Litchfield enquirer., 1879-03-13
The Ocean Cottage Sunday School.

HAMPTON, VA, Jan. 7th 1879. DEAR FRIEND:
 To fulfill my promise I will now give you brief outline of the history of the Ocean Cottage Sunday School.
 It began on the first Sunday in July, 1877, in a rather singular manner. l brought my family from Connecticut to Hampton the lat ter part of June, 1877, and we finished moving into MT. A---'s house on the other side of the Creek, which we called the Ocean Cot tage," on Saturday afternoon. Sunday morn ing was very warm, the church about two and a half miles distant by the highway, and mile by water, so we concluded not to attend ser vice till the following Sunday. The morning hours passed heavily, and 1 was looking for ward to long afternoon when my attention was called to three children who were playing on the beach in front of the house. I walked leisurely out to where they were so as not to frighten them away and began talking to them finally asking them to come in which they did. We sang, with melodeon accompani- ment, several of the Sankey and Moody hymns to them, which seemed to please them very much, and when they were ready to go home, we gave them some Sunday School papers We asked them if there were any more ch1l- dren in the neighborhood, and received the answer from a little boy, Yes, sir, there's right smart of 'em." So I told them to come the next Sunday morning at half-past nlne bringing as many of their little companions as were willing to come, and we would have a little Sunday School.
 The next Sunday morning I was very much surprised to see seUeratee1l children. ranging in age from four to fourteen, file into the piazza and thought had got myself into trouble for all at once the amount of responsibility was taking upon myself dawned upon me, but con- cluding that there was nothing like trying, began the work, which was not only easy, but quite interesting and pleasant.
 The lesson which 1 taught them first was ''The old, old Story," of the birth, life, works love, death and resurrection of Jesus; how much He was willing to suffer and do for us that we might have salvation how little He asked in return and 1 asked them if they would not love human friend who would give his life for theirs if they would not feel that the devotion of their whole existence was small for such display of heroic love? and how they could refuse their love- obedience and submission to His will who was willing to suf- fer and die for them? The session lasted one hour and a-half-a general talk-during which the little ones paid strict attention. The me- lodeon had been brought cut on the piazza and after playing and singing to them Jesus paid it all,' we united in the Lords Prayer and they went home promising before leav-
 
 In August, 1877, we lost two of our mem- bers by death, Willie Tolliferro and Mary Braxton, aged respectively twelve and six years.
 The school rapidly increased from seventeen to forty-five, some of the older ones coming in occasionally, and that was the number when we moved into the Printers Cottage on the Normal school farm in November feared then that the school would have to be given up for the winter at least, for want of room :; but that cloud was quickly dispelled for up- on telling Brother Charles Smith ot its needs, he, without hesitation, gave us the use of his largest and best room with good fire in it for our school, and it is to his generosity that the school owed its existence all last winter. He used to come in now and then, but he is now our Treasurer, and is regular in attendance also his wife, son. and adopted daughter. Just before Christmas 1S77 the 1st Congre- gational Sunday School of Litchfeld, Ct., of which have been member ever since 1 was four years old, sent me three hundred and fifty Sunday School books, to be distributed as I saw fit. One hundred volumes were given to the Ocean Cottage Sunday School; one hundred ] and twenty were given to Hampton graduates; the remainder, with the exception of ten given as prizes and thirty which still have, were given to Sunday schools in Hampton. They have also sent me papers for the school from to time, also their penny collection for the quarter ending Dec. 29th, 1S7S amounting to $21, to be used at discretion as opportunity | may offer. The 1st Ceng1 church, of Litch- l field, Ct., of which we are members, sent me through the Bible Society, twenty five 75- ct Bibles, which were used on our Christmas l tree, Dec. 31st.
 In the spring, 1878, our school numbered seventy y-fve, which made it too large for our l accommodations, SO we decided to erect an | arbor. which we immediately did. It was not elegant in appearance, being about forty feet l long by twenty feet broad, covered with bush- es, and capable of seating about one hundred persons; but the Spirit of God was evidently there. for we gained a goodly number of mem . bers for our school, and we held an afternoon service in it every other Sunday, which was largely attended. We now divided the school into i've classes, having tor teachers Bro. Morse, Bro- Whltehurst, Bro. Robinson, Mrs. Rowe and myself; but the classes were much too large, so, with Gen. Armstrong's approval, three of the graduates of '78, Miss Clementine Lumpkin, Charles Jones, and Jacob Brown, used to go over with us and teach every Sun- day morning
 In May we had a picnic which was much liked by all who attended it. On the same day, fears which had been entertained fo, about week were confirmed, in finding the