The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-30
European Correspondence of the Bulletin.]

S~SAsANAASp
Dear Buleain-I have taken your reader
one Sunday afternoon to walk in the oper
parks and on the great streets and prone
nades of Berlin; and, now. if they have nc
conscientious scruples about accompanying
me, l will introduce them this time to a scene
little different being laid in the garden OF
m immense beer brewery, where some thous'
ands of most respectable people, including
mothers nurses and children, assemble every
pleasant Sunday afternoon to listen to fine
military music, to see and be seen, to talk
and what is of the most Importance, to eat
and drink; the latter agreeable exercise being
confined, however, solely to beer and coffee.
n.Our severe religious friends will perhaps ex-
claim with pious horror, "a regular gather.
ing of he athens, presided over by Satan" but
gently, good friends, and at distance of five
or six thousand miles do not be too quick to
pass judgment upon a matter which you can
not fully understand. Satan was doubtless
therefor we are told that he is everywhere
but as to his presiding over this good hu-
mored and we'll behaved company in person,
entertain some doubts, unless he did SO in
the form Of swallow-tailed, white cravated
music director, with bald head and lugu-
brious countenance, who, led the band, or as
q corpzlent short-bodied little German, who
went smiling about among the assembly with
the air of man who owned the place, and
who evidently was the proprietor, for l saw
him politely but firmly put stop to q game
Of cards which four of the guests had started
at their table. Satan is also spoken Of as q
"roaring lion."
Well, there was certainly roaring lion
present in the person of vigorous Tuba
player, who, with some two yards of horn
wound about his neck, did the bass in thun-
der tones, out-roaring any lien that ever de-
voured Christian in the amphitheater of
Rome, and this reminds me of funny little
thing saw about Christians and lions day
or two since, which, if may be allowed to
digress q moment, l will relate. 1t was in
Punch, and headed different points Of
view." Two little girls who have just come in
from walk-Maud with much sympathy in
her voice)-"Only fancy, mama, Uncle Jack
took us to picture gallery in Bond street,
and there we saw picture of lot of early
Christians, poor dears, who'd been thrown to
q lot of lions and tigers, who were devouring
them"
Ehol with still more sympathy" Yes;
and mama dear, there was one poor tiger
that hadn't qot a Christian" All, the turns
that childish sympathy and childish fancy
will take. Here was poor tiger that had
been cut out of his honest share Of dinner,
and the whole Of this little girls heart went
out to him. According to her view of the
case, at least one more martyr ought to have
been provided with means Of attaining in
stantly to immortal bliss, just for the justice
of the thing. So say we. Fiat justitia ruat
cslum:" Heather language and sentiment Of
Q heather philos opher, but how sublime in
simplicity and force Let justice be done;
and ladies and gentlemen, before you pro-
aounce the popular German amusements of
Sunday afternoon sinful and wicked, do jus.
tice to all parties by considering the bearings
If the question in its different aspects Is it
sinful to take walk on q Sabbath evening
II on such walk you should encounter a
band Of music would you consider it sin to
listen? Is it sinful to 60 with your children
70 meet neghboring family and have
DI08480J
on the Sabbath day, whether the drink is cof-
fee, or instead mild and healthful beverage,
such as the German beer, or even the light
wines of Rhine land And finally is it sin
to devote o few hours OF the day Of rest to
seeking these innocent pleasures where they
can be most convenis ntly found, and to enter
into the enjoyment of them in q rational
and passive way? In a community where
such is not the custom Of respectable people,
and where at each gathering one would be
thrown with the ouicasts OF society, the evil
association alone would make visit to such
Q gathering Q thing to be stunned by God
fearing people, but when respectable men 90
with their wives and children aud sit few
hours in the pleasant evening air listen
ing to excellent music and eating
and drinking in moderation, and
when all is quiet, decent and orderly.
I must say Il at it seems a very mild trans
erosion of the third commandment, and one
that is not likely to involve transgressor in
any very serious punishme emit hereafter. No
one can show single passage OF Scripture
commanding that men shall wear long faces
and make themselves miserable on Sunday,
and why should people of social and cheer
full disposition siI in sackcloth and ashes the
whole day long, as If it were one of mourning
q we'll ~ rest, when they can meet their
frie nds and spend a pleasant afternoon in q
bright, open garden, where all is proper, and
except be ng public and crowded with people
IL no else different from what one would have
in his own ward or garden. This is q very
different affair from going to horse races, a
chicken fight, base bali match, or picnic
frequented by the demi-mOnde, where one is
led into the worst of vices by improper ex-
ample and association.
1t seems to ne that most Of the sin of every
act depe nds upon the spirit in which it is
done, and if quiet and upright citizen pre-
fers spending the evening in a music garden
to The sober pie ASSURE of reading the Bible at
home. am disposed to think tina. he will |
not be any more heavily punished than those
who grind their fellow creatures to the wall |
all the week and make amends by making |
Sunday . gloomy, miserable day at home. |
Well, went to the garden concert listened |
to the finest Of military music for q few hours,
drank glass OF beer, saw thousands of PEG.
pie innocently happy. children play ing
around, fathers and mothers of families laugh
A~Il-. al