The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-09-19
aetes by the way.-F rienGs' Quarterly
Meeting

To the young Friend the game quarterly
meeting has a ring about it which any
other specified meeting does not possess.
There seems to be such a large percentage
Of true coin in this particular meeting
which has q tendency to draw all interested
young hearts toward its peaceful influences;
though we do not wish to convey the idea
that other meetings of the society do not
possess these qualities, for they all have
the stamp of true light upon them which
all Christian hearts quickly recognize.
The 4th inst. found a large assemblage
gathered at Friends Westinghouse in this
place, though we confess we missed our
young brothers across in the galleries.
These seats, which used to be well filed,
contained but few young men, and the
question Genes again and again: where
are they? Wetry to answer it by saying;
they have grown older las men will grow
and probably remained on the floor Of the
house. This does not seem to satisfy us,
however, for If that be SO where are our
younger brothers who should naturally
come to fill their places? On our side of
the house, not only the floor of the build
ing but the gallery as well, was well filled.
What can be the cause of this redux in at
tendance upon these meetings for worship
and what counter attraction is keeping our
young manhood from these strengthening
gatherings? We know it should not be
thus, and the question comes again: have
our young womanhood anything to do
with this lack Of interest on the part of
the young men? remembering the sexes
rise or fall together, dwarfed or Godlike,
bond or Free Are u girls becoming SO
much interested in cards and fast horses
(the former a fashionable CD pastime, the
latter a branch of education (?) being de-
veloped through the influences of the in
stitution known by the dignifcd name Of
the West Jersey Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Associatior) that they awaken
this interest in their brothers to a greater
prominence than they do that of their
souls welfare? Bear in mind, girls, we
do not say this is the case, bat the ques-
tiou came to us and we annot solve it,
therefore refer it to every young girl land
older ones too) who may be following our
line OF thought. Ii young Friends would
only ONE to realize bow much of happi-
ness there is in the Christian religion; if
they could all come to know the truth of
Watson Tomlinson's assertion, who broke
the silence Of the meeting with the text
'sAiy words they are spirit and they are
life, when he said Il believe the Christian
should be a glad, a cheerful religion, else
He never would have said be of good
cheer. 1t is SO hard for Friends,
especially young Friends, to talk on this
subject Of religion, and we oannot think
it is wholly the young folks fault that 1t
Is so, since it seems 10 US it has been toe
much a rule among older Friends to tie ach
their children by example rather than pre-
| cept, till the subject, from a vocal stand
point, has been sadly neglected. The
childish heart is not always arrested with
the quiet example-it comes to take that
as a matter Of course-and outside intiu-
enees, composed more of preeept, may
draw the young hearts away from THE
light Beside that We think there is SO
much Of truth in the lines:
40 It's she overflow OF heart
That gives the lips fun speech"
and it seems to as if parents were
alive 10 the spiritual welfare OF their chill
dren they eould not but lead them to wor-
ship in spirit and il truth, since tie over
fow Of heart would enable the parents TO
see and feel more fully the hungering and
thirsting Of the childish heart which keeps
the little heads busy with wonderments,
which they learn 10 entertain in silence,
since it seems to be a subject upon which
their elders do not feel free TO talk. Is it
not SO; has this not been too much the
ease9 However, we trust this state OF af-
fairs through the influence of the Sabbath
schools IS rapidly passing away, for there,
teacher and pupil are brought into trustful
relationship and the questions of the busy
little brains are given expression, knowing
their teachers will give them interesting
answers. How necessary it would seem
then, that every teacher with suoh a
charge should possess this fount of God
IN her own breast" to which Watson
Tomlinsen referred, that she may convey
a spiritual seed. And this friend said
again:-"'The scriptures are a relation tc
the thing itself, but they are not the thing
Itself. This, it would seem, applies L
the teacher again, for though she may bt
an excellent Bible student and yet lacks
! that necessary essential, the indSellins