The Week. 57 



the week days, and some appropriate distinctive name in- 

 stead of Sunday, which has of course been a complete 

 misnomer ever since the worship of the sun on that day was 

 abolished. "Restday " would too readily suggest idleness as 

 the proper use of it, and ignore the fact that the best mental 

 rest is variation rather than cessation of occupation. I think 

 that " Goodday " would best express the intended value and 

 right use of it. I also think that the odd intercalatory day 

 every fourth year should be a "goodday" added at the end 

 of the year. 



Such an alteration would interfere with the calendar no 

 further than as it would prove a convenience. All dates, 

 historical, legal, or commercial ; all anniversaries and calen- 

 drical epochs, are fixed by the day of the year or month, not 

 of the week, and therefore would not be affected. In fixing 

 the date of Easter-day, it would give two-sevenths more 

 precision. It would, in fact, greatly facilitate every com- 

 putation in which portions of a year, month, or week, were 

 factors. Indeed it is difficult to see whom or what it would 

 affect otherwise than advantageously. The proportion of 

 weekly to daily wages would adjust itself at once. To those 

 engaged in ordinary necessary labour on Sundays now, it 

 could, of course, make no difference ; while to those engaged 

 in the special ministrations and exercises which are regarded 

 as peculiarly appropriate to the Sunday, it would afford 

 additional opportunities, in the twenty -one more Sundays, 

 or total of seventy -three in the year, of performing duties 

 for which time is all too short, and must appear to those 

 who sincerely delight in them still shorter. From this class, 

 therefore, I count upon the strongest support. 



I contemplate one possible effect with much complacence. 

 If our Jewish brethren would also adopt my suggestion, on 

 account of what I cannot but regard as its manifest advan- 

 tages, how gratifying it would be to know that they were 

 enjoying their holiday at the same time as ourselves. I 

 protest that I never meet a Jew going to or returning from 

 his synagogue on Saturday, without feeling a strong impulse 

 to apologise for doing my secular business upon his Sabbath, 

 while he is debarred from doing his upon our Sunday. The 

 present one-sided distinction always strikes me painfully as 

 a relic of ancient illiberality and alienation of feeling, which 

 should surely now be obsolete, and I cannot but think that 

 the adoption of a common day of rest would tend much to 

 promote the social feeling to which it is so desirable that 



