Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-06-04
For the SPECTATOR
A Little Church In the Woods.

EDITORS SPECTATOR The Y. M. C..
A. OF Greenville and neighborhood has
recently organized Sunday school of
nearly forty scholars, about four miles
east OF Greenville. in scope of country
lying along the western base of the
Blue Ridge mountains, known as 1.-THE
Pines" The section of country, in
cluded within the bounds of the Sunday
school, contains population number
ing some two hundred and fifty or three
nundred men, women and children. A
large portion of the adult population
can neither read nor write, and few of
the children know one letter from an
other. If these poor, ignorant little
children ever heard the name of God
mentioned, it is alone from the lips of
their wicked associates who use His
name only in swearing. Such is the
population that the Y. M. c. A. OF
Greenville and neighbOrhood has un-
dertaken to teach to read, 40 they may
know something of our holy religion,
and thus be made more useful and re-
spectacle Oitiaens, If not Christians.
The people manifest much interest in
the Sunday school, and express the wish
to have church which they may call
their own, and in which they and their
children may worship. Now the Y. NJ.
Q. A. propose tn build them a small log
house costing several hundred dollars.
A large portion Of the work the young
men of the Association expect to dc
with their own hands, assisted by the
Pines people and some generous citizens
of the Greenville neighborhood who
will aid in the way of hauling, etc.
One man has promised to give the land
for the church, another some lumber
and others necessary building material.
So, in this way, with few hundred
dollars in money, the Association ex.
poets to have in short time q comforta-
BILE little Bethel for this neglected and
destitute population.
The church will belong exclusively to
and be entirely under the control of the
! Association, and it confidently hopes to
have at least two gratuitous sermons
monthly In the church by ministers Of
the several protestant denominations
It is also expected by IN arrangement
with the public school authorities to
have established at the church free
). school. We are told that the tax-gath-
ersr reports fewer delinqusnts among
this population, poor, illiterate, irrelig-
ious, and neglected as they are, thar
0AO W NC AOudO Az ouy OttSA COAALnuulUJ
of equal numbers in his district. This
fact entities them to some consideration
at leaat from our worthy Superintendent
hope our friends will make it convenient
at an early day to Walt these people ant
look into their wants and rights in thi:
regard.
The Association is now holding week
ly Sunday school meetings at privat,
house ih the Pines, which the owner ha.
kindly consented it shall continue t.
use Till church can be built. On las
Sunday twenty-nipe scholars were il
attendance, and could all the children
have been supplied with proper cloth
ing by the Association, as part were, q
least forty would have been present
| If the wives and daughters Of well-to
do farmers and others of Augusta coult
witness, as the writer has frequently
done, the abjept poverty, degradation
and heather ignofaDc of many of Ties,
poor, innocent little Pine children, W,
feel assured this appeal for help w0ult
not be in vain.
This population needs the attention
, OF the churches as much as any il
heather lands, and in the name of GU
common Master, who has directed hi
followers to go into all the world ant
: preach the gospel to the poor and needy
we do earnestly invoke the aid OF til,
i. good people of Augusta in the prosecu
ton of this laudable enterprise by tn,
Yonng Mems Christian Association o
Greenville and neIghborhood.
GREENVILLE
Contributions left at the SPECTATOR
, off ce will he foru q rdod To tho " Ar n
A. of Grcenville.]