Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-06-05
A Practical Socialist.

The London correspondent Of the Hart
ford Courant describes movement which
has been set on foot in London, which
promises to become popular and beneficial
to tho poorer classes. It is called "the
Peoples Entertainment society,"" It is de-
signed to counteract the influence of the
music halls and public houses, the chief
resorts Of the laboring poor in search of
amusement.
Amateur musicians, we'll known in
London society, and often star profess
sional, sing and play to all who may come
and listen. These performances take
place in the poorer: quarters Of the me-
tropolis, in any large room suitable to the
purpose, and admission is by ticket, free
to men, women and children. AS many
tickets are distributed as the place will
hold. On Saturday evening five or six of
these entertainments take place in differ
cnt districts, and though at the begin
ming the people who had never dreamed
before of having such a chance of spend
ing an evening in rational and agreea-
bic manner played shy antagonisn, as if
an enemy in the way Of q duty-impelled
wordy reformer lurked behind, and they
would have none of it; now the eager
ness to get hold of a. ticket, and the new
pocket handkerchiefs that arc visible, and
the fneater dress, the cleaner and kindlier
faces that show up from time to time, and
tho ,transferencc of the entertainments to
larger halls reveal the progress of the
work; and then its influence is lifting into
something better the lives of the very poor.
The originator Of these entertainments for
the people is an accomplished young man
belonging to the upper classes and wealthy
Mr.. Charles G. Bethue. Not everywhere
can a wealthy young man be found
who chooses thus to spend his spare time,
his energy, and his money. 1t IS Mr.. Be-
thune's idea, that the two extreme classes
of society should come closer together.
He thinks that tho attraction Of good
music, and good recitations from artistic
performers, will do more to supply. tho
required social counterbalancc than any
amount of sermonizing, and he thinks
the benefit will be all for one. If
sympathy be a high qualification and
openhandedness a merit, and PERSONAL
sacrifice a. high virtues, some practical
knowledge Of poverty and its depressing
influences in the hearts of those who are
PAAtAACSCA ny MISUNDERSTANDING ShIN WtdllH
to.confer benefits, will not be wasted
Mr. Bethune begins at the bottom of the
ladder, and the first thing he offers is a
bit of sunshine in the way of amusement
as freely given as the warmth of the VERT
able sun, The first movement was a
mere sudden impulse, that of Offering tea
and buns to small group round mar
ket stand in the Westminster district, a
place we'll known for its poverty and
misery, and which is situated across
the3riyer opposite the celebrated abby.
From this beginning has grown a strong
ahdaswell directed society with such
names on the, committee as earl and
countess Of sNorthesk, Lord Reay, Lady
Coutts Lindsey, the Lev. r. W. Forresf.
Arthur Sullivan,> the Musician, Staurt
Worthley,7 a. prominent barrister,
and many others 70 the promoters, and
their friends, and the artists who assist III
the charitable undertaking be it said, that
IN music and recitation, and in all res
poets, they are as painstak ing and as res
pecuui as IT they stood before crowned
heads. | attended one of the Saturday
evening meetings lately and was held ain
the midst OF the men close to the stage.
Nextsto5me on one side was a middle
aged working-man with ansold fashioned
stove-pipe hat, pulled down STRAIGHT and
strong on his head, and intended as a fx-
ture for the evening. This concert wac
the first he had attended, because, as he
told me, his employer, master-builder.
had not been able to get tickets for ali