The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-19
ESSAY OF INDIANA CON.
VENTION.
What the Sunday School Teacher
May Learn From the Public
School Teacher.
BY IRA t. TRUsLER.

y BY IRA 7. TRUSLER. 4
0oSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSO
GONE one has said. "The true glory of
- Nation is in an intelligent, honest
and industrious Christian people; and
that the civiiz alton of Nation depends
upon their individual character" This
being true, it becomes the duty of every
individual, not only to guard we'll his
own character but to use his influence
toward securing grandeur of character
in others.
Natione from time immemorial have
ssen that morality and citizenship are
best secured through the agency Of
systematic code of laws resting upon
the broad foundation OF justice. Hence,
il all men from the very nature of life
itself owe to each other an influence
which is uplifting and ennobling. how
much more do those who profess to train
and prune the tender germ of childhood
owe to the same cause.
In Past Ages.
In past ages when public education
was argued to be against the propaga-
ton of religious duty, the public school
teacher was a nonentity; thus he and
the propounder of abstract religious
views were as far apart as misery and
happiness. We can readily see that the
opinions of men are but the offspring of
time. and ideas concerning the relation
ship Of education, religion, and morality
have passed through series of progress
sive changes, until now. when a pub
lie school teacher is requested to in
struct the Sunday school teacher as to
the best means for securing citizenship
and morality from the coming genera
tions. Twas only few hundred years
ago when the royal governors of the
American colonies on their Bonded
knees thanked God that there were no
public schools within the limits of their
jurisdiction, and hoped and prayed
there might be none during the next
one hundred years.
1t may seem presumptuous to many
that a teacher of the public schools
should endeavor to advance ideas con-
corning Sunday-school work; and yet
who should be better prepared to devise
and set forth means and methods for
the development of the higher and God
-. e. r,h. oh A.
very nature of the basest urchin, than
he whose especial duty it is to develop
and train the budding germ of child
mind almost from infancy to manhood?
What is wrong with the manner in
which many of our jealous Sunday
school teachers deal with the suscepti-
BILE mind of childhood? We can best
answer the interrogatory by briefly con-
sidering few of the many prevalent
errors.
Workings of Child-Mind.
First of all teachers of Sunday -schools
should understand the workings Of
child mind as a product Of organized
matter aud not consider it an empty
something to be filled with collection
o: dry and tasteless Bible facts. Charac-
ter is what we are after and in order to
secure character we must teach char
acter. The child who becomes interest
ed in the life of Christ, Moses. Abraham,
Joseph. Gideon. or any other great char
acter which is uplifting in its nature.
will soon learn to love and read the Old
Book which portrays the personal hap
penings in these enticing stories, while,
on the other hand, were he fed upon
nothing but dry Bible facts. he would
soon become wearied and while away
the Sabbath day as Sunday fisherman
Thorough preparation is the neces-
sary element of all good work; and the
teacher who expects to see success
crown his efforts should subject himself
to systematic effort the same as the
teacher in the public school. How many
times are the minds of our children
warped and they themselves estranged
from the Sunday school solely on the &C
count of lack of preparation on the
part of the teacher.
Preparation Needed.
We must prepare ourselves thoroughly
and methodically and our success will
be certain. Should we go to the Sun.
day-school and depend chiefly upon the
leaf or Helper for the instruction we are