The evening times., 1897-02-01
CHINEs[lT SUNDAY SCHOOL
An Afternoon With Them at the
Metropolitan M. E. Church.
APT AND PATIENT PUPILS
Painstaking in Their studies and
Inclined to Be Oyer-Generous in
Their COntributions-Th Teach
ers Take Great Pride in Their
Scholars

Tomorrow is their New Years day. and
they stayed home to clean up and cock"
That is how one OF the teachers of the
Chinese Sunda y-school at the Metropoli-
tan II. L. Church accounted for there being
but twcnt weight pupils in attendance out
or usual class OF forty, xesterday after
noon. 1t seemed large class, as il was,
however, for at each of the small tables
scattered about the lecture-room OF the
church sat lady teacher, with her scholar,
PO-iBg over the text books; she explaining,
ana he trying Zealously to understand
The majority Of the students were youths
though the class includes married men,
and an infant class that was represented
yesterday by four tots in knee pants, with
big collars and plaid silk ties. Some CT the
men wore American clothes, with kid
gloves and derby hats; some combined
native silk shirts with conventional trous-
ers ana, with but few exceptions, around
each head was wound its long black queue.
The session. which lasted frcm to 8,
was opened by an hours study, during
which time not word was spoken that did
not pertain to the work. The teachers and
pupils were thoroughly absorbed in their
their neighbUrs. Sometimes, when a teach
er would take a book and hear lesson
by heart, il twasinteresting to watch the
play OF expression on the pupils face:
the anxiety for fear OF missing the moment
Of iEdeciSion, and then the pride Of sue
cess.
- the close of tile hour Miss s. L. Som
meTs. the superintendent, rang tell, and
the textbooks were laid aside for a hyInnal
Then Mrs s J. Moore sang a solo, with a
full chorus by the school, after which
Scripture lesson was read in English and
explained in the Chinese language by Mrs
Collins, who went TO China when she was
foTr years old, and remained there twenty
seven years. She speaks the Cantonese
dialect nuently, and is Of great service as
an interpreter.
After a short address in Chinese which
followed the lesson, a smiling youth in a
huCSray shirt, who sat at the table near
The emf, stood up with his open look, and
read line OF Scripture from the lesson OF
the day. He was initiated ty every other
scholar, down to the smallest. OF the tots,
and then four OF the young men gathered
around the piano and sang irymn in Chi
nese. accompanied by Miss Mary TuttIc,
0rgaHist, ami 0n the piano by Mrs Daisy
CroShy. who. in addition to being one of
the rlosf faithful teachers OF the school,
has been its pianist for the past min e years
Nov Yone then arose, and with bowed
head recited the Lords Prayer in Chi
nese. ami the session WAS at an end
The pupils OF the Metropolitan School
are all laundrynen. Their teachers de- !
clare them to be docile, apt and most ap-
preciativc Of every kindness shown them.
They are not allowed to pay for their tut !
tiOa, bBt the school is made sclf-sustaining |
by weekly collection, TO which at first |
the pupils contributed so generously that |
they had to be told that only a few pennies |
would be allowed.
In speaking Of their New Years customs /
one OF the teachers said: There are more |
suicides in China at this time Of the year I
than all tie rest together. A Chinese !
prepares for the feast by cleaning his !
house and pa wing his debts, so that he can 4
begin the New Year with clear record I
ind clean home. If he cannot get the
money to pay his debts, he is apt to kill /
himself. They will sweep and wash and
cook Uniu midnight, but all day tomorrow
hey will visit and feast with their neigh
bOrs, and no matter what happens tomor-
-ow, no Chinaman will touch broom.