The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-16
MRS. RICHARDS ADDRESS.

Mary Atherton Richards read the fol-
low essay on "The Teaching of Religion
Through Story:
Not being born teacher nor made
one by education, the few thoughts
which I shall present to you this after
noon on the subject, 1.-The Teaching of
Religion Through Story" have been
thrust upon me by the exigencies of the
home.
"Ten me story" is a request that
follows very closely upon the requests
, for bodily requirements in the language
of, most children. During the latter
months of the first year of the child's
life, pictures appeal to him and tnen
naturally a story about the picture. Per-
haps the narrative NAV be condensed in
to a dozen words punctlIs fed by animat-
ed gestures, but 1t satisfies the first de-
sires for a story. What greater delight
is there than when one sees the look OF
intelligence light up the face Of a tiny
child when he first begins to grasp the
one thought contained in that short
story Later each picture suggests
story and then all the ingenuity and
ina gination of the mother or friend is
called upon to supply the imperative and
Unsuitable demands And now is opened
up an inexhaustible fund of entertain
ment.
/ / presume many of you have the de-
HghtfuI memory of the Sunday evening
hours when after the singing by the
whole family of each ones favorite
hymn, the children gather around the
mothers knee to listen to the Bible
stories as found in Lime Upon Line"
and "Precept Upon Precept' or bible
Stories for the Young"
| You will all agree with me in giving
the foremost place to Bible stories In
the teaching of Christianity through
story. The first need, then. in every
home I should say was a pictorial Bible
--one profusely Illustrated with good
pictures. These are easily obtainable at
the present time. We have found one
of inestimable value in our home. My
children from the time they were three
years old have not wearied OF looking
it through and begging for the stories
/ Naturally, at first the stories were very
condensed and were clothed In the SIM
/ piest and most realistic language, but
before long came the demand, Tell me
| a longer story" The next step is the
value of the story itself, the picture be-
| coming secondary.
All children in the beginning prefer a
story that is told rather than one that
Is read. But 1t has been my experience
/ that children soon enjoy the simple, di-
rect and majestic language of the Sacred
Word.
| 1t has been our custom to tell Bible
story each morning at family worship,
and require a reproduction from the
/ children the following morning. In this
way the children soon become familiar
with the characters and history of the
Bible-a great education in itself.
AS is quite natural, the stories of the
i Old Testament appeal to and interest the
child far more than those of the New
Testament, excepting, of course, the
story of the childhood OF Jesus. The
stories of the Flood, the wrestling of
| Jacob with the angel, the sacrifice OF
Isaac, Joseph. Moses, Joshua, Samson.
David and Daniel, told In simple, force
full language, make deep Impressions on
/ the child. OF course at first these are
! simply entertaining and exciting stories.
but the time Is not long before you can
draw vivid lesson from each. That
these lessons are remembered and ap-