, 1874-10-18
TIE SUNDAY sHAKsPEARE SOCIETY.

We noticed. q few weeks since, that Sunday
Shakespeare Society had been formed by London
artisans as result OF the excursions Of mechan-
ics TO Stratford- -on-Avon, under the auspices OF
the National Sunday League. The Society has
attained astonishing proportions. It wzs thrown
open to both women aud men. So many Of each
sex Joined it that it has been necessary to
divide it into three or four classes. They meet
at Sis D.. m. each Sunday in the rooms Of the
League and in the London College foEfMen
xnd Women. The plays arc to be read in the
order Of their supposed composltion. They are
regularly cast Each member Of the class ia
notified beforehand OF the character which
he or she is to assume. AZ Doth
sexcs take part, e1purgated editions are
used When the play has been read, the person
whose turn it is to preside either reads a ahort
paper, or speaks for not more tlao ten minutes,
on it's meaning. characteristics beauties. defects.
a11usions etc. Discussion follows. This is pro-
1onged untu after tea has been served. The
ciasn then adjourus. The members can either
70 homo or can stay to the Leagues regular en-
tertainments, which arc styled "Suuday even
irgs for the People," and are somewhat on the
plnn OF the Chicago Suuday-afternoon lectures.
The cost Of the teas and OF the necessary books
OF reference ia betrayed By = charge OF e1.25
for each six meetings. The reference library
conaista Of Gervinus' Commentaries" Mrs.
Jam:eson's Characteristics Of Women" Cole
ridges "Lecsu1es on Shakespeare" Dr.. Abbots's
4.shakBpearoan Grammar" Sch'oge1's "Dra-
matio Literature" Hazlitt's ''Characters Of
Sbakspeare's piaya," Hndson's "Life, Art, and
Character Of Shakspeare,' Schmidt's "Shak-
speare Lexicon" and Arn1isage Browns "son-
nets Of Shakespeare" We give this list in full
for the benefit Of persons vho may think OF
starting some such benedcent club. But we wiBh
to call Especial attention to the fact that these
books are bought by English mechanics and
small shopkeepers for the sake Of so1f-improve-
ment. II the reader will but try to imagine
the difficulty OF inducing scoro Of Chicago ar
tisaps to pay 91.25 apiece for the sake OF meet
ing six times to read and discuss the plays of
Shakespeare, be will realize the gulf that is open
ing between them and their English fellows.
Unable to find instruction aud rational enter
taiumeat on his ono day Of leisure, the American
artisan is not keeping pace With the Europeans,
who make the mos. OF their opportunities. The
English reviews declare TINT Germany ia steadily
sapping the commercial supremacy Of Great
Britain, because, aud only because, her standard
of education Is higher. Tho raising Of this
standard in England hns had some striking re-
SUITS In the London Exposition Of 1851, tho
art-mnnufactures Of Crest Britain we're almost
at the bottom OF the list. Schools OF art wero
started in every large town soon afterwards. In
the Paris Exposition Of 1867, these manufactures
were almost at the top. A tho Nation saTs,
"This uns tho result simply Of hard work no
one has ever maintained that tho Anglo-Saxon
race is by genius artistic" II Wo are to COM
pete with our rivals in the markets Of the world,
We must gyo our ea1tl1-ma1ers the knowledge
that is power. It ia unfair to compare London
with Chicago, but it is safe to say that in our
seven Iarees. cities, which contained. in 1870,
aggregate population IS large IS that Of London.
not one-tenth as much is done for the technical
training and genera1 culture Of tha workingman
Is in tho worlds metropolis. The Sunday
Shakespeare Society il bnt one small zign Of that
larro fac1.