Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-05-29

Send Your Children to Sunday School.

Yes, parents, send your children to
Sunday School. Even if you are not
specially concerned about their relig-
ious instruction, there are other rea-
sons for attending. For by such at
tendance they will become wiser, bet
ter, happier and prettier. That they
will become wiser is self-evident, for
every one, who has listened TO the ex-
ercises Of Sunday School Concert,
will readily admit that such exercises
give intellectual training.
But they also become better as well
as wiser, and there is sufficient proof
OF it in the fact that Of ali the inmates
Of our prisons hardly one was an hab-
itual attendant Of Sunday School in
childhood. Such remarkable exemp-
ton seems truly wonderful at first
thought, but upon consideration it is
nothing strange at all. 1t is simply
what might have been expected. For
conscience unquestionably operates
more effectually in restraining men
from committing crime than any other
agent in existence.
And il the same amount OF time and
money spent in taking care Of GRIM
nails could have been spent in develop
ing their consciences in childhood per-
haps prisons and scaffolds might be
enumerated among the things which
have passed away. For the conscience
is as much capable Of growth by ex-
ercise as the muscles, and without exer
else will become completely paralyzed.
Now the Sabbath School scholar has
frequently to consider the great prin-
ciples of right and wrong, Of justice
and injustice, Of conscious guilt, ac-
countability and remorse. lie con.
trasts virtue and vice, candor and de-
ception, truth and falsehood. There
are presented to him tangible examples
of innocence and guilt. There is
sketched for his study every grade of
character from the spotless Jesus to
the treacherous Judas.
He learns from the sad experience
of others that nature has q code of
laws which are always executed and
which no man can violate with impuni.
ty. He learns that though oae escape
the penalty of human laws, he is still
likely to become the victim of remorse
and to die by his own hands.
o how much better to learn this fact
from the experience of others than
never to have thought of it till it be-
comes a chapter of his own experience.
Now the child who has learned fire.
quently to reflect upon these things,
forms such habit Of thinking, that he
will commit no act in which these prin-
ciples are involved without forethOught.
Forethought becomes habit of his
life. From the moment he contem.
plates an act, he endeayors to survey
its every feature from beginning 70
end. And though q man may be so
impulsive, that with this habit ol
thinking he may commit a terrible
crime, yet it will be against the thun-
derings Of full developed conscience,
while another who has thought but lit
tie Of the matter, commits the same
crime without 80 much Is the restraint
of the scarcely audible whisperings ol
a dwarfed conscience. Is it strange
then that so small q percentage ol
criminals were .habitual attendants al
Sunday School!
Sensible people vaccinate their chill
dren to prevent smallpox from killing
or dis6guring them. But crime i con
tagious, Il dis6gures and, even kills