Dean Close has been protesting, as usual, against our amuse-
ments, theatres, races, &c., because they are the cause of so much wickedness,—probably he meant the occasion. We wonder who has ever yet proved that amusements are the occasion of more wickedness than ordinary business,—or indeed so much P Is gambling on the race-course worse than gambling on the Stock Exchange? Are not Bulls and Bears often at least as dishonest as the fastest betting men ? Is there any theatre which demo- aalizes men like dishonest or merely half-honest clergymen, who look askance at the difficulties which are seriously presented to them, and recommend a tutoring process by which, without being -answered, they may be got rid of? The world,—business and pleasure,—is no doubt bad enough, but the parasitic vices which grow up round business are quite as bad, we think, as those which grow up round amusement. Moreover, the only effect of -suppressing the latter altogether would be to double, and more than double, the number of parasites that cling to the former. We suspect business without amusement would soon become very evil indeed. The Dean would do better by attempting to purify both, than by attempting to suppress either.
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