The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-02-22 00:00:00

The ire should

them.

met by fire;
' would

force by force. By their own reeourcesthey
strengthen themselves.
The 245th Hymn was then sung; after which
the Chairman called upon Mr. John Taylor to ad-
dress them, who, he said, had for many years lab-
oured as Superintendent of the Sunday School.
Mr. Taylor said, from circumstances over which
he had no control, he had only just entered the
room. As he had beard that Mr. Mann, of Dud-
ley, was to address them, and ale, Mr. Thorne,
Mr. Carter, of the Lye, and NT. Riautrds, he
thought it would not be necessary for him to say
much. He wanted to know what there was for
their humble servant (himself) to do. It was now
28 years since he began to labour in that Sunday
School. He joined that church in 1845. The very
day that he was baptised, he might call it, he met
his friend, Mr. Mortlock, as he was crossing Han.
bury Hill. That gentleman said to him, Now,
young man, that you have joined us, you must do
something. My class will be vacant next Sunday;
come and take it." That was in August 1845. At
that time the gentleman whom they had for their
superintendent was a teetotaller. The first words
he said to him (Mr. Taylor) was that all the
teachers were total abstainers, and he hoped that
he would be one too. Then they, had another
change, and this rule, with reference to total ab-
stinence in the teachers, had not been strictly
adhered to. He hoped their friend friend (Mr.
Harris) would not think lightly of that old pulpit;
for in that old pulpit had stood for many years an
old friend named Mr. Samuel Richards. They said
he (the speaker) must leave the room bell w, where
he was teaching, and come up there; but he must
not bring up the boys with him because it would
cause confusion. He, however, told them he could
not leave his boys, and eventually they were al-
lowed to come up with him—(loud applause).
They at first gave him three months, in which to
try the conduct of the lads; then six months; and
they had been there ever since, which was: now
some twelve years ago. There had been many
changes in the class since then. They had had
for teachers men of leisure—men of God. The
school had not depreciated either in numbers or
the love for Christ in their hearts. He then re-
ferred to the questions which were sent from the
Sunday School Union in London for their local
Sunday Schools to answer. [At this point the gas,
whieh had for a considerable time been bad, went
out, and for a short time the place was in total dark-
ness.] After the gas had been re-lighted, Mr. Tay-
lor resumed by saying that one of the questions asked
was what number had become church members during
the past year. In going through the kooks he found
that out of a number of about three hundred only
throe had joined dialing the past year; which was
°Ply one per cent, of their Sunday Scholars who had
join-41 the church dtu ins the year. Some might say
this was not a fair test as to results. They could
hardly say in what manner or at what time the les-
sons taught in the Sunday Schools might bring forth
fruit. Sometimes in after years, when the lessons
taught in the Sunday Schools were apparently forgot.
ten, a text in the House of God; a sermon; or the
sight of an old teacher would bring them to a know-
ledge of the good things. Sometimes an old chord
was struck which would bring to their mind old days,
This was his (the speaker's) send-jubilee, as for more
than thirty years he had taught in that school. The
church; had of late been encroaching on the night
school; but he could assure them that if they wished
to deprive him of his night for his boys they would
find him a very rebellious subject. As yet they had
respected it, and had agreed to hold their meetings
on Monday nights only. After a few other remarks,
Mr. Taylor sat down amid great applause.
The Chairman then called upon

Mr. Shoebotham, of Dudley, who addressed the
meeffne in reference to the Stottrbridge Cdugrega-
tional Young Men's Mntual Improvement Society,
and explained its object!. He urged npen the young
men present the necessity there was that they should
strive by every means in their power to educate them-
'wives, and so march with the times. He announced
that the above society would in • short time give an
entertainment in that room, at which he hoped as
many friends as could make it convenient would be
present.
The Rev. James Richards (late pastor) next ad-
dressed the meeting on the subject of revivals, and
said that one characteristic of the Stourbridg,e people
was that they generally commenced a thing very
warmly indeed, but that they soon after grew propor-
tionately cool. In the course of his remarks he said
that he had that evening been to a meeting of the
Stourbridge Endowed Schools' Commissioners, and
he was surprised at the amount of things the young
women of the future were to learn. He was told
that in the school which was known as the Red Hill
School, they would be taught geometry, algebra, some
branches at least of social science, political economy,
and book-keeping. The latter was going to be
taught because it was said that women, as a Yee,
were not good book•keepers. Well, he thought, it
I was probable that Providence had never intended that
they should be book-keepers, whieli, he thought, was
1 a calling more adapted to the capacity of men.
Mr. Woolley made a few remarks with reference
to the Ladies Derwin Class, which, he said, was simi-
lar in nature to the Young Men's Mutual Improve-
-1 merit Society. He quite coincided with Mr. Richards
' that there was a tendency in the present day to over-
educate women, or to instruct them in branches of
science which did not seem adapted to the sphere in
life which they were intended to occupy. He thought
it would have been much better if the science of
political economy had been left out of the list enu-
merated by Mr. Richards, and that of domestic
economy substituted. Man's love, he had read, was
a very selfish affair, and he would warn the young
ladies present that when they married, if they
were not able to cook a nice dinner, and make the,-
husbands comfortable at home, the latter's love for
them would soon diminish. In the class that he had
spoken of they were being taught several useful
, branches of knowledge, amongst them being that of
rending and writing nicely, so as to enable them to
' recite in public. He hoped that next year a male
would not have to stand upon that platform for the
ladies, whom he believed would, by that time, be able
' to speak for themselves.
Towards the conclusion, Mr. James Allsop, in the
name of the congregation, presenkel to the Her.
Lloyd Harris (pastor), a handsome bible and hymn
book, as a mark of their esteem and respect. They
had purposely limited the amount subscribed individu-
ally to a small sum, so that all might take part in it.
and not for one or two pereone to present the minister
with the books. They liked Mr. lituris'e preaching
because he had brought to them nothing new, but
preached to them the same grand old truths which
they had always been accustomed to listen to. There
was an old saying to the effect that there was nothing
old which was not tree, and nothing new which was
true, lie concluded by hoping that Mr. Harris
would cherish the books presented to him, and hand
them down as an heirloom to his fondly.
The Rev. Lloyd Harris retarded thanks in eloquent
and feeling terms; and the meeting was brought to
a conclusion by the singing of the Doxology.

THE Li
GRAND Cougar. —A concert was given at the Lye
Boys School , on Tuesday evening last in aid of the
Chr-eh Choir. The Rev. D. Robertson acted as chair-
man, and monist the performer. were Mrs. Robertson,
Mies Ibbotson, the Rev. A. Wright, Mr. F. Smith, end
Mr. 0. Davis. There War • fair attendance. The concert
wan opened by a glee by oui choir, enti.ed " ?Weer;
midnight moon." The nerformsnce of this was not so
satisfactory as it would have been from the circumstance
that the leading treble (a boy of about Idl, was almost
inaudible from tierrOtllneol, or some other cause, and
was totr"y incapable of reaehrog the higher note.. He,
however, possesses a sweet voice, and wi" do better when
he hr. become more accustomed to face an audience.
This was followed by the Bev. A. W...ght. who ung.
••Pb, p Ore Froconer ;" sod Mr. W. Greenfield, who
gave 'ico me, Mary, how to woo thee ?" neither of
which ce'l for any comment Miss Ibboteon next gave
that pretty old English b, "ad. "Tb. Soldier's Tear."
This lady has • sweet eympathetic contrelto voice, and
gave the above song with much feeling. Mr. F. Smith,
a genoeman who has an excellent tenor voice, rang in
fir tcleas manner," I seek for thee in eve), flower."
In the enc.'s,' part of the enteltsinment he give "Ever
thine ;" and, I response to a hearty erre°, a pretty
ballad Farewell dearest Kathleen." This is tire first
time we have had the pleasure of hearing this gentlemen,
but we most certainly hcpe it w.l not be the ; for
his clear. irnaing voice, the top notes of which are all
from the cheat, win mete him an /requisition to soy
conce... Mr. Del .I'l4 singing of Loves request," was,
we thought, hardly up to his usual marls of excellence ;
and in plower to the encore which well demanded, he
gave, to our sr•pli.e, the well known balm song "I am a
Fiji
•of Orders Grey." We have never beard of hot one
tenor—the reno. _red Braham—who could sing bal, songs
with anything like success, and it is needless to say that
Mr. Davis, who has rather a light tenor vole., was no ex-
ception to the rr'e. Be, however, amply compensated
by his splendid rendering of The Thoro "(by Blames.
that) sod "The Bay of Biscay," in the second part of the
entertainment ; and he wee vociferously applauded atthe
end of each. The Rev. A. Wright. with the assistance
of • portion of the cho'r, a. ehorus, sang very creditably
"Four Jolly Smiths ;" sod Miss Ibbotton Me in a
touching Manner " Won't you tell me why Robin." TMs
lady and Mrs. Robertson ware each a pianoforte solo In a
very effective manner, bib. coons of the evening. The
entertainment was brought to • clogs by the choir singing
The tickling trio," which was given ve.; creditably, the
performance causing roars at laughter. •