The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-13
SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK.
Superintendent Row1ey OF the Congrega-
tionaI Publishing society's Experience.

At the Williston Congregational church
yesterday morning and the Second Par
ish yesterday afternoon the Rev. r. A.
Rowley, superintendent Of the Congrega
tional Sunday School and Publishing
| society, delivered an address describing
his own work and that of the society.
"Our work." he said, sis to establish new
Sunday schools in the destitute places Of
our country, as well as to visit and assist
as we may the older work of the Master
in Sunday schools and churches already
established. In my own field this past
year there have been 83 new Sunday
schools organized with membership OF
$500. This statement does not by any
means express the work accomplished IN
the cause of Christ. When state the fact
that of these SO new schools there are a t
least ten or twelve that are existing in
places where never before has there been
Sunday school, or any kind of religious
work. then you begin, l trust to appreci
ate the need at least for just some such
work. Again Of these $500 at least 800
children have never been to Sunday
school till this past year.
ut was my great privilege one Sunday
In May last to gather two schools at
places but four and half miles apart,
| membership Of 30 in one and 30 in
| another and in neither place had there
ever been any school gathered for instruc-
| t1on in Divine things At one place some
| twelve years before q travelling mission
y no NM DO &c,
| Ing once had departed, but forgot evil
dently to return. Children of twelve and
| thirteen years had never even seen
preacher of the Gospel and yet they were
bright children and certainly needed the
| message of salvation. In one district
| found people living in roughly built
shacks, some of them with the ground for
a floor; scant indeed was the furniture
| and only the very plainest food to sabsist
| upon, yet these children were SO eager
for our papers and cards and the leaves
| that 1t was real joy to be able to fur
nish them, and on leaving to feel that
q fire, email indeed but full of lite, had
been started that should burn steadily,
bringing life and light for months to
come into otherwise darkened homes.
At one place young lady came at the
close OF the service and with moistened
eyes asked If it would be possible for me
| to come and start school in her valley?
| asked, Where is your valleyW Taking
me to the door, she pointed up and said,
.sOver that mountain" She had walked
| four and a half miles over steep noun
tain trail to beg for a Sunday school for
the thirty-nine children who lived as her
ne1ghbOrs, and she must pass that steep
way home again before resting that
night. Nine miles to ask for sucoor
On asking more about the valley and
what were it's conditions she said, 'We
| have no day school, no Sunday school,
no church, no nothing"
~ could not but promise help in such
case. So two weeks later l passed over
| that trail-no wagon road, no bridges
over the mountain streams, but all travel
is on foot or by horseback The people
gathered, and as there was no school
house lady offered the use of her rooms.
There were but few chairs, though two
or three boxes and some pals made good
seats for the boys and girls. l had few
hymn books with words only and gave
out hymn, the familiar one, What
Friend we have in Jesus. F" The lady
who had given us the use of her house
had mover been to Sunday school before
in her life. Her boy, lad of six years,
was very much interested in the prepara-
ton of the room and bringing his high
stool placed it in the center of the room
and climbed upon it, for, AS he said, "Re
wanted to see what 1 was going to do
am not An especially good singer, ad-
NIT, but I was not prepared for what
was to follow the opening line of the
song. The lad jumped from his seat,
tears running down his face, and scream
ing like a wild Indian ran from the
room, nor did he stop till he reached his
grandpa at the barn. / had heard some
where that music had charms to soothe
the savage, but evidently this was not
the kind OF savage meant, or possibly my
mr. ,n% thn GnI IyS 7
have heard of people being preached to
sleep, but never heard Of, or saw, an au-
dienos, or even part of one, sung cut of
the house. We organized school, but
my young friend would not come into
the room again, though he gladly accept
ed card and paper from me at my de
parture
lone incident more A lady friend, full
Of good works and hard labor for the
| Master, became sick and went out from
our city life for the rest of the noun.
talns. There was at the place to which
she Went girl of twelve or thirteen
years, who was much interested in the
| CITY lady and her clothes, and On all oo-
oasions kept very closely by her side. At
ter week of rest the lady finding her
strength returning and wishing to be
OF some service to the child, asked her
about her home ana her school. The
child told her they had day school last
year of three months duration. but not
any before but hoped for another some
time. Being asked about the Sunday
school, said that she had never been to
a Sunday school. did not know what it
was. The worker asked "Do you know
anything of the Lord Jesus Christ?' The
poor child was startled and holding up
her hand said, "Hush, you must not
| speak 3d. that is cursing." She never
had heard the name of Him who had only
blessings for the children, only as that
Zane had been spoken in oaths, and some
one had told her it was wrong to swear
This was in our own land, not in Africa
Asia, the islands of the sea, but out OH
the ragged edge of our own beautiful
home land in the year 1885,
We are finding just such cases, just such
districts, and our society is sending forth
its agents to hunt up and give the bread
OF life to these lost lambs. 1t is pure be-
neyolence in such cases, for the papers,
cards, leaves used have to be gift. Most
of these SO reached could not buy, as they
| q daStjtuta i;0 a oreat cytaut IF