19 



'Uf course these are all heartily welcome ; hut my cliief compliiint 

 is that the young men of the neii^'hbourhood evince no proper 

 interest in our proceedings : \vk count but a very small number 

 --among our Members and it is not often that they appear as visitors. 

 If our Association is to render any real service in the neighbour- 

 hood and is not to exist merely for tlie benefit of a very select few, 

 it is essential tliat it become known to, and popular with, the 

 young peojile : it is they who are must in need (if, and can derive 

 most benefit from, the information tliat it is possilile for an 

 .Vssociation like ours to provide and dispense. 



(Jn the occasion of the very admirable musical ilis(piisitions 

 1iy Mr, Avndjruster, the attendance lias been exceedingly good — 

 in point of numbers; but the majority of those present have been 

 ladies. Xow why is this 1 Admitting — Avhich I am not prepared 

 to do — that the ladies whose jiresence graced these meetings came 

 merely for the purpose of being amused, how is it that they were 

 led to attend while their brothci'S remained away ; ho\\' is it that 

 •entertainments which attracted them liad no charms for young 

 men'? T believe the answer to be — Because young women aie 

 more or less successfully taught at school to understand and 

 appreciate music, so much so that very freqiiently they continue 

 their studies on leaving school; whereas young men arc for the 

 most part taught at school to understand and aiiprcciate — nothing ! 

 .:r,id consequently more often than not disolay ('(impli'tc niental 

 ;ipathy in regard to any rational form of entertain UKmt such as our 

 Association can offer. Some no dduiit belong to local debating 

 -societies, and thereby indicate a desire for s('lf-im]n'ovement ; but 

 -iif such societies I am inclined to take Kingsley's view, who said: 

 •' I have nothing to say against debating societies : perhaps it Avas 

 -my own fault that whenever I belonged to one as a young man 

 I found them -inclined to make me conceited, dictatnrial, hasty 

 in my judgments, trying to state a case before I had investigated it, 

 to teach others before I had taught myself, to luake a tine spcec'i, 

 not to find out the truth." 



I confess that I do not anticipate that any large number of 

 young men of tlie type I allude to will be induced to join our 

 .ranks whatever may be the advantages we offer; but among their 



