Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-12
CITY AND DISTRICT
CHINESE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
A Sunday Afternoon Scene nj the Me-.
trOpOIitan Church-HOw the Little
Cinnamon Are Taught.

Eleven Cinnamon went to Sunday school yes
terday afternoon. As they sat In the Sunday
school room of the Metropolitan church. with
their eyes devoutly cast upon the singing books
Win Wnlcn each one had been supplied thew
looked ike models of what good boys ought to
De. iheir broad faces were clean, their pig tails
were neatly coiled up on the top of their heads.
ana their garments were the choicest in their
wardrobes. Several Of them wore American
ciotnes' ana one would have presented quite q
nobby appearance If he had only kept his hat
on, ana thus concealed the coil of hair. This
was their second experience with SUNDAY
school this season. On the previous Sunday,
Mr.. 81. O: Hall, the superintendent of the
morning school, through whose efforts the class
that there mas said
are engaged In the various laundries through
out the city during the week. Mr. Hall had In
present and sing for his new scholars, and SO
there were number of boys and girls present
pei o'clock yesterday, the hour appointed
time after 8 none Of the Celestials had arrived
and MI. Hall, who has had considerable expe-
rlence - with VT them, said that they might not
come AT all. he had gone out of the door and
looked up and down IN street and not a China.
man was in sight, but he had hardly turned his
bIonse TN Inc room when blue six
closely followed by six fac-simiies They had
tie s% hs Rdes a t. as
siSsn singing SsSS ana Mso essa
of the Cinnamon turned to the proper
page readily, but Others looked at the
opsn boo hook bankly and tried to
their book with the right one, as seen In the
book Of one Of their number who was familiar
the organ, and displayed great dexteritv Vim IN
turning to the right hymn, and then, when the
first note was sounded, he threw his head back
old time Class leader. The brot i1 who s aa
next to him was evidently not up in English,
and al az ne sat and gazed with undisguised admi.
countryman. While the singing was going on
the Cinnamon tried to follow 1t In their books,
ana their attitude was that of earnest atten-
uon. This dead calm of goodness, however
was slightly. rippled by the entrance Of four
Celestials who had evidently fingered to put
them wore American clothes Of fashionable
cut, and looked like young dudes of yellowish
t td AS soon as they entered the room they
caught sight of them they also began to grin,
ana their stolid faces for once bore a look
OF animation and human interest. The sing
ing lasted for half an hour and then the celes-
tials, with their teachers, retired to one of the
adjoining rooms for the lesson:
II have discovered" remarked Mr.. Hall to q
STAR man, that In order to make progress
with the Chinese it is necessary to have q
teacher for each scholar. When began did
noI Auow muCu dUOuI Cu6In, ana last winter L
tried to teach them as class by the use Of the
blackboard. But there must be individual in
struction, as the first thing to do is to teach
them English. Of course the Cinnamon are
very anxious to learn, and this is really their
motive in coming to Sunday school, They can
get this instruction for nothing; but our object
Is to teach them about God, and think that a
great step is gained in teaching them English"
What books do you use? asked the listener
1--WE have only religious Instructions books at
present., was the reply; "but / am going to
send to San Francisco for primer. The China
men are apt to be shy when the religious part
of the instruction is made too prominent. We
have, however, two very good books, both
printed in English, with the Chinese characters
beneath each English sentence. For instance,
here is a catechism entitled, Easy Questions
for Beginners 1t is printed in FoOchOw China
for the use of Chinese Sunday schools in Amer
lea. The first lesson is about God, who made
al things. and what He is. There are lessons
ABOUT the Sabbath, Adam and Eve Cain and
Abel, the flood, Abraham and other Bible SUBJ
jects Another book, published by the Ameri-
can Tract Society. Is called English end Chi
for beginners"
When the Cinnamon had filed into the other
room about the same number of teachers fol-
lowed, so that each scholar had a teacher Mr.
Hall hopes to make the school q success.