Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-02-05
FROM DYER COUNTY.
How we Spend Christmas at Ro Ellen.

Editor Standard Il suppose ii would
not be uninteresting to some Of your
readers to have sketch of the method
used by the Ro-Ellen Sabbatlr-schOol
in furnishing entertainment for the
children during the holidays. The
Sabbath-school at this church is second
to but few, if any, in West Tennessee.
Though in the country, the attendance
is from 70 to so both winter and sum.
mer. Notwithstanding the severe
weather whole families, from two to
three miles distant, are found in their
places every Sabbath morning. For
several years it has been the aim Of its
officers and teachers to furnish such en-
tertainment during the holidays as
would interest and amuse the young,
thus leaving them without excuse for
going to places Of dissipation, balls,
parties, etc.
Christmas eve was spent in decora-
ting the church with suitable notices
in cedar, such as "Christ is born"
"Joy to the world" etc. The pro-
gramme for Christmas day was to have
sermon, but as our pastor was absent
at another church the sermon was sub
stituted by appropriate reading from
the Scriptures by the officers and teach
ers, interspersed with music. On Sun
day we had regular services. On Mon
day the school was to have been enter
tanned by leading club organized in
the community, but from some cause
this was failure. On Tuesday, 10
o'clock a. m. the school assembled at
the church, the exercises We're opened
with music and prayer. Then followed
an interesting concert in which all
took part. The exercises consisted il
the presentation of the various Dames
and titles by which our Savior is known
in the Scriptures, also His Relationship
to man, the Way, the Life, the Door
etc. The classes had committed. t.
memory the parts assigned to then
and when called upon would arise anc
repeat the Scriptures bearing on thu
part assigned to them. To thyse unac
customed to such scenes it seems incredi
bic that children so young could repea
so accurately so much Scripture. Afte
about one and ahalf hours of this in
teresting exercise, we were told tina
dinner was awaiting us in the colleg
near by. Each teacher took charge o
his or her class, the youngest goin!
first. Two long tables in the college
bountifully filed with turkeys, ole
hams, chickens, boiled custard, cakes
and confectioneries in abundance, &C
commodated the entire company. Tn
teachers in waiting on their classes a
the table seemed to experience as mucl
pleasure as if they were waiting on tn
President and his family. l am sur
they couldn't have been more atten
, tive. The remainder of the evenin,
, was spent in promenading, the littl
boys with the young ladies and the lii
, tie girls with the young men.
| The programme called for musica
: entertainment Wednesday evening, bu
, it was so cold it was deferred. Thurs
: day evening found large numbers wend
5 ing their way to the college with thei
= pounds, as the programme called for
g pound supper that evening. Ate
some delightful music from violins an,
organ accompaniment, the crowd wa
S entertained by class of young ladie
q in calisthenic drill. Next came tn
r reading of the Pepper Box" a pape
=. prepared by the young ladies for tn
= amusement of the crowd. 1t wa
y rightly named since, in an amusing
; way, it reproved the faults of man,
t that were present. After this cam
the reading of some select pieces. The
came the supper, which was fully u
to the demand of the occasion. Gu
Superintendent received a small box G
a beautiful white sugar, but on tasting
he found that it contained large quar-
= titles of salt and qninine. This, c
v course, was quite amusing to the littl
e folks. This closed the Christmas fe
Is tivities, and, as far as l know, not
Il member of the school was seen at a s,