The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-03-16
A New Character-A True Sketch.
BY FRANCIS J. DYER.

A New Character-A True Sketch.
BY FRANCIS J. DYER.
Miss Simpson, teacher in the Wharf
Street Mission school, was discouraged
Her class Of boys came mostly from the
docks and drinking dens that bordered
the waters edge, and her faith and in
genuity We're sorely taxed to keep them
interested in the lessons. SO long as the
scenes were laid in the Old Testament,
there seemed to be something that their
minds could grasp. She felt that the In
ternational Committee had made mis-
take in assigning the book of Mark for a
whole years study. Beautiful and preci-
Gus as the life of the Saviour was to her,
to the boys it was tame. They were in
terested in building the Tabernacle, ,espec-
tally when Miss Simpson brought minia-
ture pillars and curtains and pms and
cords, and allowed them to construct a
model in the class. But the motives and
principles which enter into character
building were too abstruse for their un-
disciplined faculties to analyze or under
stand. \ fight between the Israelites
and the Amalekites at once stirred up all
their mental activities, but a spiritual
warfare between good and evil, on the
battle ground of a human soul, was much
too shadowy an idea to hold their atten-
tion.
Miss Simpson tried faithfully to explain
John Baptists mission and ministry she
described as best she could the single
days work of Jesus beginning with His
teaching in the synagogue and ending
with laying His healing hands on the
multitudes that crowded around Him at
sunset; but the boys were either passive
~ listless or actively mischevous. There
fore Miss Simpson was discouraged before
reaching the end of the first chapter of
Marks Gospel. Yet not in any such way
as tempted her to give up her charge.
She knew too we'll that it was no easy
task to ind teachers for dirty, disagree
able and aggravating set Of urchins like
these she had gathered, with great diff
| iculty, into the Wharf Street Mission.
But she was perplexed to know what
means to take to win their souls After
Il week Of earnest prayer on the subject,
she went to the class Oh the following Sab
bath and surprised them by asking, for
the first question: "Boys, what man
that you have ever seen or read about do
you most admire y
Nobody replied Immediately. There
were practical problems in life which
many Of these boys were obliged to solve,
and they were accustomed to thinking
before committing themselves in speech.
They had not a large fund to draw from
ior an answer. Most of the heroes of
history were unknown to them, and
| their personal acquaintances were chiefly
among beggars, drunkards and rag pick
ers. At length one said ''President
Garfield, and five others emphatically in
dorsed his choice.
Another to whom the name Of Sir
Phillip Sidney would have suggested
nothing, but whose character had evi-
IDENTITY impressed him, said, slowly: II
likes a soldier wet you told US of once,
who was a-dyin' an give drink O. water
to t other chap cos he needed it most"
"Poh" sneered a boy, with shock Of
hair like mob, ''that want much; he
was most dead, anyhow. But that feller
| read of in them papers you give us as
was a-comin' up from mine in bucket
hen another pal-an' the rope cracked
an there couldn't but one be saved, an
one was fit to die an t'other wasn't an
the tittest one said "GO it, Jimmy. I'll
! drop-he was trump, tell ye"
| Miss Simpson was encouraged. Two
things were established by these rough
answers Some of her illustrations were
remembered, and the Sabbath school
papers she furnished from week to week
were read, Other replies were given, but
these are fair specimens of all. Further
questioning drew from the boys what the
| particular traits of character were in these
men which so challenged their admiration
and then the teacher asked what they
| should think OF man who had all these
noble traits and many more besides.
"Ihere never was no such one," said
an incredulous youth.
so yes, there was" replied Miss Simp-
son. ''One who was far more brave and
patient and ready to forgive His enemies
than President Garfield, more willing to
help others than the soldier, and who did
a more wonderful thing than the miner,
who saved his friends life by giving up
his own"
| BY this time the class was thoroughly
interested, and when it was proposed to
study about this man for few Sabbaths,
! thNiN H''o hONl y dppiofOi' " HCh, bo" :
ever, Miss Simpson explained that the
name of this noble person was the Lord
Jesus Christ, shade of disappointment
crossed their faces, and one probably
voiced the sentiment of the class when he
said 81 alus tho't He was kind o'-kind
O -wOmanishl !"
This, then, was why the boys had mani
tested less interest in the perfect Son of
God than in the sinful sons of men. Moses
and Elijah and David and Solomon had
seemed to them more manly. Their con-
| ceptiOn of Jesus was crude and one sided.
The little they had been taught of Him
had revealed only the gentle side of His
nature, and consequently the study of His
| life was dull. But when He was invested
to their minds with power as well as pa
tience, and with courage as well as chari-
ty, He at once became a new character
BY this method, indirect as it was, the
boys Of the Wharf Street Mission were led
to Il profound respect for Christ May
this be followed by true heart allegiance
to Him as their Lord and Master. The
Congregationallst.