Recently a London pastor preached a sermon on the after-business
occupations of young people, in which he said that from 6 to
11 P.M. was the danger zone for young folks who are
employed during the day. Speaking of the mesmeric glitter of
London, and the fascination of its so-called amusements, he
made the assertion that he believed that the theaters and
music-halls should be controlled by the churches.
The Sunday-school _Chronicle_ sent an interviewer to ask
him why he made this statement. His answer follows:
“First of all,” said the pastor, “I have been so deeply imprest
by the sense of awful loneliness which is experienced by young
people coming to central London from the provinces. I know
for a fact that scores of young men and women go to the bad
because of the absolute friendlessness of their lives. Six
months ago I spent two days at the Old Bailey Sessions House
trying to snatch a girl of nineteen from prison. She came to
London motherless and friendless, and was spoken to kindly by
a young man in Oxford street. She appreciated the apparent
sympathy which this stranger extended to her--well, the rest
of the story of her downfall may be imagined. Many of these
young people have nowhere to go after business hours but the
music-hall or the public-house, and the things they take away
from these places and retail in their houses of business are the
questionable jokes which they have heard. So for these young
people I plead for churches that are homes and amusements that
are healthy.”--_The Advance._
(1877)
=Lonesomeness Abated=--See REMINDERS.