Sunday Under Three Heads

Charles Dickens

Description

Though he is best remembered today as one of the most renowned novelists of the Victorian era, British author Charles Dickens was deeply engaged with the political and social debates of his time and often wrote essays and opinion pieces staking out his position in topical debates. In the essay "Sunday Under Three Heads," which Dickens originally published under a pseudonym, the writer argues in favor of the working classes having Sundays free to pursue their interests and hobbies.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Philosophy

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776594436
• Langue: English

Extrait

SUNDAY UNDER THREE HEADS
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CHARLES DICKENS
 
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Sunday Under Three Heads First published in 1836 Epub ISBN 978-1-77659-443-6 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77659-444-3 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Dedication Chapter I - As it Is Chapter II - As Sabbath Bills Would Make It Chapter III - As it Might Be Made
Dedication
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To The Right Reverend THE BISHOP OF LONDON
MY LORD,
You were among the first, some years ago, to expatiate on thevicious addiction of the lower classes of society to Sundayexcursions; and were thus instrumental in calling forth occasionaldemonstrations of those extreme opinions on the subject, which arevery generally received with derision, if not with contempt.
Your elevated station, my Lord, affords you countless opportunitiesof increasing the comforts and pleasures of the humbler classes ofsociety—not by the expenditure of the smallest portion of yourprincely income, but by merely sanctioning with the influence ofyour example, their harmless pastimes, and innocent recreations.
That your Lordship would ever have contemplated Sunday recreationswith so much horror, if you had been at all acquainted with thewants and necessities of the people who indulged in them, I cannotimagine possible. That a Prelate of your elevated rank has thefaintest conception of the extent of those wants, and the nature ofthose necessities, I do not believe.
For these reasons, I venture to address this little Pamphlet toyour Lordship's consideration. I am quite conscious that theoutlines I have drawn, afford but a very imperfect description ofthe feelings they are intended to illustrate; but I claim for themone merit—their truth and freedom from exaggeration. I may havefallen short of the mark, but I have never overshot it: and whileI have pointed out what appears to me, to be injustice on the partof others, I hope I have carefully abstained from committing itmyself.
I am, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient, Humble Servant, TIMOTHY SPARKS. June, 1836.
Chapter I - As it Is
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There are few things from which I derive greater pleasure, thanwalking through some of the principal streets of London on a fineSunday, in summer, and watching the cheerful faces of the livelygroups with which they are thronged. There is something, to myeyes at least, exceedingly pleasing in the general desire evincedby the humbler classes of society, to appear neat and clean on thistheir only holiday. There are many grave old persons, I know, whoshake their heads with an air of profound wisdom, and tell you thatpoor people dress too well now-a-days; that when they werechildren, folks knew their stations in life better; that you maydepend upon it, no good will come of this sort of thing in theend,—and so forth: but I fancy I can discern in the fine bonnetof the working-man's wife, or the feather-bedizened hat of hischild, no inconsiderable evidence of good feeling on the part ofthe man himself, and an affectionate desire to expend the fewshillings he can spare from his week's wages, in improving theappearance and adding to the happiness of those who are nearest anddearest to him. This may be a very heinous and unbecoming degreeof vanity, perhaps, and the money might possibly be applied tobetter uses; it must not be forgotten, however, that it might veryeasily be devoted to worse: and if two or three faces can berendered happy and contented, by a trifling improvement of outwardappearance, I cannot help thinking that the object is very cheaplypurchased, even at the expense of a smart gown, or a gaudy riband.There is a great deal of very unnecessary cant about the over-dressing of the common people. There is not a manufacturer ortradesman in existence, who would not employ a man who takes areasonable degree of pride in the appearance of himself and thoseabout him, in preference to a sullen, slovenly fellow, who worksdoggedly on, regardless of his own clothing and that of his wifeand children, and seeming to take pleasure or pride in nothing.
The pampered aristocrat, whose life is one continued round oflicentious pleasures and sensual gratifications; or the gloomyenthusiast, who detests the cheerful amusements he can never enjoy,and envies the healthy feelings he can never know, and who wouldput down the one and suppress the other, until he made the minds ofhis fellow-beings as besotted and distorted as his own;—neither ofthese men can by possibility form an adequate notion of what Sundayreally is to those whose lives are spent in sedentary or laboriousoccupations, and who are accustomed to look forward to it throughtheir whole existence, as their only day of rest from toil, andinnocent enjoyment.
The sun that rises over the quiet streets of London on a brightSunday morning, shines till his setting, on gay and happy faces.Here and there, so early as six o'clock, a young man and woman intheir best attire, may be seen hurrying along on their way to thehouse of some acquaintance, who is included in their scheme ofpleasure for the day; from whence, after stopping to take "a bit ofbreakfast," they sally forth, accompanied by several old people,and a whole crowd of young ones, bearing large hand-baskets full ofprovisions, and Belcher handkerchiefs done up in bundles, with theneck of a bottle sticking out at the top, and closely-packed applesbulging