The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-12-30
Sunday School Report.

".
Gofrespon ding Secreta7v......M MRS. ABERNETH,
treasurer rer'..............M Mrs. v. W. BLANCHARD
Sunday School Report
Read at the annual convention of the state w. c
y. U. held at St Johnsbury, September 80, by th
state superintendent of Sunday school tenYne,
ance work, Mrs. L. G. Barrows.1
"Since the day when the wise mel
were guided by star to the infant Re
deemer, men and women wise TO set
the needs and possibilities of the chill
dren have been aided by our undim
med star of hope" This star neye,
shone more brightly on the Sunday
school temperance work in Vermont
than now, when the reports come in
rom SO large proportion of the Sun.
day schools, nearly every one contain
ing something of cheer. Only one
pastor and one superintendent are re-
ported as Indifferent and not in sympa
thy with the movement. From all the
others, pastors, uperintendents, teach.
ers and scholars are reported as inter.
ested, doing little everywhere, IN
some places a great deal of earnest
work. and all praying, hoping and
waiting for better things. AS | have
read their reports l have wished
could bring them all before you. am
sure You would see cause for encour.
agement even where the secretary OF
superintendent feels that little has
been done. The earnest desire TO
meet the need felt makes any accom-.
plishment seem small. AS compare
the reports received from some places
IN my own vicinity of which I know
most with the work accomplished as
hear of it through other channels, ]
cannot but feel how unsatisfactory
these brief records are-that, good as
t hey are, they might be infinitely bet.
ter.
Nearly every school uses the Tenn.
qerance lessons furnished in their
ruarterlies, and have books in libra
pies. Many schools take temperance
seapers and have frequent short address
ces to the chools and occasional con.
scrt exercises. Ono of the smallest
phools in. the state has raised and ex.
pended twelve dollars in the work. A
superintendent of one of the largest
schools in the state writes: Teachers
and scholars are interested, but in I'll.
ling the blank reports no time given
temperance, no books or papers, no ad-
dresses before the school, no money
raised or expended. This would have
been rather discouraging had not the
secretary added that several children
bed bcou pledged and kept tho pledge
faithfully, that the quarterly lessons
were used and remarks frequently
made to the school upon tho use of to-
baccO and alcohol.
Noble work has been done in scat
tered farming community in Addison
county. The leading men in the place
were not in sympathy with the work
in fact were moderate drinkers, and
their influence was greatly deplored by
the pastor, but he deemed it nnwise to
agitate the subject. His faithful wife
was moyed TO commence work with
The children by q few words spoken by
one OF our workers. She did not
plead want of time, though doing her
own housework and Sc wing and meet
ing the various demands made upon a
pastors wife. She invited the children
to her home every Saturday, and so in.
terested them that she had large, ell.
thusiastic class to instruct and pledge.
She arranged and conducted concert
exercises which drew large audiences
to the church and among the most in
tcrcstcd were the very men so long
considered obstacalcs in tho wav. A
Union. was soon formed numbering
nfty or sixty members and they are do
ing as much work as any Union in the
state. Could this sister meet the
one who writes that dit is a new.
therefore uphill work with much dis.
couragement," the truth of which we
have all experienced,) 1 think she
wonld sing to her:
''rhe hill oil zion yields n thousand sacred
Before We reach the heavenly fields OR walk the
golden Streets"
What are hills and discouragements
to earnest, consecrated womanhoodf
Ii the time and thought and energy ex-
pended by American women on their
clothes were used for Gods glory and
humanity's uplifting, this sin-stricken
world were better place TO live in.
wish could tell you of the county
Sunday school convention in which The
half day given to temperance was ac-
knowledged by all TO be the most in.
teresting. ..l
A Sabbath has been devoted to tenn.
perance in some places. Our secre.
tary is arranging with all the pastors
for o temperance day; in the morning
sermon, lesson in Sunday school
and concert exercise, or other appro.
pirate exercises in the evening.
My heart is filled with praise and
thanksgiving as look back over the
past year aud remember the discour
agement / felt in the first quarter
when l sent plans of work and a circu
lar letter to each Union asking them tc
appoint temperance secretary in eacl
school and send her name TO me imme
dlately. So fss,i ~. that l felt 4
was almost useless to circulate the pc
titions to the international lesson com
mittee for signatures, as Miss Kimbal
desired. But did so, again sending
brief letter In regard TO the Sunda,
school work. was more successful il
this and felt encouraged TO send blank
for reports, which have been returned
from nearly every Union, containin.
reports that convince us that no NOR,
prominent agency is at work than thii
instruction of the children In our San
day schools by consecrafed men aut
women. And we believe that 1t is be
ing prosecuted with diligence and yea
and at the same time with so mucl
wisdom that the confidence and co-ope
ration Of Christian people and pastor
Is not only unabated but steadily in
creasing. ...
The responsibility OF saloon keepin,
l. n u n.