The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-06-19
LOCAL DEPARTMENT

our Issue on Monday Of the highly interesting
exercises Of the Sabbath school scholars attaehed
to Rev De- Sunderland's church, on -Four and.
a.half street, near the City Hall, and this morn.
ing we lay before our readers the remarks ofsey.
erGl little boys on the subject Of the influence Of
sabbath.schools The subject was introduced by
Rev. @. P. Glover, as follows: ...-. :
It has seemed to me that II would DO exceed.
ingly pleasant to the friends present tonight,
as well as to the teachers and scholars, II wo
should talk n little about Sabbath-s,ho And
1t has seemed to me that moro profitable way
Of doing this would be TO call upon some one Of
tho boys to give expression to his ideas upon this
great subject, hoping that other boys mny be in.
duced to follow and give their ideas also. And
therefore will call upon master Thomas Watson
to inform US how much he has thought upon this
subject, and to give US his views upon the gront
benefits to be derived from the sabbath.sehool.
Now, Thomas, what have you to say?
BY Thomas Watson: Well. SIR L know very
little about Sabbath schools In tho general My
ideas upon them are formed from the system
which Is pursued in our own Sabbath schools
In these schools which are here represented to-
night. I can say this much, however: that II
all Sabbath schools are conducted upon the same
plan as these are " superintenden and teachers
connected with other Sabbath schools eyince n
like readiness with those connected with our
schools to do whatever will contribute to the I'D.
yaucsmsnt Of tho Ssviour's kingdom, and ovince
q like readiness to interest and crafty the
scholars, and thus clearly manifest q disposition
to do us good II this, 1 say, is the character OF
Sabbath schools generally, thon for one hero,
In the presence Of ali these people, assert, as my
best wish, the desire that Sabbath schools shall
DO planted in every town village and hamlet
throughout the world. love our Sabbath
school. will say nothing more, but would like
to hear what some other boy has to say. hope
George 0verton will tell US something about
Sabbath schools.
By George 0yerton: I, like Thomas
Watson, have few ideas on the subject OK.
ospt what 1 have obtained from my attend
anco upon this school. I have been coming
hero for several years, and as to whether like
this school or not you have only to ask Mr.. Frost,
who will tell you that scarcely ever miss .
Sabbath And l think there are many others
hero like me In this respect Judge so for this
reason: On last Sabbath week you will rousn,
Der that II rained very hard, and yet we had
sixty present In the afternoon. II the children
did not like the Sabbath school very much they
would not come on such n stormy day. like
our concerts, and always long for the time to
come around whom We shall meet in the church,
and sing our sweet hymns and reoite our inter
esting pieces, and lsten TO tho remarks Of Dr..
Sunderland and Others Yes, love tho Sab.
bath school, and am here to, light enjoying this
concert, and can say, like Thomas, thai all
Sabbath schools are like this, hope that one
may be found wherever there are found children
to attend 1t. should like to know where the
hrst Sabbath school was established, and where,
I think, John Watson can tell me that.
BY John Watson: have been told, George,
that tue first Sabbath school was formed in
Great Britain, in the city Of Gloucester, in the
year 1881, nearly 100 years ago. The man who
started this Sabbath school was Robert Raj es.
Don't you remember tho hymn about Robert
Raikes, found on the 10th page Of " The Golden
Shower"
"As Robert RAikes walked out one day,
To sec II children were At play,
Some boys were seen on Sabbath day,
playing, psying-Ah me
"Then away, away, &e.'
This Mr.. Raikes was walking out one day t.
lind a gardener. While he was travelling aloni
he met some little boys who were behaving very
badly, and were growing up In sin, and in al
manner Of wickedness He felt sorry for them
and he said to himself-now what can l do TO
them2 He thought about 1t q good while, ant
then be concluded that he would hire some pco
pie to teach these poor little children. Ant
thus the hrst Sabbath school was formed. Soor
all through Great Britain schools were estab
lished, and children were gathered into them
And what blessing they have been l shoult
like to ask one question, and that lie, why tho!
don't nav teachers In the Sabbath schools nova
days? Perhaps Charles DrAger can toll m
about this.
By Charles Drager. Mr.. Wesley, another grsa
and good man, concluded that people ought no
blessed Saviour. He thought that teachers ough
to love Christ enough-lOve the souls of children
enough-to be willing not only to teach tn
children for nothing, but also to be willing t.
seek out the places where children were to b.
found and there 20 and teach them And thu
Il was that schools were established with teach
ers who were glad to work for Christ, and VIII
wanted no pay; and so this plan was general
adopted; and, to-day, oil over the country, Their
arc 6abbath.schools filled with teachers VIII
want no pay for teaching the children excep
the pay that all good teachers, and good chill
dren, too WA at the last receive when tn
Saviour shall welcome US with those sweet words
"Come, 20 blessed Of my Father, inherit tn
Kingdom prepared for you FROM the foundatio
Of the world" And love the Sabbath school
as we'll as Thomas and George, and John, and
hope that they may spread all over the world
and many children be gathered into them, VIII
shall at last be gathered into Heaven. shout
now like to ask when the frst Sabbath. schoC
was formed in the United States would as
John Gsiger II he knows anything about that
BY John Geiger The first Sabbath school |
this country was formed about sixty years ago
in the year ls07-in Plttsburg, Pa. Tho mex
one was in New York, and at the same time
school was formed In Philadelphia in what
known as Masonic Hall, on Chestnut stree
And have been told that the first scholar
the school at Philadelphia was an old woman
about 81 years old, who came to learn to read u
Bible How that old woman must have love
the Saviour when she was willing to come at
learn to read the Bible at so years Of age on
sixty years ago, when the hrst Sabbath soho
was started in the United States, and u. d.
there are more than sixty In Washingtonj al
instead Of one old woman coming to the Sabba
school, millions Of children are gathered In
these schools, and are to-day praising eli
from whom all blessings aoW,"