Sunday Under Three Heads

THERE are few things from which I derive greater pleasure, than walking throughsome of the principal streets of London on a fine Sunday, in summer, and watchingthe cheerful faces of the lively groups with which they are thronged. There issomething, to my eyes at least, exceedingly pleasing in the general desire evinced bythe humbler classes of society, to appear neat and clean on this their onlyholiday. There are many grave old persons, I know, who shake their heads with an airof profound wisdom, and tell you that poor people dress too well now-a-days; thatwhen they were children, folks knew their stations in life better; that you may dependupon it, no good will come of this sort of thing in the end, -and so forth: but I fancyI can discern in the fine bonnet of the working-man's wife, or the feather-bedizenedhat of his child, no inconsiderable evidence of good feeling on the part of the manhimself, and an affectionate desire to expend the few shillings he can spare from hisweek's wages, in improving the appearance and adding to the happiness of those whoare nearest and dearest to him. This may be a very heinous and unbecoming degreeof vanity, perhaps, and the money might possibly be applied to better uses; it mustnot be forgotten, however, that it might very easily be devoted to worse: and if two orthree faces can be rendered happy and contented, by a trifling improvement ofoutward appearance, I cannot help thinking that the object is very cheaply purchased, even at the expense of a smart gown, or a gaudy riband. There is a great deal of veryunnecessary cant about the over-dressing of the common people. There is not amanufacturer or tradesman in existence, who would not employ a man who takes areasonable degree of pride in the appearance of himself and those about him, inpreference to a sullen, slovenly fellow, who works doggedly on, regardless of his ownclothing and that of his wife and children, and seeming to take pleasure or pride innothin