The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-02 00:00:00

ft BISHOP'S ADVICE TO WORKMEN.

si The Bishop of Manchester addressed a number of
the hien e„,,aoyed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Itailway l'ondary, at it tea-meeting held at Bolton
on Saturday e‘ t.nti.”. • • In the cod.r.se of his reniarks,
the Bishop said :--
rnhanPitY, we thrbdian people were broken op mere or
105.5 itt. different sect,. Slat tleaolailkatiteta, Nit It 1t11:il Ito
did Mal that Cs.:. wyre ill tly Mg to grasp what he believed
tots the root ot the rent-c. After all the great s,•ent 4:f
religion was the power which made life happy, and that was
what they tried to I reach frets their pulpits according' to
their several efeivietions. Religion did not belong so nitwii
toO particular denornin.dlon Pi to what the 104 Itelo•ew
Prollhet told the people was religion—.. Mang !•,;1!,,e, mving
MerV, ,And Walking Ittirably hefere flod.'"llterefore
dl not like to we ttr self unscetarian "or elide-
whira beemne very fashionable, sari
with:Ube lnad he). ta sick of, lie rep-rod when he het the
ppbsrt,dtt' .1 meeting a body of working ea :11, and wlida he
ill..i.nie thoSe lrior,rnliirrregir they 41:t1 lint peo-
V,attee lb it alabboleth iti the same way, were yet their
brethren, and all tire same servants of one tainitnon Lord,
/*lug to Set forward according to the last of their powers
Site sane, aTeat upna inure Blau one of:ca-
tkin horl elects ittiefance In Manchester to his sentiments
Ih4 t remeation for working men. tie had
,sbo7c:ol the habits of the working classes in France,
iadmany, and Italy, and althengli he should int like the
English pomle to copy all their modes of living, yet he
did say that life on the continent of Europe was some-
how or other brighter, and in some smiles a sweeter
thing than life in England. If they looked at an Englishman
,ing out 011 a114,411ay ti enjoy himself, they would see that
he did not bail: as if he wa.a going to make a festive day od It.
Olt going out for a holiday that they almost
wished it wita over. We hail not yet discovered the secret
of sla,tding Ii holillsy hi a really rational is-ay, Last Sunday
week lie went ....ntrit to Blackpool to preach a sermon, stayed
the 1001 4,11 Monday returned. Walking up and
Otkit the pier. lie was wonderfully struck with what he saw.
They told ball that 25.1tA, escurshinista had arrived there on
the Santini:o'. lie Seas int/I'llOA that the 1011.111111 population
of the place was ,inly about 7 ..a.)O, lie was perfectly amazed to
see the crowds then Were Stirging oar aspire au„th,r between
the two great piers that thmst their lang arms ,int into the Sea.
11.4.1 eaValierS were titling wr.rtcheil lairs.s at the rate of sin
mites an hour, and looking very solemn and very sorbets. But
the general hsik was not toy much like that of enjoyment.
However. the thought did strike him what a general blessing
these nalwass were, enabling many leer Ilaell-Woeked SOUIS,
VllO toile.lllo,llellollt the year is the close, dark lanes and
alleys of atafteluster and :other large town+, to make It 11:ka-
bala WWI rapid journey to a seaside town, where they emild
enj,:y the r,..freshing view of the maguillecnt ocean rolling its
great waives runt the shore, and the ether healti,y
surrounding it really .gladdeind his heart to think that by
strolls nt raile.c., polde could be taken down to
hia..ap,,i al.' St:lY them until the following 3lonflay at eon,
100ntively trifling •st, and could, if they liked, have so much
lire tOtjoyith El. What at Freltelinnin or Berman would Is
sins tfos. II: width! go out and have a pleasant day and
go home sober. This was what the working men of
England had to learn—how to enjoy a holiday will t a
derangentent of the stomach and a headache nest morn-
ing, and probably something it good deal worse -that
little pricking of the conacience which a man felt
when he knew that he bad enjoyed himself selfishly,
leaving his wife and children at home. 'Meunier-
atice a-as incleasing. It wits spreading in directions
.11,11., shove ethos, it was most fatal. It was spreading
among tvonleit, Melee.: young girls, and among Sunday-
achool scholars. The prineiple Of filial reverence and
obediellCe 111011:1311e hail been I/halt:llC 1110 in was very much
lessened in these la.ter days, and in Lancashire particularly
he hail noticed a diminution of filial respect. It was partly
attributable to the high rate of wages which young people
r-rrmmtrl earn. Ile had heard of young girls in Itilichester and
Balderston° earning 145., ra., and 108. per week. Ile
did not grudge them the pool wages lie rejoiced
that they ...mid earn them : but he did net think a reli-
gioits-tantdr.l young girl would say that hecause she
earned wages ciatagh to keep herself she w-as right
to tan, roninl manila, mother, who said to tier, Kate, I
would rather see you home a little earlier than you are. Kate,
I don't think that young mail is quite gmal enough for you.
Mon't think he still make a good husband, mid if he will not
Make a goi id husband dont eneourage him "—and Say to her
mother, •• If pal talk to me in that stay I shall go away and
go into house-keeping myself." That was wrong. Ile was
told this was a thing which prevailed to a great extent In
these days. latlurs and mothers bad to hear some of the
blame. Po Raid to them, as fathera and mothers, that
there wus nothing they ought to kohl more precious than
the love of their children. Love 41 children would Inc
the sweetest influences in their lives. The heathen poet
sail the greatest reverence was owing, to a young child.
What diti that heathen mean? Ile meant that that
prima chihl sloand never hoar words of passion pawing
between mother and father, that it should never are the
spectacle ~f a father Coaling hollie (11.1111 k or bear an oath
uttered by the father or a like told by the mother.
Young men and sweethearts (laughter) —he wished to
speak to them in all serionsness—let him ask them to make
their sweethearting consistent with Christian purity : lot him
in the second place, ask the young girls he saw before hint
not b, take tip a young fellow just because lie hail a sprightly
toilette or a da.shilig Manner, if they did not think he
bias likely to Wake a good hash:ltal. 00111111'4 days Weren't
4101114 plells.lllt, bet 'short and theting,' and the days of
wolloek, when the knot was tied. word long, anil winietinieS
dreary. liebfre they balk to any ), nom man, it Ilium see
that he was in youn' rdan worth taking to, lie urged the
'ming men before they went emirting not to lid eanght
the prettiest face or the smartest Ores, lint to look mit for
those who could make theta a comfort al de ;mil happy home."