The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-11-17

| Gnree mOnUnS IN Un0 COunbleS OF hlOe-
marie, Orange, Madison, Culpeper, etc.,
organized twenty Sabbath Schools to
which appertain thirteen hundred schol-
ars."
The magazine of July, 1919, states
that mo fewer than eight schools in the
county of Goochland and on it's borders,
containing nearly 800 scholars, have
formed connection with the Sunday
School Union of Richmond" The editor
expresses the hope that Depository OF
Sabbath School books will be formed in
Richmond for the supply of the whole
country on reasonable terms, and urgent
ly appeals to the benevolent to gather
into Sabbath Schools the children, and
adult persons who are destitute of re-
ligious knowledge.
Under date of January 22d, 1920,
Jesse S. Armistead, then student at
Hampden Sidney, writes letter to Mr..
Rice as President of the Richmond Sab
bath School Union, in which he gives a
most interesting account OF a Sabbath
School at the college, in which were
taught about fifty of the children of the
neighborhood. Thousands of verses of
hymns and the Scriptures, and Of an:
swers in the Catechism had been recited,
and great many, by some children who
could not read Remarkable changes
are reported among youths who had been
accustomed to spend the Sabbath in hunt
ing and other amusements; and higher
class in the School had become proficient
in the study of the doctrines of the Bible.
This letter we'll deserves to be republish-
ed in full.
In the magazine for May, 1920 a let
ter from Essex county, covers about three
and half pages. 1t gives deeply in
teresting account of school in that
county similar to the letter from Hamp-
den Sidney.
From Fincastle, under date 10Th of
March, 1920, letter is published in
October of the same year, which describes
the happy influence of Sabbath School
in that town, where, before its organiza-
ton, it was not uncommon to see from 80
to 100 boys, between the ages of and
Is, in the commons and pasture grounds
engaged in various kinds of amusement
and vice, on the Sabbath day. The
average numbers in attendance on the
Sabbath School were from go to 80 or
80, and their progress in acquiring moral
and religious instruction generally, and
in some cases particularly, was such as
did credit to their teachers and superin-
tendents.
The magazine for December, 1920,
gives an account of revival in Sab
bath School in Pail Mall, England, which
is very instructive, as showing how an
extraordinary work of grace, which is
sued in the conversion of more than
twenty-five young persons, attended the
simple method which had been adopt
ed-this was meeting for children and
young people, regularly at the close of
worship on Sabbath evenings, when they
were instructed in religion.
In closing this piece, referring princi-
pally to Sabbath Schools in Virginia six
ty-6ve or seventy years ago, it may be
remarked that there was capacity of
endurance and continuance in the exer-
cises of religious instruction, which in
this age of hurry is deemed insupporta-
BILE. Several reasons, some good and
some insufficient, might be given for this
change. There were fewer means of in
struction, hence more attention was given
to those that were practicable. But it is
evident that the increase of methods, and
the devices to make them attractive, and
the excessive cultivation of the musical
feature, and other things that are more
entertaining than useful, have displaced
the thorough training and mental disci
pline of the former days. The children
in the Essex school recited from three to
FIVE lessons every Sunday, and the exer-
cises were continued for four hours. The
superintendent, of whom there were two,
examined exercises that the children had
written at their homes during the week.
The Catechism classes read together in
the New Testament One of the super
intendents concluded the exercises OF the
day by reading to the whole school, and
to visitors, some moral, and religious, and
entertaining tract, tale, story, or essay,
of which the works of Miss Hannah
Moore furnished, by far, the best. This
last practice has been much approved,
and has often attracted considerable mum
bers of visitors, who have also expressed
the highest qualification at these read
ings."
Jesse S. Armistead, who wrote the let
ter from Hampden Sidney, which hope
may at some time be laid before your
resders, will be recognized as, afterwards,
the able and distinguished divine and