The Recreations of a Country ParsonBoyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
General
The Recreations of a Country Parson
Boyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
Clergy -- Anecdotes; Country life -- England; Rural clergy -- England
Every now and then, as we are taking our saunter by the shore after
breakfast, we perceive, well out in the Frith, a steamer, decked
with as many flags as can possibly be displayed about her rigging.
The strains of a band of music come by starts upon the breeze; a
big drum is heard beating away when we can hear nothing else; and a
sound of howling springs up at intervals. Do not fancy that these
yells imply that anything is wrong; t/tat is merely the way in
which working folk enjoy themselves in this country. That steamer
has been hired for the day by some wealthy manufacturer, who is
giving his 'hands' a day's pleasure-sailing. They left Glasgow at
seven or eight o'clock: they will be taken probably to Arran, and
there feasted to a moderate extent; and at dusk they will be landed
at the Broomielaw again. We lament to say that very many Scotch
people of the working class seem incapable of enjoying a holiday
without getting drunk and uproarious. We do not speak from hearsay,
but from what we have ourselves seen. Once or twice we found
ourselves on board a steamer crowded with a most disagreeable mob
of intoxicated persons, among whom, we grieve to say, we saw many
women. The authorities of the vessel appeared entirely to lack
both the power and the will to save respectable passengers from
the insolence of the 'roughs.' The Highland fling may be a very
picturesque and national dance, but when executed on a crowded
deck by a maniacal individual, with puffy face and blood-shot eyes,
swearing, yelling, dashing up against peaceable people, and mortally
drunk, we should think it should be matter less of assthetical than
of police consideration. Unless the owners of the Clyde steamers
wish to drive all decent persons from their boats, they must take
vigorous steps to repress such scandalous goings-on as we have
witnessed more than once or twice. And we also take the liberty
to suggest that the infusion of a little civility into the manner
and conversation of some of the steam-boat officials on the quay
at Greenock, would be very agreeable to passengers, and could not
seriously injure those individuals themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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