Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-10-25
THE STATE SABBATH-SCHOOL CONvEN-
LION.

at the Congregational church here on
Tuesday evening and closed last night.
The attendance has been large, il Guiding
delegates from all parts of the State,
though, as was natural, the majority of
them came from this side of the noun
tains. The exercises have been interest
ing and profitable and the church has
been well filled at every session.
The local entertainment committee
ant and Mr.. Virgil NJ. Benedict, had their
Wednesday morning in disposing of the
numerous arrivals, but all were nicely
cared for.
Those who came in for the day from
nearby towns were provided with dinner
in the lecture-roOm of the church. Fully
250 partook of 1t on Wednesday and a
less number yesterday.
TUESDAY EVENING.
The opening session, Tuesday evening,
was called to order by the secretary, Rev.
j. II. Babbitt of West BrattlebOro, who
announced that the president, Rev. j. A.
Pierce of West Randolph, WAS i'll and un-
able to be present. Rev. L. o. Sher-
burne, vice-president of the association
and pastor of the Methodist church at
st. Albans, was called to the chair and
presided.
Previous to the addresses there was
praise service, conducted by Mr.. p. c.
Tucker, of st. Albans, who, with Mrs.
Tucker, had been secured to direct the
music at the meeting. Prayer by Rev.
Mr.. Sherburne followed.
The first speaker, Rev. w. S. Smithers
of BrattlebOro, had as his subject
"Trained Workmen." He emphasized
the Importance of all teaching and then
described the true Sabbath-school teach
er, who, he said, should be Christian,
member of the church, devoted to his
work and specially fitted for it. Among
the best teachers are young men and
young women. There are four reasons
why teachers should be trained-limita-
ton of time, lack of authority on the
part of the teacher, the nature of the sub
ject and the delicacy of the material to
be dealt with, the minds of the children.
The teacher should be living in union
with Christ and should possess large
general knowledge of the Bible in addi-
ton to being familiar with the specific
lesson: and, above all, he should under
stand human nature. In conclusion the
speaker pointed cut how the needful
training could be obtained.
\ Rey. G. w. Gallagher of Montpelier
next introduced, discussed at some length
the topic, How to interest children in
the Sunday school," His idea appeared
to be that the proper method of attaining
the end desired was to let the children
see that they were accomplishing some
\ thing.
Rev. j. S. Ostrander, ID. d., of Brook
lyn, the last speaker of the evening, gave
long and rather rambling talk on the
subject, Nehemiah the model superin-
tendent.'
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
The weather was cold and raw We'd
nesday morning, yet nearly 300 people
were present at the opening service OF
praise and song at 8 o'clock. The sub.
ject of the meeting was : Helping to-
gether by prayer for u.s." III. Cor, IL
After singing. Rev. A. F. Keith was in.
troduced and delivered the address OF
welcome to the delegates.
At 10 o'clock Rev. A. A. Cambridge
the new Baptist pastor here, made short
and pointed remarks on the subject
/" Mining after truth" The speaker
showed that nothing of consequence Is
ever obtained without hard, persistent
labor. Truth is worth haying and there,
fore cannot be obtained without labor
or, in other words, it must be mined for
At the close of this speakers remark:
the congregation joined in singing son
ward, Christian soldiers"
Rev. Z. A. Herring of Brandon dis
cussed the Home department of the
Sunday-school, showing clearly tha
there was duty to be performed al
home in the line of Sunday-school work
that would make that of the school vast
ly more efficient.
Rev. ID. X. Lowell of Rutland was
unavoidably detained, but sent Rev. c
\. Reese in his stead to speak upon 9Th,
: relation of the Y. =. 5. c. +. to the Sun
day-school." The speaker said, among
? other excellent things, that the one OBJ
ject that this society had, and the on,
which brought it into existence, was te
make more earnest and more active
, workers in the Sunday-school and churci
among the young people. The prayer
meeting met with the same opposition
. when it was instituted as the young peo
pie were meeting now, yet no one ques
, tions its usefulness to the church now
The first prayer-meeting ever beld II
Vermont was not such great while ago
I ha dot hai