The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-01-31

II 1
7 of sixty-eight for 1894.
! The Makiki Sunday school report BY
Miss Ella B.Snow showed total OF sew
enty-one names enrolled, with al
average of twenty for each Sunday
Chinese formed the largest proper
} ton. The rest were Japanese, Portu
puese and Hawaians.
DIR. n. B. Emerson gave very In
teresting report on the work among
the Portuguese, the full text of which
is printed below:
The progress in this Sabbath
schooI during the year has been most
encouraging, justifying the hopes and
expectations Of its friends and giving
promise to still greater growth and
Considers what q numerically strong
and prolific factor the Portuguese ele-
ment is in our composite population,
it needs no argument to prove the ne
cessity of lifting to q higher plane OF
education and Christian civilization
the individuals that compose it. The
hopes of the statesmen and philan-
thropists alike for the future veal of
the Republic of Hawaii are centered
in the virtue, intelligence and relig-
ious enlightenment of its people, and
especially of those who, like the Port
| uguese, are destined to be numbered
among its permanent residents, citi-
zens and voters.
1t may seem almost work of super
[ erogation to adduce arguments in adj
vocacy of the special needs of this
work among the Portuguese. 1t may
| also be thought by some that the gain
in Christian belief and character,
| which 1t is sought to confer upon the
| Portuguese colonists who come to our
shores, is 80 slight and nominal as not
| to warrant the efforts made, or to JUS
tify the danger of antagonizing and
| irritating those among them who
still cling to what is called the mother
church. 1t seems, however, to the
writer Of this report that no one, how
ever libeled he might be, would con-
tinue to be of that opinion after be-
coming acquainted with the facts of
the case.
To adduce but a single instance or
illustration: The superstitious observ-
ances of the so-called annual festival
of the Holy Ghost (Espiritu Santo)
are so abhorrent to all Christian ideas
of the methods of imparting or re-
ceiving divine influence as to breed in
one who looks into them feelings of
aversion that must be akin to what
Martin Luther felt when he denounced
the sale of indulgences by John Fitzel
in the sixteenth century. !
Among the added facilities that
have been generously provided, either
by means furnished by private indi-
viduals or by this church, in aid of
the Portuguese Sabbath school and
church-both of which are 80 closely
linked together in theirfortunes as unit
eddy to represent an important part of
the Christian enterprise of this Gen.
trail Union Church, should be men
toned the extensive repairs and addi- |
tions made to- the church building on
Miller street during the year that has |
passed.
The result has been a substantial |
gain in convenience and in seating |
capacity, change much appreciated |
by the occupants, who meet there for /
divine service each Sunday morning, |
and who likewise come together at |
the same place for Sabbath school in
the afternoon. This increase of seating
capacity, however, has not been so
great as to be much ahead
of the growth of the school,
and the time is close. at hand,
if it has not already arrived, when
still greater accommodation will have
to be provided in order to give the
classes that elbow-room, freedom and
separation from each other which are
required for efficient class work.
AS an offset to the loss sustained
in the school by the departure of Miss
Arcina Fernandes to her home in Illi-
nois, should be mentioned the re-en-
forcement of the schools strength by
the arrival of Miss Laura Pires from
Jacksonville, in the same State, who
comes we'll equipped mentally and
morally to carry on the work done by
her predecessor in conducting the kim
dergarton during the week, and in
helping to conduct the primary de-
partmept of the school on Sunday.
She was accompanied by Mrs. Tar
bell and by John Ferreira, her brother,
to the latter, both of whom have
the school by enIisting
as teachers.
The recent departure of Mary Fer
reira to Eva, to take a position as
teacher of a Government school newly
established in that district, while to
be reckoned as loss to the Portuguese
Sabbath school in Honolulu, from
higher point of view is to be counted ,
3 great gam, as being practical illus
,ratiOn of the old prOverb: "There is 6
hat scattereth abroad yet increaseth."
She goes forth with the expectation of
'oon being able to start uch-needed
sabbath school work in the district
hat is to be her home.
Among the public exhibitions and
which the school has
Djoyed during the year, largely as q
esult of the bounty of this church,
hould be mentioned the Easter and
christmas festivals, which were occa-
ions that emphasized the dramatic
nd lyric talent that naturally belongs
o the Portuguese people and at the "
anne time marked the growth OF the
cholars in Bible knowledge.
The school also very much enjoyed n
he annual outing and picnic which it
Ook In August at Independence park. IL
On behalf Of the school, the super
1tendent desires, at this late date, to | fe
eturn thanks to the superintendent Of =,
ne Oahu Railroad for kind accommo-
alton in the way of cheapened trans =,
ortation, and to the many friends
no on that occasion, as we'll as on
her occasions, freely gave their per- n
'naI services or provided substantial VI
lateral for entertainment.