National Republican., 1885-01-17
AsPHYXIATED TEACHERS.
Some Speculation rs to the Cause OF n
Sunday school Interruption.


The account OF curious and extra
ordinary occurrence reaches us from
South Carolina. Near the beginning Of
the weekly session of one Of the Sunday
school of that state quito O panic was
created by number of tho teachers fall
ing in On asphyxiated condition. 1t was
some time before they could be resusci-
tated, and as the incident excited great
alarm there Is general inquiry as to its
cause.
There are not wanting of course un-
charitable persons who say that it was
during the superintent's weekly address.
This theory might have had some color of
plausibility If it had been later in the
session, and the superintendent had got
ten along to the point where he lightly
recapitulates Pauls three missionary
journeys, with historical and geographi-
cal sketch of each of the towns in which
he stopped; but as he had just begun and
could not possibly have gotten beyond
my dear little friends" it could hardly
be laid at his door. Neither could 1t have
been due to the visiting brother who was
invited to make few remarks, for he is
invariably reserved till toward the close
of the school, when those present are in
too exhausted condition to mako any
active opposition to his being allowed to
speak.
Nor could IL have been, az surmised by
some superficial observers, anyth ing the
matter with the air, as q little observa-
tion Of country Sunday schools will show
that II Is not customary to have any air.
There might have been IN appeal made
90 - al. sA.,, laha
or the contribution box might have been
unexpectedly circulated, but neither of
these causes could have produced q state
Of coma, as physicians tell US it is not
generally resultant upon sudden shock.
If IL had been the scholars who expe-
| rienced this disagreeable physical de-
rangement, and it had been toward the
| close of the lesson, it might have been
| easily explained, but the dispatch states
expressly that 1t was about twenty teach
ers who were SO affected.
Now we all know that II Is no ordinary
circumstance which can floor that com.
bination of the wisdom of solomon and
tho patience Of Job, known as Sunday
school teacher He-though he Ia gem
| orally a she-in the course of even few
soned, so to speak. Any person who has
I
few sections of 1t, TO a class of active and
energetic small boys, or has endeavored
to interest class of bangled and frizzed
girls in the adventures Of Elijah the
Tishbite, might, it would seem, defy fate.
But we SEQ now that there are iniiu-
ences moro subtle and potent than are
dreamed of in our philosophy. The whole
subject of this sudden and general
seizure and its cause would be wrapped
in mystery were 1t not for one clause at
tho close of the dispatch which sheds
upon II food of light. This is the SYM
pie statement that the librarian was moro
deeply unconscious and more diihcult to
rosuscitate than any of the Others. We
have here the solution of the problem.
In rural churches IL is very customary
to have an intermission between the
morning service and Sunday school. This
interval, after partak ing OF the frugal
sandwich and the refreshing cold tea, the
teachers had doubtless employed In read
ing the books contained in the Sunday
school library. The Librarian having
free access to the shelves, had browsed at
I will over their treasures, and-sOOn be-
coming absorbed, oblivious to all sur
roundings stepped his soul to in
toxioation in the pages of those Stupefy'
ing romauces. Tho abrupt transition tc
the stern realities of life could not fail tc
produce some startling results, similar
perhaps to that described by Mr., KennaI
when tho travellers coming from tenn
pefaturo outside Of 60o below zero to onI
inside of 800 above immediately became
unconscious