The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-29
"ChiIdren's Services on the Sands"

! "ChlIdren's Services on the Sands'
forms the subject of an attractive and
well-illustrat ted article in the Culver for
September. Their origin is briefly told
by the author, and is as follows:
''Thirty-one years ago an interested
looker-on saw the children busy with
their gardens, just in the same way
as we see them to-day. And the sight
of the busy workers, raising their forts
and sand castles, and decorating their
make-believe gardens, put a thought
into his mind which has brought about
the numerous services for children,
feature during the summer months at
most English seaside places now. 1t is
interesting to trace the birth OF any
movement, and a little pamphlet,
Llandudno and the Children's Seaside
Services, 1875 published by the Chill
dren's Special Service Mission, gives an
account of the inception and early or
ganization of this one. In August,
1868, Mr.. Spiers-the founder, the year
before, of the Children's Special Ger
vice Mission-went to Landudno to
spend fortnight's holiday. Watching
with interest one morning the happy
work of the little children on the sands,
he thought. Why might not these chill
dren be making text of Scripture with
their pebbles?' He soon set to work to
gather the children round him by giving
them something to do. With string and
bits of stick the lines were made, with
in which he drew with a spade the text,
God is love- White pebbles were ca
gerly brought by the children and put
into place, and soon the work shone
out in tine morning sunshine. More and
more children came round, eager to be
set to work. What could be given them
to do? It was a moment of perplexity
for which the originator of the play
found himself unprepared. All who
know children and their demands will
sympathize. Naturally, his special
work, the mission work for children,
which had already for year engaged
his attention, was uppermost in Mr..
Spiers' mind To the children's eager
inquiry, What shall we do next? he
suggested telling them story, and with
storytelling he passed the morning
away. After such beginning, it Is
little to be wondered at that an enthu-
siastic band of children demanded its
continuation. Pleasant work to do,
work which demanded energy and inge-
nuity-which, moreover, had the happy
faculty of disappearing each day and
requiring to be done over again. with
infinite possibilities of additions and
alterations-with stories to follow, when
the little hands and feet were wearied
out-could anything be more alluring?
Each day something new was devised,
as the little engineers grew familiar
with the work. 1t was happy insp1-
ration which could thus take up the
children's play and turn it to account;
accept all offerings, and find place for
all service. Alternately with the story
telling hymns were learnt verse by
verse, and sung the children were kept
bright and happy, digging,
hunting for shells and seaweed sing
ing, listening parents and nurses were
glad to be relieved of the responsibility
of keeping their charges out of danger,
specially when many of them were I'M
gentle and good after their
experiences. With the need,
the work grew and spread. Pulpits
We're raised with infinite labour and
with flowers and seaweed,
shells and stones. Seats, too, had to be
devised, to accommodate more COM
fortably the growing audience. The
pliabe sands lent themselves readily to
their new use, and were as convenient |
for churches as for pulpits. And |
above and around We're the sweet fresh |
air, the procession of the clouds, the |
solemn music of the sea, the amphithea-
ire of the cliffs and rocks. Could any |
real cathedral be more beautiful"