The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-25

A change came, however, so completes,
80 much better, that it seemed q dawn
Of letter day Ia religions work among
the Young Through Che wSnderful In
SEPARATION e. IONS OF our ministefn, aided
By some OF the briehtsst buslness men in
j our country, the International aystsm OF
SUNDAY School work came int0 llfe--e
IN IL RIM series Of lessons came Into being
schools OF oil denominatisns conms need
ssndying tho same scriptures, snd more
from (iod's word than had tesn seen dur
log the previous century.
AZ the present time the Sunday Schools
| form q great business. an immense con-
solidatioD OF the smaller Indus ries.- en-
pioying thousands OF ovsrseers an super
fntendents and. BY every means. endeas.
| oring to deolnrs the largest possible
amount Of good in dividends. A result
peculiar TO this business Institution ia,
however that each week its dividends are
divided among It's stockholders, nothing
held oaok for salaries. extras, or interest
on the capital. The output OF the enter
prise Is varied. but ths finished product
desired is eSery whsrs the same. 10 has
all the advantages OF the great trusts OF
| today, yet has none Of their unfairness or
| narrow interests, Trust Is the keynote
and exsis throughout-from the conf
dsnce OF the smallest child In It's teacher,
the faith OF the Glasses In the officers. and
| the schools dependence on the State and
National committees TO the trust OF the
latter In the Almighty God; locking TO
Him for guidance and help, that all they
may do and plan shall bring to each
worker and helper throue bout the world,
the largest possible amount of help. The
pro blems of Sunday School work are TOO
hard and too far-reatohinR TO be solved
by our local schools alone. Problems of
financial necessitiss, OF management OF
men, Of diversity Of Eeliefs. which muat
he placed In the hands Of persons used b,
surmountlng difficulties and making de.
cisions. When our thoughts are turned
TO these tmattsrs, and we wish than
properly solved, we see that men Of bust
ness training must be found 10 grapple
with them. men whose experience and
| judgment make them leaders worthy OF
confidence.
The subject allotted me gives q large
| field over which l might roam, perohancs
| without coming near enough to my hear
ers to even be Of interest TO them. wish,
however, TO make my thoughts as plain
| be of use TO every nearer. IL 10 were poe
| sib,e. would like TO have ever male
member of our churches identity himself
| with our Sunday Schools by taking his
place In the sessions, and becoming au
| active participant in the olasses bufiueR
men in our Sunday Schoolsi VIVA nss
it mesnY Are all men business msiS or
only part of tho many wto 2worship In
our churches from Sabbath 10 Sabbath
shall refer. In this paper, to tho,s who
are conducting business for themselves,
| or who are acting az managers for some
mercantile house.
l During the years in which have been
deeply interested in the work of our
Sunday Schools, have found great
difference among them-sonle are station
| airy, come declining, and some steadily
/ gaining In popularity and results. Some
\ hRVa m
| women present from Sunday to Sunday,
| others have large classes Of each, happy,
contsnted and interested. Sometimes the
| location OF the schools has someth Ing to
do with this, but more often the manage
ment OF the school, and the class Of teach
ers have the praise or blame which be-
| longs to them. Ali of our churches have
business men among their mem pers--
some churches, many such. Our Sunday
| Schools, however, have 1.-The influence Of
| but very few, comparatively, and seldom
| zee their faces at their sessions.
How often we discuss at conventions
like this, -"How may our boys between
the ages Of fourteen and twenty bs kept
In our sahools2" and tow often do we
get it answered In such a way that,
from the date Of the convention, any
larger number OF our Young people are
found in our SCHOOL,? 1t 10 still q fact
that our young men particularly are not
attending our Sabbath Schools In nearly
MS large proportion. after they enter the
High schools. as while In the lower
grades. La it possible that many consider
1t not manly thing TO do. particularly
II their Sunday School teacher is a
womanp l hope but few are influenced
by this motive. The thing that has th 10
greater weight with them Ia the large
number of men who consider their chris
tan duty done when they have attended
{ he preaching service and, leaving the
school, go to their homes to enjoy an
| nour OF ease and comfort until the child
rem return. Bows are men in their own
| minds, and the great majority of than
are willing to do anything their fathers
do but are equally difficult to interest in
| subjects their fathers do not countensnce
or enjoy.
Now the boys from homes where the
father Is absent, or not church attenf-
ant, are still more difficult to influence,
and the only argument of weight to them
Is, that MIR. A., b.. or C., whom they
know and trust, whose name appeals to
their am billion. and wboss business they
sometime hope to equal in lines of their
own, Is q Teacher or a constant attend
ant at che school. Their reasoning ID
stroKg, vigorous and, TO a certain extent,
correct. They but think something like
this: If business man like him thinks
1T manly ana NOS beneath his station or
dignity to mix In with the children,
surely 1t is not for me, and he goes, en-
joys, and is helped to fix thoughts, prin-
oiples and habits In his mind ami life
which will be part OF his nature and
stay with him while he lives
Now the schools need the touch OF the
business men In their management
Why. il the business of the stores was
carried on in the happy go-iucky way
which characterizes most of our Sunday
Schools, years life would be long
time for them to exist. No business win
run itself-neither can Sunday Sob col
be expected to flourish IL no Preparations
OF plans are made by it's superinte ndent
for It's policy from week to week. What
is true regarding the school Ia also true of
the classes-thougnt must ha given 1t out
side the hour, interest must be sought en-
the part of the pupils, and regular Plan
of work laid out for the session, business
reguls ri'y In attendance and in money