promoters of the Liverpool Sunday Sassiety,” I says. “ What ’ave they been doin’, Sairey ? ” lie says. “ Among my papers, my frend’ as lienclosed a program, an’ by it I see as the Sassiety ’ave succeeded in gettin, St. Georges Hall to hold their meetin’s in, wich they 'ave been strugglin’ to get for the last six years,” I says. “ My eye, but Liverpool is a Conservative place,” he says, “ but what about this Sunday Sassiety, an’ what is its objecks ? ” “Why, don’t you know, Sain’el, as tliort when we were in deer old Liver' pool, you wentone Sunday with me,” I says “ No, I didn’t,” he says, “ an, so will be glad if you will tell me somethink of it,” he says. “ With plesure, my deer,” I says, “ In the first place then, the . Sassiety was formed by some good, broad-minded men and women, who had at hart the good an’ welfare of the masses. Men an’ women who saw an’ felt for the unluvliness—the drudgery—the monotonus existence of the poor of the city an’ they started this Sassiety with these objecks: ‘ The openin’ of mooseums, art galleries, and libaries, also, for pervidin’ lectures for moosic instruckshon, an, innercent recreashun for the people on Sundays.’ ” “ A splendid work, Sairey, an’ I wishes them every'sucoess,” says Snodgins.

“So does every rite-minded person,” I says, “ but they ’ave had big odds to fite agenst,” I says. “ For instance, many of the parsons held hup their hands in pius horrer an’ declared it would keep the young from Sunday School, an’ then there was the old Conservative fossils in the counsil, as would not heer of desercatin’ the Sabbath by lettin’ a little joy or sunshine into the lives of the workin’ man, as only had a chance to see these things on a Sunday, an’ so they fort tooth an’ nale agenst openin’ the mooseums, art galleries, an’ libary on Sunday—but they ’ave had no difficulty in gettin’ the services of scientifick men an’ moosickal men, an’ women are always reddy to help, an’ is now quite a established institooshun, an’ is doin’ muoh to briten the lives an’ purify the morals of the people, beside bein’ a meens of instrukshun, as the leoturs given are on every possible subjeck.”

“ How would a sassiety of that kind go in Wellington, do you think, Sairey?” says Snodgins;

“It is just the thing as is wanted. Of course New Zealand is in advance of Liverpool, in so much as they do open there mooseum and libary on Sundays, and so if a sassiety was formed it seems to me it would ’ave much plesanter time than our frends in the Old Country. But what they do want here is a class of services or lecfcurs given for and to the people—a place where the workin’ man would not feel ashamed to go in his workin’ clothes, if he had no others, an’ a place where the wife of the workin’man would not feel uncomfortable if she wasn’t very smart —these are the peeple a sassiety like this Avants to get at —the non-churchgoin’ part of the commoonity, many of whom ’ave been sickened by a visit from a parson, Avho has told the poor woman, as had scarce enuff bred for her little ones, ‘ To trust in the Lord, an’ not forget to pray.’ An’ then there is the youth of Wellington, the boys as think themselves too big to go to Sunday School, Avhich often leeds tbem into company as they’d be better without, an’ I think as there are enuff, aye, air’ too many, of these too classes in Wellington, goodness knoAVs.”

“ An’ upon what lines Avould you perpose to run the sassiety, Sairey ?” says Snodgins.

“Well Snodgins, in the first place a committee of ladies an’ gentlemen should be formed to discuss the questshun. In formin’ a sassiety of this kind I think the best talent posserble should be got, an’ grate discreshon should be observed in the chice of lecturers, an’ there subjeck?. The moosic also should be the best, for though the workin’ classes may not ’ave a tecknickal knowlege of moosic God has blessed many Avith a fine ear for harmony, and so they can lissen to good mcosick Avith most beautiful results. Yes, Snodgins,” I went on,“ Wellington could do Avith an’ should ’ave a Sunday sassiety. It must be a ‘labor of

luv’ for neither lecturers nor mooßicaners could be pade, for the. colleckshun as mite be made tm’ the penny charged for the program would not more than cover egspenses.”

“ Well, Sairey, if you manage to succeed in convincin’ the peeple as ’ave it in there power to form such a sassiety as well as you ’ave convinced me, it will not be long before Wellington can boast a Sunday sassiety." “I am sure I hope not,” I says- “If some henerjetick moosician like young Mr. Hill could be indoosed to take charge of the moosical arrangements (an’ it would not be a grate deel to do) an’ some good broad-minded man would arrange the lectures, the rest would be easy—the peeple would go to these Sunday recreashuns, they would not ’ave to be asked over an’ over again, an’ altogether I think such a sassiety would be a benefit to the commoonity, an’, by the way, here is yet another hopportunity for our frends, the Prohibs., to show there practical simpathy Avith the peeple—the peeple whose welfare they profess so much to care for. Hear then Ye Prohibs! Here is an hopportunity for you to egsert your hinfluence, an’ by makin’ Sunday the britest an’ best day in the Aveek to the peeple, you will soon close the hotels on that day, an’ Avithout prohibition, for they will close for lack of customers.”

When wilt thou save the people, Oh Ooil of Mercy, when ?

“ I Avill answer this questshon by respectin’ the old adage, “ God helps them as helps themselves, an’ I feel sure, Snodgins, my deer, that if the brothei’ly luv, Avich ought to egsist betAveen mankind, Avould only stimerlate some of the Wellington citizens inter ackshon in this direckshon, Wellington Avould be a helthier, (for I Avould advocate lecturs on the laAvs of health) briter, purer an’ Aviser place for it.”

“You are so terribly in earnest about it, Sairey, that I could Avish that I had cash enuff to hen gage talent to make a start Sairey,” says Snodgins. “Thank you, Saui'el, but as I sayed afore,- this work must be a labor of luv. Everyone connected Avith it must egspect to do his or her part of the work, an’ Avithout reward, so Sam’el, all we can do is hope as some one of hinfluence will take hup this thort of mine an’ make it a reality. What do you think of the plan, Mr. Heditor ? Yours,