The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-06-18

Attention,

ion Sunday School by Miss Emma ALL
good, and which we have been requested
to publish. EDITORS.
Attention is enumerated with reason,
imagination, memory and will, which
are the most important powers ct the
mind. It is derived froIh two Latin
wotds-ad, towards, and tsndere, to
stretch therefore its literal meaning is
ga stretching towards" The act of
attending or needing; due appreciation
of the ear to sounds, of the eyes to visual
objects, or of the mind to any objects
presented to its contemplation, is atteu=
tion, says Mr.. Webster. Lets see if this
is true.
Suppose re enter place of worship,
where only a few have assembled for the
putpoue Of engaging in Sunday School
work, and occupy pew far back in the
rear so We can talk and laugh during
services. Will we gain anything by 80
doing? Nothing, nothing at all. Sup
pose the next Sunday we go up nearer
the front, join one of the classes and give
our attention to the reciting of the lesson.
Will re gain anything by doing this
way? Yes, ne will get new idea or
two. Mr.. King says he never entered q
Sunday School in his life but that he got
new idea. he is getting to be quite an
old man, and has entered a great many
Sunday Schools.
If older people can get new ideas at a
Sunday School, would not children get
ideas there: too? Then will it not be
good plan for pafehts To 30 to Sunday
School every Sabbath and carry their
children along with them, too?
1t has been said by some one that it is
impossible to do any great work without
giving attention to it. If this be true,
will it not be best for us to give attention
to the smaller things, as the larger things
are composed of smaller ones? If the
gentleman who translated the first Bible
into English had paid no attention to
the construction of the sentences, might
be not have made their meaning quite
different from what they are? Then
look at the many errors that would have
been made. Should we pay any atten-
tion to fun.making or nicknames7 To
illustrate that re should not, here is
little true story: In certain country
there were two schools near each other.
Some of the pupils of one of the schools
nick.named the pupils of the other sPos.
sum Trot." One little boy said to his
teacher one day, those people had bet
ter not call me 'Possum Trot." The
teacher told him that they could not hurt
him by calling him by nick-names. The
little fellow studied little while and
then said: "No, they will hurt them.
selves more than they will us :" The
teacher says Eyes," Then the little boy
seemed to be thinking again, and directly
he looked up into his teachers face and
said: "They may be just talking to our
shoes anyway, mightn't they" The
teacher told him yes, and thought that
this was bright idea. When We hear
any one making fun of us when we do
the very best we can, or calling us by
nick, names, would it not be good plan
to do as if they we're talking to our shoes,
which care not how much fun is made of
them, nor what they are called, but go
along the same as before {?
When we walk along very near prec.
ipice, if we pay no attention where ne
atep, we will not go very far until down
the precipice we will tumble. Just so, if
we never pay any attention to our Sun
day School lessons, nor our Bibles, will
We not fall down that precipice which
leads into everlasting punishment,
where we must forever dwell with Satan
and his angels?
Give your attention to that which is
good, but to that which is bad do not
give your attention. How can the atten-
ton of Sunday School class of "talka-
tive" young men and young ladies be OBJ.
tanned? When two young men or two
young ladies are seen talking in the class,
will it do to speak roughly to them and
tell them to pay attention to the lesson ?
This may not prove to be the best plan.
Here is a way that has been tried, and
one that proved to be tolerably good.
Ask one Of the takers an easy question
in the lesson, just as if you did not know
they we're talking. If they do not stop
talking, ask some one else question and
then ask the other one something else.
If they will talk on in spite of the ques.
tions, speak to one of them about the
talking in friendly way after Sunday
School is over.
Memory is dependent upon attention,
therefore, if ne want to remember our
Sunday School lessons, or what is done
at the Sunday School Union, or anything
else, ne must give our attention to the
reading, questions and answers of the
lesson, to the proceedings of the meeting,
or to whatever it may be, must we not ?
Every person has some influence, either
for good or evil, over some one else.
How careful then we should be to give
our whole attention to that which is
good, knowing that only noe shall derive
benefit thereby, but that some one of our
neighbors will be benefited, too! Would
that every one would think more about
what Paul says in the last verse of the
eighth chapter of first Corinthians !:
"Wherefore, if meat maketh my brother
to offend. I will eat no more flesh while