The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-05-04
FoR THE CENTRAL PREsBTrERrAN.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARY.

1st. It's IMPORTANCE AND VALUE.
2nd. It's CHARACTER.
Sd. ITS MANAGEMENT.
The great Importance of the Sunday
School library, can scarcely be Over-esti-
mated First, in its tendency to advance
all the interests of the school, and second,
in the influence it is sure to have upon the
welfare of our scholars.
Nearly all successful schools, in these
later days, are provided with library, be
it large or small, good Or bad; and in our
cities and larger towns where schools abound,
the library with its well filled shelves, forms
no small part of the indueement for our chill
dren and youth to retain their memberships
The prOpristy and necessity Of the library is
now almost universally admitted, while its
po1oer for good or evil, is really startling in
its nature If we impart the art, and in
spire the taste for reading, we are surely
bound to satisfy the desire we have created.
Bad books do positive injury, and are far
worse than none. The child cannot discern
between good and evil, but readily devOurs
whatever is presented, provided 1t comes In
an attractive dress, and, in instances not a
few, our efforts to enforce truth upon the
Sabbath, may be wholly counteraoted by the
trashy publications with which the vacant
hours are occupied.
And right here We have a grand field for
good, sound Sunday School literature
The whole land is flooded with vile, pOllut
ing books and papers, catering to, and cul-
tivatiug craving for the low aud base
Now, if we can send forth from our Sunday
Schools, books that are ''pure, lovely, and
Of good report, and attraetire wlthal, shall
we not accomplish great, a noble thing, for
our beloved youth?
Books for the young, Of entertainment,
or instruction, have been so greatly multi
piled within the past few years, and are so
entirely within the reach Of all, that true
Sunday School books are not seized with
that avidity which their scarcity induced in
earlier times, and yet they are power for
good in the land.
A Sunday School writer says-"Well do
we remember how the little marbled, uni
formly bound volumes, used to be loved and
cherished in a certain country village; how
one little boy, in accordance with the regu-
lations of the school, would every week bring
back the story of "Lame John, only to
take it again, for the ensuing week-how he
read it at intervals through the day-slept
with it under his pillow at night-and read
it before he was up in the morning, or made
the house vocal with the hymns interspersed
throughout its pages. The sentiment of the
hymns was good; and though the music was
somewhat tame, yet doubt not he remem-
bers every word of them now. Scarcely
less did his sister appreciate sweet "Anna
Ross" And many of us, dear brethren of
this convention, can well recall the real de-
light with which we pOred over the pages OF
Little Henry and His Bearer and the
still valued shepherd of Salisbury Plain. "
Books received, in any degree, as these
we're, cannot fail in their influence for good.
If they are more plenty than then, cause
and effect still have the same relation-and
simple, purely written books, fresh from low
ing understanding hearts, viii, if they have
the vital truth in them, surely be received
by the little ones with delight, and be as
seed bearing 'fruit an hundred fold" The
importance and ralte, then, of our library
will depend entirely upon its
CHARACTER.
There are few Sunday School libraries in
the land, that would not be vastly improved
by thorough 'cssding. Late personal con-