The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-09

only effectual when one has not forgotten
how to get down again where the children ar
and lend helping hand in unfolding ant
applying the great truths of life. Half o
our worldly trouble comes from inability /,
use, appropriate and apply facts and princi
pies already known.
The teacher must not only be thorough,
good himself, but should fearlessly and zeal
ously take the aggressive against supersti
ton, prejudice and evil in all of its countless
forms; not only destroying the bad, but use
every power of his being to find practica
ways and means for putting something good
in its place.
Children, especially boys, soon tire of one
who is simply good, and generally lose re-
spect for one of the s'goody goody" species,
the modern Pharisees who sickle for the last
letter regardless of the spirit of the word.
1t is safe to say that teacher who branches
off upon severely practical and sometimes
irrelevant topics, is far better than one who
mechanically and lifelessly dwells upon the
Bible text of the lesson.
Most emphatically the children should be
made familiar with the Bible texts, but in no
way can this be done better than by applying
them to the practical everyday questions of
life. Interest them and their parents also
by assigning Biblical questions and facts to
look up.
Assigning topics to be looked up between
Sundays, not only interests home folks who
are too often negligent about what their chill
dren learn or fail to learn at Sunday school,
but it tends toward that most necessary end
of keeping children busy in good work, and
above all, it makes them feel certain
amount of wholesome responsibility, which
is wanting when the teacher does all of the
talking on Sunday, and all of the investigat-
ing on week days. One of the most impor-
tant duties is to lead the children to think
and express their ideas, to Undue them with
the feeling that it is their work, their church.
Of course no teacher who fails to be in his
place regularly and punctually, can properly
see that his scholars observe these matters
which are of prime Importance.
A strong personal influence should be ex-
erted upon the children. Let the teacher
strive to interest himself personally in each
of sympathy and friendship and class love
cannot be too strongly woven. Not only try
to do something for each and every one, but,
if possible, have the children perform small
services for teacher and church and Sunday
school, 1t all tends to make them feel that
they are useful and appreciated. Among
poor and ignorant scholars it is easy to rem
1ar haIy in hof h ind
to teacher; but it requires tact to secure any
hold upon that large class of well-dressed,
well-fed, well-taught children who seem to
lack nothing save an adequate appreciation of
their good fortune. There is a way to reach
every one, but there can be no general rule.
Without securing the respect, confidence,
and perhaps affection of the children, it is al
most impossible to secure that easy yet per-
feet discipline without which impressive les
sons are out of the question.
If the teacher can secure unfailing and
punctual attendance by the excellence of his
lessons and interest the members in bring
ing in new recruits, well and good, but since
attendance is the first requisite, and there are
many youngsters who cannot at all times be
influence, the teacher is justified in resorting
to brides of various sorts, any honorable way
to get and keep the children until they be-
come faithful through higher incentives than
gifts and social gatherings for fun and in
struction.
No scholar should be absent single Sun
day without the teacher Immediately learn
ing the reason.
Children are not easily deceived by a teach
er who has not made proper preparation. II
he is not ready to show that he is master of
the situation, they relieve him by taking the
matter into their hands. Then the girls gig
gle and whisper, and the boys pinch and
tickle each other and convert their lesson pa
pers into pellets. Teacher and scholars can
not both govern at the same time, but one or
the other will surely have charge of the class,
and it does not take very practiced eye to
see when the children are masters of the sit
uation.
There are many lessons which at best are
hard to present, and the teacher cannot bring
too many practical helps. Each lesson should
be at least carefully read through a week in
advance. This places the teacher in position
to take advantage during the week of numer-
GUS practical ideas and illustrations which
would otherwise pass by unnoticed.
The teachers meetings, even if poorly at
tended, are always helpful, and good teach
ers, though able to do without them, can do
better with them.
In conclusion, let me say that the first and
last and most important of all, is the teach
er's duty to carefully instil into the minds
of the young a wholesome, rational respect
and love for the church. There is to-day too
much difference between the church and
Sunday school, and the hardest work of the
true teacher is to SO guide the girls and boys
that they will naturally and gladly graduate
from the Sunday school to the church. There
are many ways in which this change may be
made to seem easy and natural, but none il
SO effectual as to have church and Sunday
/ Ii i'll 49,.