Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-09-27

1t may seem unnecessary to bring the
outside element into the Sunday school
| convention as a topic for discussion, but
II any apology is needed for doing so, 1t is
only necessary to consider that from the
Sunday school standpoint the whole
world is divided into two classes-those
who are in the schools and those outside
and the pity is that of these two classes
the outside largely predominates.
AS to taking this topic here and now,
| one good reason is that goodly number
of the outside class may be reached in a
meeting like this, while they cannot be
reached in the Sunday school. II we wish
to even try to arouse their interest, we
must take them when and where we can
| find them. or course we are very glad to
see them here to-day, we would more
gladly welcome them into the ranks of
workers In the school.
The main questions to consider are:
Who? Why? What? Who make up the
outside element? Why are they outside?
What can we do about it?
First, then, vino are the persons that
compose the outside element? Not
necessarily those low in the social or the
! moral scale nor even outside of protesting
Christians and church members. Many
OF them arc the parents, particularly the
fathers, of the Sunday school scholars.
Some have reasons for being outside
very many more have excuses. Go in and
count up the families represented, and
see how many of the fathers are there.
/ You will find mothers represented, but
more thinly than could be wished.
! Now if you have sufficient interest or
curiosity to visit the absentees at their
homes and ask Why they are absent, you
/ will get such answers as these from the
fathers: "WeIl / have to work hard all
the week and Sunday is all the day have
to rest, and | can get more good from
staying at home and reading my bible
than / can by going and sitting on those
hard seats an hour to read the Sunday
school lesson" That is the bible read
ing excuse, but you look ON sylyand see
how long the bible Is read hat day.
Another; II work hard all the week
they all work hard ali the week. and
l don't want to be confined to the house
all day Sunday. | go to meeting and
that enough for me-, etc, etc.
Anothg ctHss: well, want to 20 to
ride, or row, or sail, or on an excursion
Sunday, and ! don't think it is any more
harm to do nat than it IS to sit and gos-
sip ahout my neighbors.' do we gossip
about our neighbors in Sunday sehool3
Then The mother says: 1T takes me all
the morning to get my work done and
get the children ready and haven't time
to 90; besides, John, or Henry, or what
ever the name may he. must have his hot
dinner ANA think woman should con-
slider her husband first and all the other
excuses are repeated, bat only once in
a very great while VIII SEINE one be per-
fcctly honest and say. ~ don't go to sun
day school because ! don't want to;
don't tcel interested IN It
Then there are the big boys, and too
many ~ the big girls, WHO think they
must leave the Sunday school as soon as
they are Old enough to really understand
the lessons just when they ought to be
most Interested. They have the same
excuses, with the added influence of the
example OF parents VINO stay away.
| know of many good people who make
"A virtue Of sending their children to Sun
day school, but who never go themselves,
and they probably never think OF their
influence as being in any way opposed to
the work, never realizing that example is
more forcible than precept.
The weather, too, has a bad effect on the
attendance at Sunday school. II the day
is fine sit Is too bad to be shut up in
church Oh such a lovely day; one wants
to enjoy it out Of DOORS" Ii it is stormy,
OF course it won't do to go out in such
weat her, better stay at home for fear of
catching cold. Oh, there are lots of
"whysn for the outside element.
or course, in some places there is a class