Middletown transcript., 1883-11-30
SOME PIoN1o OBSERVATIONS.
BY THE REV. }. MAX HARK.
Printed IN me TRANSCRIPT by request.l


The past season has been one UNI
usually prolific Of picnics. Even Sun
day-schools, which for some years past
gave promise Of having outgrown them,
seemed this year to have reverted to
their old-time customs. There were,
accordingly, special opportunities af-
forded for making some practical OBJ
servations i'll the matter, and confirm
ing some views / had held long before.
The first thing observed was that, as
often as not, OF oftener, the suggestion
to have picnic did not primarily come
fffefEa within the Snnday-snhnnl at all
but from outsiders. People who, at
other times, have not the slightest in
terest in the school, never go near It,
nor ever give a cent of money OF an
hour Of time to it, about the beginning OF
July suddenly become greatly exercised
over the fact that nobody seems to have
had interest enough in our children,
even to think Of giving them a picnic.
It worries them. They straightWay
seek to stir up the children The cry
Of Picnic, picnic," is started, and
kept up, until it seems to have taken
hold Of every one, to be the one longing
desire Of the whole school, that one
thing on which its very life depends.
At length the day for the picnic is
set. Not, however, without consider
able difficulty, and not little bad feel
inc between those who wanted it on
Thursday and those who insisted on
Tuesday. When the day has arrived,
I look at the assembled crowd, and
am struck, first Of all, by the circum-
stance that there are SO few OF the
regular scholars there, compared with
the number Of outsiders and mere per
feet strangers though all the irregular
scholars, even those who had long been
dropped from the roll, are present. Not
one is wanting. And, what is more, it |
soon becomes evident that it is not the
school, but those other parties, who are
running the thing" On the grounds,
two of the main arguments that were
used III favor Of the picnic are shown
strikingly fallacious. 1t was urged
that it twill do the children good"
g they need a little relaxation" etc.
All which may be true in one sense
but certainly is not in another. 1t as
suredly does them no good to have the
teaching and training Of the school
directly counteracted by example OF
MANY Of those "deserters" and out
siders who have the idea that on pic
mic they can, and ought to, say and do
things they would probably not think
Of doing at any other time. Politeness
and common courtesy are entirely laid
aside. "Take care Of number one,
is the motto. Quarreling is not
unusual even fighting is not unknown;
while l have heard of more than one
Sunday-school picnic where the mem
bers Of the Bible class (Wh0 had not
attended class for months) indulged in
a regular hop. "It is no harm at a
picnic, you know ~ It is positive
fact that nearly every school that goes
on a picnic has to suffer, for weeks after
from the decentralization induced by the
moral spree" which it took. And
this does not even take into account
the weeks Of equal decentralization in
the discipline, teaching, and whole
spirit Of the school that prevails for
weeks before. From the time that
picnic is determined on, until several
weeks after it is past, there is more OF
less Of restlessness and excitement.
Lessons are not properly studied. 1t
is almost impossible to hold the child
ren's attention. They can think
and talk only Of the picnic. There
is a decided and great loss to
the school in this break in the
regular routine Of its work. But
it is urged, "There is nothing like
a picnic to cultivate sociability in
the school" That old cry Of ''socia-
bility, = how much harm it has worked
in church and school! 1t was the last
argument abandoned by the defenders
Of church fairs, suppers, and all kinds
Of shows. Now, have never yet at
tended a Sunday-school picnic where
true sociability, the only kind that is
desirable, was not rather impeded than
furthered. l have always observed
that no sooner were the grounds reached,
than the whole party divided into
groups, clusters, rings, and cliques.
These, indeed, were sociable among
themselves, but very exclusive toward
all others. Just the same as in society,
churches, and schools For every new
acquaintance made, and friendship
found, at picnic, there are as many
old acquaintance estranged, and old
friendships broken, by the almost in
variable petty rivalries, jealousies, dis
putes, Sights, and misunderstanding,
that nowhere grow up as luxuriantly
and nonsensically as at picnics. Their
evil effects are felt long after, and dis
turb the true peace and harmony Of the
school. | have long been convinced
that nowhere is the argument Of socia-
bility more utterly groundless than
here. There is not particle Of truth
Oh reality in it. And, after the picnic