New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-04
PARKS AND CHAPELS FOR THE POOR.

always lived Ia the country or 10 tOe snHll to"bs-
whe,e tie whole population Sjoy just about the same
advantages for health or pleasure; where the poor
mans hon lie under trees the open fields; where
his work is mostly in the free air. and his amusement
on On occasional evening, at a Lyceum OF game Of
ball the with the richer cla-ses-clunot easily
sptrecia,e the condition of the poor classes in the
cities 1t seems TO them naturally that the city day
Isborer the poor foreign mechanic, the serving
women OF shop woman, should, on the Sunday, 20
decorousy to church. and besr all the as at
teptively as the sane people do 10 the villages. If,
on the contrary, they 90 not; il they are found at all
PLACES Of pleasure, and If they are seen in crowds,
roaming out Of the Cry il is sscribed ,rtly TO stu
pdiiy ind mostly TO depravity. The stranger, re-
Hgiously edues'ec, at sets down the masses of
the City working people, as beyond religious infu'
erce. They given over 10 Atheism aud pleasure.
This is SO much The feelI now, that very few men
Of .ny stpG in them can be brought 10 labor among
the lover classes Of the city for their elevation and
Outstanding. 1t up oears too bop'less a work.
Even many OF us Accustomed to the City and its
peculiar wants, are used to look these habits of the
working classes much in the same way.
We sit in cur warm, cheerful breakfast room, un-
der the pleasant Influence OF picture and curtain and
soft ooloripg read the thoughts of oher countries
been satisfied the past week with concert here, a
friendly party there excursion TO the country;
sweet friends are abeut us, and we look out a
bright Sunday morning, and see the crowds OF work
ing people hurry ing TO the boats and rad Ways for
country trip, without regard to church or religious
services, We feel sadly and despairipgly; We are
ready TO say that Christianity has lost its hold Of the
lower C assoc.
Ioo NJ bie rir | thpaa
worlingmen and workiugwomen, and, taking their
condition and their education in view, | cannot
wonc eT at these habits
Go with NE 10 one laboring mans home, out OF the
.housards in the City in street Of the Fourth Ward
He s hod.car He lives in an un iergrOuni base.
mept, with two other families in The same room HIS
home is lighted by small dirty window, which looks
out uncer pea nut stand on sloppy street. He
bss i've children, and each of his dodgers tHo. HIS
wife is gu 4rrelsome and sl4tterny-the children are
dirty, end much given TO fighting. There are only two
chairs to Fit upon and bug infested bed. Toe place
smells Of a compound OF d,mp clothes, bige'water
and onions. The man at home was bred up near the
piant coast cliffs Of old ireland. lie used to look az
them every day in his work, and every Sunday 10
ooi, TO the parish church. He has the hu nan Soul
ineide Of him, and tho indispensable wants of tia.
every week day from O'Clock till 7. He comes home,
fired stupid and hupgry. IIehss no time or means,
tbe WI elk long. to hesr a concert to picture, or
10 Join social party. The whole life is work, work
dull constant drudgery. His eyes yeam for the glo-
rous bills for sunlight for free air aud forest rees,
and green fields His heart burgers for something
he does not know what something which sha sati'y
this craving for anuse nen Mt, pleasure something
out Of and away frcn this irksome drudgery. Heis
not directly conscious of these longngs but they
tiDually stir him.
Then at length, when the wished-for Day Of Rest
comes, shall you tell him TO remain quietly at home
at his deyotionsl Shall you tell him to enter the
House Of Worship tsice or sbrice for the day, aud
then In compspy with bis family, return again to de-
yotiopsl rsadingl He cannot VINO Of us could
lie hates the close hot city; he hates bis soc Allied
home; be has no books or place to read; he has no
seat in church: he finds no Brotherhood there. Toe
pews are selling for one year for more than his whole
wears earnings He is put away IN a paupers seat,
ifhe goes. lie pants for free air for tue sight OF
waves OF rocks or woodland at length he bursts
out into the open country Or if he cannot 60 ne for
pots all his hard mitings, his squalid home and IN
satisfied fe In the free and jovial oblivion at
the grog-sbep. -,
This is only one instance Of thousands which l
could bring up in my own personal experience There
are mopy even s'ronger-men who sew or who cob
bic in close unhealthy easements; men in dsrk back
sbops; women who stitch or who work from dawn
till II clock every day, the week long month sfter
non,h;-,hey breathe bad air; they have no amuse-
ment they have no books; they are mere machines
Of society, wound up to work fifteen hours day.
And vet in each worn oyerworked body, is the same
heart az in you and in me. Music is as sweet
10 their ear-;he rustic Of summer leaves,
the pla,h of fountains, the glimmsr of sunlight
ss pleasant TO them as to US; social words aud
smiles fun and play and sport as happy and as need.
full Shall they too, pass the Day of Wosshp in their
MARROW rooms and 90 through church services as we
Ct another class do Whist shal be done in this mat
ter Of Sunday employment for them
need hardly, in attempting an answer, premise by
putting Religion in its proper place. Without many
words it is sssuned that to this all things must yield
that only as this ia in the heart Of man. is he Of any
permanent value to himself or the world.
L. Is also most true that the great majority Of the
low working clssses are quite beyond our present re-
hgious influences More than this: they are greatly
addicted to coarse dissipation. The worst vices, de
bsuchery, dicing fighting, and rovdyism are their
prominent characts ristics. VIVA. shall be done to
cas-, these out, If possible, and to gain genuine
moral influence over them 7
We believe that two principles should be attentive
ly csnndered by men who wish to elevste these peo-
pie, and then that they should be applied as circum-
stances direct One Is tina, the taste for higher