The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-02-23
4 Word to the Wise and Otherwise

The minutes OF the twenty SIKH
annual session of the Kentucky Sun
day School Union is before me, and
the perusal of these leads me to make
few observations. What write Is
directed mainly to heads of families,
though I am glad to get the attention
of the children also. Since it has
never been settled who is the head of
the family, the wife or the husband,
these observations are meant for both,
though if were placed on the stand
and forced to tell, sundry and various
reasons would lead me to confess that
the head of every family is the man
who "runs" the family, i. e., the
woman; all that the courts have said
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
But to my point. Montgomery
county is put down as having SITS
white school children, by which is
meant children enrolled as attendants
of the public schools. Of this num-
Der, 1,076 are enrolled attendants of
the various sunday schools of the
county. In other words only about
one-third of the children whose names
are inscribed on the rolls of the public
schools, attend Sunday school at all.
And since the average attendance is
generally about two-thirds the enroll
ment, only 71s young folks, at the
outside figure, are instructed regularly
in the Sunday school. This is a little
over one-half the enrolled member.
ship Of the white churches in Mt.
Sterling. Now think this is distress
ing; particularly since my real con-
viction is that the total membership of
the Sunday schools of the county,
teachers and all, is not in fact over
six or seven hundred. Statistics are
deceiving, especially when made up as
such, since every school desires to
make the best possible showing.
Hence, i repeat, that the real state of
facts is worse and not better than the
figures seem to show. Nor are our
neighbors better than we. A glance
at the tabulated statistics of the min
utes, reveals the fact that Bath county
ia worse off than wes and but few, Of
the blue grass counties better. So I
am not crying down our grand old
county. Nor am I uttering a pessi-
mistic wall, but I write because I am
hopeful of better things.
This condition is distressing for the
reason that unless the children are
taught the bible in the Sunday schools,
they go through life with little or no
knowledge oft at all. Mind you l speak
of the young folks of this generation
and most earnestly ask, is this not
true? Much may be learned from
the preacher and much at home. But
speaking generally, reverence for
Gods word and taste for reading it,
not to speak of actual familiarity with
many passages, can be acquired in
this busy age only in the Sunday
schools. This is the actual condition
of things, the cold, hard facts, not as
they ought to be, but as they are.
While it is theoretically possible to
learn at home and from private read
ing, there are so many other things to
attend to that even the most religious
find it well nigh impossible to get
time to teach the children the Bible.
And this step proves that they meant
to teach and can do so. It says moth
ing about ability or inclination or
even willingness. Now everybody of
good hard sense comedies the Bible to
be Gods word-the revelation of his
will concerning US. Then is it not to
indifference that we must attribute
this light attendance on the Sunday
schools? 1t is not opposition-that is
about dead--but Indifference, and
that, not chiefly of the children but Of
the parents. There are times when
the most restless boy desires to attend
Sunday school, but he does not go
because his parents are 80 indifferent,
or careless or lazy that they never
give the little fellow the slightest en-
enlargement. Now is not this indif-
ference criminal? A man who can
send his boy or girl to the secular
schools and does not do it, is put
down by his fellows as guilty of gross
| neglect of duty. BY some he is
counted unworthy to have children,
and, to my thinking, such "wretch
concentered all in self" can't be CEN
sured too highly. What then shall be