Before we can persuade them to renounce their excursions to the land of delirium the realities of life must be made less unendurable. They know the dangers of intemperance, but consider it a lesser evil.[E] They know no other remedy. Hence their bitter hatred of those who would deprive them of that only solace. Shall we resign such madmen to their fate? I am afraid that their type is represented by a larger class than current conceptions might incline us to admit. Let those who would verify those conceptions visit a popular beer garden—not as emissaries of our propaganda, but as neutral observers. Let them use a suitable opportunity to turn the current of conversation upon a test topic: “Personal Liberty,” “The Sunday Question,” “Progress of the Prohibition Party.” Let the observer retain his mask of neutrality, and ascertain the views—the private views—of a few specimen topers. Do they deny the physiological tendencies of their practice? The correlation of alcohol and crime? They avoid such topics. No, nine out of ten will prefer an unanswerable or unanswered argument; the iniquity of interfering with the amusements of the poor, with the only available recreations of the less privileged classes. Take that away and what can a man do who has no better pastimes, and can not always stay at home? What shall he do with sixteen hours of leisure? The question then recurs: How shall we deal with such men? How reclaim them sufficiently even for the nobler purposes of the present life, not to speak of higher aims? How save them from the road that leads down to death? A change of heart may now and then work wonders, even the wonder of a permanent reform; but we have no right to rely on constant miracles, and for thousands in sorest need of help there is only one practical solution of the problem: Let us provide an opportunity of better pastimes—_not as a concession to our enemies, but as the most effectual method to counteract the attraction of their snares and deprive them of the only plausible argument against the tendencies of our reform_. We need not profane the Sabbath by bull-fights. We need not tempt the poor to spend their wages on railway excursions or the gambling tables of a popular summer resort. But we should recognize the necessity of giving them once a week a chance for outdoor amusements, and unless we should prefer the Swedish compromise plan of devoting the evening of the Sabbath to earthly purposes, we should adopt the suggestion of the Chevalier Bunsen,[10] and amend the eight hour law by a provision for a _free Saturday afternoon_. Half a day a week, together with the evenings of the long summer days, would suffice where the means of recreation are near at hand. Even the smallest factory villages could afford a little pleasure ground of their own, a public garden with a free gymnasium, a footrace track, ball ground, a tennis-hall or nine-pin-alley, for the winter season, a free bath, and a few zoölogical attractions. In larger towns