The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-01-29
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
TO SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
In 1t He Reviews Events That Have
Occurred During His Life--COn-
traSt i'm Conditions.


letter from II. Rev. Bishop CLARK was
read.
My Dear Young Friends:--As | am
unable any longer 10 Visit our sunday
schools, / wish TO address a letter 10
the young people OF the diocese and tell
them some things which it is important
FOR them to know. A long time has
passed since | was child, but | well
remenber how / stood In a line with
the other boys ~ years ago and saluted
President Monroe. the NTH President
of the United States, az he rode by ii
state on his gaily capalls0ned horse.
i also recall very. distinctly the early
morning in 1928 when l was allowed
20 enter Lafayette's bed chamber be-
fore breakfast, and how kindly he
drew me 10 his side and said. My son,
1f YOU live TO grow up TO be a man,
you must be patriot and love your
country"
GREAT CHANGES
Great changes have come over the
face OF the world since my boyhood i
was 10 years old before / saw self
lighting match. and at that time We
had no gas i'm the streets or In our
houses. M furnaces To keep us warm.
and no coal but charcoal. no water 10
use but rain water and that which We
drew from the WELL no railroads. no
felegrap phs no telephones. no photo
graphs. no steam mills or steam
presses, no street cars. no electricity,
no india rubber clothing. no ether or
chlorOform 20 assuage pain.
In the town where lived there were
no parish Sunday schools: the first
that | attended met in the Court
House and that was large enough 10
accommodate all the boys and girls
in the place who cared TO come. IL
was not "A very interesting school We
had no question books-no illustrated
papers for the young-only collection
~ very unattractive cards with "A Verse
or two from the Bible on one side,
and part NJ a hymn on the other
which we were expected To commit 10
memory and recite on Sundays. The
Sunday schools OF the present day
have resources Of which. in those days
we never dreamed.
RESPONSIBILITY OF LIFE.
And now would like to speak Ia
YOU OF some things which I wish had
been impressed upon our minds at this
early period. The first OF these is the
great responsibility OF the time OF life
through which You are now passing.
The habits you are forming today will
be likely to determine I'm a great de-
gree the whole character of your sub
soquent life. You are now getting your
first impressions. The clay IL soft and
easily nodded for either the better or
the worse In little while this soft
clay will he hardened into stone. and
Then II will be very difficult TO change
its form You know that when hv-
ing things are just beginning 20 grow.
they are more liable 90 injury than
they ever are afterwards.
There is horse chestnue tree i'm the
garden of bishops House. which the
combined force Of hundreds OF men
could not move. A while ago a man
carried Ettle nut i'm his pocket which
produced that tree. and when IL was
two or three years old any boy could
have cut II down with his pocket
knife or pulled II up by the roots
PLANTED HORSE CHEsTNUTs.
When | was 10 years of age | planted
two horse chestnut trees, side by side.
and after the stems were a foot or
two high. some one broke off the ter
minal bud OF one OF these trees which
contained the germs of all the great
branches and blossoms that were des-
tined hereafter to wave i'm the wind.
This did not kill the tree, IL kept on
growing in some poor way but Il never
recovered from the early injury il re-
ceived, and while it's companion grew
up a tall and beautiful tree its poor
stunted brother continued TO show 10
the end the deformity caused by the
loss OF this single bud. ! mention this
To show you how very important every
influence Is. which is brought To- bear
upon YOU in your early years. You are
living I'm a very critical period of your
existence. There is something more for
you to do besides playing and making
merry. IL is true that youth is the
time for sport, and IL is a great misfor-
-. - y
how TO play. Alasl that Is a misfortune
which falls to the lot or many of our
young children. / was very much
struck when | was told that we must
send some one to our orphanage to
teach the children how to play.
! once saw a picture Of a young boy
standing in a desolate region by the
-s4de of a stone wall on which he was
resting the heavy load he carried on
his shoulders. and looking off on the
dreary scene which spread before him.
with an expression which seemed 90
say What have I ever done that |
should be kept day after day doing
donkeys hard work while the other
boys are roaming I'm the woods or flying
their kites I'm the fields or fishing I'm
the ponds! But while | want you to
play as merrily as YOU can, there Is
something else for you 10 do. You have
lessons TO learn, u character to form. n
discipline go be attained I'm order that
YOU may be strong and vigorous and
take your place. by and by. among the
leaders OF men. If you do not learn
your lessons thoroughly now YOU will
not be likely TO do anything thoroughly
when YOU grow older You may say the
lesson Is hard ana dry and that you do
NOT soc any good In IT, No matter for
that. stick to your lesson. II IL is hard.
until YOU have mastered IT, this will
make q all the easier the next time, and
this hard work will tougher YOU and
make YOU III FOR something hereafter.
CLIMB TO THE SUMMIT.
lf You wish to- reach the summit or
the hill. YOU must climb and climbing
IS hard work. III you are content To-
stay down in the swampy marsh and