The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-05-20
sSUNDAY SCHOOL WORKERS
THE Children Interested in Special ADJ
dresses at Roberts Park Church.
What Teachers Seek to accomplishments
of the Normal Glasses, in Which Many
Phases of the Work WereRepresented


noon mass-meeting for children was held
in the interest of the indianapolis Sunday
school Association. The auditorium and
galleries were filed with large audience.
two-thirds being children, whose average
age required that the services be conducted
in a manner to be comprehended by them.
Many of the older ones present, however,
were not only entertained but instructed
by the lessons taught. C.. ID. Meigs spoke
for few moments, combining his remarks
within the scope of his youthful hearers
comprehension. They had gathered, he
said in the interests of the Sunday school
which, although laudable object was one
which many people, both young and
old. misunderstood. The word Sunday
school is familiar one, he said. and yet he
had found teachers as well as scholars who
were ignorant of its true meaning. Many
think the hour set apart in church doc
trines for the instruction of its members in
scriptural lessons is time for endowment
and not for work. It's meaning lies solely
in the idea of the school, for it aims at the
education of all who attend its services.
The Sunday-school was founded and still
exists for the purpose of teaching children
how to live correct lives.
BY way of reaching his hearers and at
the same time reducing his remarks to the
form of story. Mr. Meigs related the para
BILE of the father and his sons. as
given in Matthew. xxi, and when
he referred to that portion in which
son. in replying to his fathers request to
20 and work in the vineyard, said: II will
not" he asked a row of young people on the
front seat what punishment the erring son
should have received. No answer came,
however, aud the speaker repeated the
question to the rest of the children. One
little hand went up in the rear of the house.
We'll" said the speaker. what ought to
have been done to that sonf / see hand
back there, what do you say, my boyf, In
years of age, replied: MY father
would have spanked him." The
ansTsr although it expressed TIA
ab the Sneaker not esai ne
clusion. Mr.. Meigs urged the children to
work toward some definite end. Idleness,
he said, is not conducive to happiness. and
the man who has an object in life, and
strives to attain it, will succeed.
Capt. Eli 4. Ritter followed with some
excellent advice to parents. He could tell,
he said, just what each boy and girl before
him would become, provided he. in turn,
Teaching his child is the most responsible
duty parent has, he continued, for child
lis very quick at learning right and wrong,
and in following teacher whichever way
animal, the speaker argued, in every
human being to be trained at an early age.
He had seen cavalry horses during the w ar
which knew the bugle calls as well as their
practice. God intended all of the animal
kingdom to be trainedup to different stand
{, ards. and of these the highest was given to
man. One great fault of parents to-day is
tendency to train their children in one
direction, while their own lives lead in an
other. A great many mothers and fathers
are given to hours of worry lest their chill
dren will go astray, in future years, but if
their own lives are shaped correctly, and if
they train those OF their children,
is unnecessary. Nor is attendance
upon Sunday-school the only thing that is
necessary. Children cannot get enough
training on Sunday to last them all the
week. The Captain remembered that in
his youth it was constant task for his
parents to so train him one hour to tide
him over the next. The only time when
he was safe, he said, was when he was
week. and every hour of each day to train
n young mind. Parents should teach by
precept and example. 1t Is with them the
responsibility lies In closing. he expressed
the highest words of approval for the
Sunday school movement that has been
put on foot. He claimed that the
best argument in its favor :, is
the fact that the children of this
to live lives which are being formed NOR
ally and mentally at the present time.
Charles Z. Jacobs occupied ten minutes
in relating several short Stories the moral
of which was to teach children to be indus
trious and honest. A close observance of
these qualities, he said, will bring it's own
reward. The meeting closed with word
from Rev. j. L. Gilbert upon the work of
the association.
Normal Glass Exercises.
The exercises at the First Baptist Church
last night were appropriate to the advance
ment made by the normal students in the
Sunday school Association. and the promo
tion of the classes to higher grades of work.
The attendance was not large, due probably
to the threatening storm in the earlier part
of the evening. Rev. n. A. Hyde opened
the meeting with prayer. and this was fol-
lowed by scriptural reading by Rev. w. r.
Jordan. Without any intermission essays
were then read, the first being by Mrs. j.
w. Beck. on 1.-The Sunday-school and the
Family" Her remarks were brief and con-
fined mainly to the obligations of the one
to the other. The family, it was held,
should have the object in common with the
Sunday-school of advancing its members
The earliest lessons of life which come to a
young persons mind are in the home. and
these will influence his or her future for
good or bad In proportion as the environ
ments are good or bad. The school is close
" allied to the family in this particular.
ii is the next step from the family and af
fords enlarged powers of action and moral
character. The responsibility of surround
ing both with religious and Christian at
mosphere must be borne alike by teacher
and parent.
Mrs. j. X. Ryan read paper on the
Teachers Relations and Duties" claiming
that they are not the most unimportant
part of his or her work. The object of the
teacher is not only To instruct, but to in
tiuence the young TO live according to those
instructions. In this sense the duties are
two-fold, and many teachers make the mis-
take of believing their work complete when
they have, in the hours time allotted them,
covered the entire lesson for the day, and
no more. The greatest benefit to be derived
from Sabbath-school lesson is in its pIac-
teal application, and it is this which the
majority of pupils will carry away in their
minds and hearts.
The next paper was by Miss Nellie Fatout
on the Teachers Personal Preparation"
The teacher, she urged. must not only be
educated In the technicalities of Bible his
tory and Bible doctrine, but must have an
adaptability in using them. For the teacher
is not only the duty of being able TO present
the Scriptures with rapidity and skill, but
10 be able to so instruct the scholars that
that they may comprehend the great truths
of Gods word. Constant study of the Bible
is the best means in which TO acquire this
mower and in this studV the object shOuld