Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-12-19

~ Hers'N~
the sepulcher of beauty: to see my idol
In the embrace Of deatl, aa'l decay! No,
sir. Not for corner lot In the center OF
your blooming. griny town"
"If you won't ~ to the Worlds fair
nv friend said as sOon ~ ic could find a
chance to put worl in edgewise. you
might 70 and see Phil Armour's Sunday
school. That is the next biggest thing
In Chicago"
The BIggest Thing In Chicago.
So I went down to see Phil ArmOur's
Sunday school. and ! am glad ] did. ]
don't know much about Sunday schools.
This one was sort Of revelation. II
was panorama Of human nature. ]
found there scene worthy the brush OF
n great painter-a scene challenging q
better pen than mine for an appropriate
description.
There was u great big building, about
a. large M one of the wings OF the capi'
tol ut Washir ton. More noise was
heard within It than vas ever heard pro-
ceeding from the bowels OF the house
wing, and that Is saying n great deal,
but II was different s0rt Of noise. In.
stead OF the ranting Of some two penny
statesman one heard the voices OF chill.
dren singing. voices which came from
the top story. from the ground hoor,
from the basement. from unknown re-
cesses and caverns. What woul'l CORE.
spond to the hall Of the hous'--a big.
handsome auditorium with galleries run.
ming round twas filed with about q
thousand young folks. They were the
cons and daughters Of the poor people,
the working people, the people for miles
around. How they did sing! How they
seemed to love their work. their teach.
ers, the lessons. tho lectures, each other!
on In u corner sat man they all
knew-a man for whom they all have q
great Affections man they look up to
as one Of the noblest Of his race. 1t was
Philip D. Armour himself-stocky, rud.
dy, smiling. perfectly happy. Why
shouldn't he bel Here he was surround.
ed by his monument, by tine marks OF
his benefcenre. by the proof that there
y more sa,is action In spending millions
than IN ~ ..Lg them.
Ihs Lessons Impaired.
Mr.. Armour took me In tow. He
walked me from floor to floor. from
room TO room. II was for all the world
like running through one Of the wings
Of the capitol. These apartments cor.
responded to the committee rooms at
Washington. But instead OF lazy states.
men and sleepy clerks, smoking and
lounging, In every room was All assr'ri'
blape OF little folk-in every room an.
other Sunday school. In every room =
picture. 49,,
Thers were six OF eight Of these little
schools. Every one was crowded. IN
some Of the larger rooms i've or six teach
ers were busily engaged. The children
were white and black. foreign and do
mestic-Gerinan. Irish. Scandinavian,
Polish, Italian-everything. Some oi
their faces were not wholly clean-it ].
20 difficult to keep clean In Chicago-and
many Of them were poorly attire,l. But
the faces Of all were bright and eager.
The music, the questions and responses
held their attention every moment. There
was not much about religion In the ex'
ercises. but n good deal about morality.
about love, about the golden rule. about
the best way Of getting on In the world
by doing nothing you would never want
every one to know you had done.
Other Yssturs&
"It may not do 'em much good, tat II
can't do 'em any HARM" said Mr.. Ar
mour. "At any rate, they are glad to
come Sunday after Sunday. There must
be nearly ?.000 here today. and we a.
ways have all we can take care OF. You
will notice that things are pretty clean
around here. We can teach the chill
dren cleanliness, II nothing else. Give
EN- that and I'll risk the godliness part
| Of t."
The Sunday school u only one featurt
Of the work Of the Armour inission'
There u Q kindergarten which u crowd
Cd svsry day with hundreds Of the chill
arsn Of the poor. Here double purpos>
b ssrvsd. Childrru who arc usually nm
able 10 prodt BY thess advantages on %
count OF the poverty Of their parents an
taken IN and taught, while kindsrysrter
| teachers are here trained TO 60 fortt
ana DO good works elsewhere In th'
| wusid wkich needs thsm 70 much. Thsr.
- aisAa esAsss fre ssys, ssM!as and @sns