The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-05-17
RlEl'AllllalSCENCES lIl'l 4 OR OLD. .BEAUTYjSpOlTl. II

Conference at Beauty Spot, on Ftlday, thel
fret day OF the o,sesaion. Il Il gSs 81 D
In writing about Il, II Is not my pur.
pose to give an account Of tao proceedings
that gill be dono by others. feel that
oln venture TO spy this much Ihoard tho
discussions Z Of tho different topics that
were on the programme for that day aud
the epoeohes, I considered good.
The business OF tho Conference and the
nalno Of the place whore IL wa, assembled
awoko ip my mind reoolleot!ons OF the
long ago. Sixty ssyen years ago with
others walked three miles to old Beauty
Spot to attend Sunday School, and oan.
not recolleot any who were soholara except
my kinsinan Robert II. Hamer who Is q
littio older than myself, and Mrs. Julia
Watson aud Mrs. Druolla Stnbbs, I do not
undertake to say that they aro all VINO
nre now living who belonged to that Sun.
day School, they arc however all oan
rocolleot. Mono Of these named were pres
cnt on Friday, had they been could have
enjoyed q Reunion with them. M
Ell Thomas was superintendent. Tho
male teachers were John McColue,, Wal
liam Dudley, James II. Bolton aud Col
William j. Cook.
We did net have any International Les.
sons then. Our lessons were 10 little book
with the title ''Scripture Questions" 1t had
nothing in It exoort the questions, there
was no comment. no explanatory notes, oil
the help ono could get was from the Tes.
lament, and this wo wore uudor tho ne.
cessity of having In atudying tho lesaon. I
committed to memory verses Of Scripture
which have never forgotten. In those
days 1t was common to teach spelling and
reading In tho Sunday Sohool. Tho primer
Websters blue back spelling book and the
oateohiam were all contained IN the Sunday
School Library.
singiag was not y speciality there was
no other besidea the Methodist Hymn book
Col Cook aud James II, Bolton raised the
tunes, IN excellont order for that day, but
the children did not sing, not because they
could not sing, but they seemed to think
the singing had to be done by the grown
people. Ehe children conld alng, for whom
at home they might be often hoard singing
the Camp Meeting songs, which they had
learned at chose annual gatherings,
But alae! however largo the school how.
ever interesting, as the fall Of tho year
oame on and the mornings became cold It
he'd to be suspended for the winter. There
were no stoves used In churches In those
days the churches In the country goner-
ally were not oeiled aud Il was best for all
concerned to suspend.
1t had been said by aomo that s.stovcs
are means Of grace" ! don't know 30
we'll about that but I do know from exper.
teuce that they are means Of comfort.
They contribute to the welfare Of the
Sunday Schools, and Of the congregations,
and largely to tho welfare Of the preaoh.
ers E h.lH
I now have vivid ,reooleotiona Of how I
used to suffer in the early part Of my min.
istry, when the Sunday mornings were
Geld and it was necessary Tor me to travel
eight or ten miles to my appointment,
when reached the place was suffering.
fingers aching, feet cold, my body chilled,
and no place to warm, except the Sunny
side Of tbs church, aAi that would only
warm me enough to holp me shake like o
man with a9ue, and If started with any
qualifications for my iuty, It -as mostly
shaken out Hnt how diNcrsut nov. She
bn,l1ings are generally ccled OF plastsrod
The mcat of them are furnished with
stoSth asa wheu tho leather ia cold the
Windows aud 5oore arc clcpcd, pood tres
arc Kept in tho stoyeb, and the Sunday
Schools can conYoos oycn ia mid wintae
Hnd cYat! body comfortable, tho preach
cr at1er ne has ridden lev m!leo can
warm hsmsoit Ds the firo, aud tho oonxso
cation can quietly sit aud hear his message.
Though It may be- aggression from the
subject Of Sunday SCHOOLS, I will here re-
late an incident which occurred In my min.
istorial career Lear thirty years ago, / had
an appointment about eight miles from
homo, on bitter oold day. When reach.
ed the church some four or Ave persons
were around lightwood knot Gro. After
warming little I said to thom: Breth.
reu this 10 very oold day and if we go
into the church and attempt to hold q
regular service we shall suffer, ana think
it would be prudent for us to have short
service aud then repair to our homes One
brother who was moved by zeal not nc.
cording to knowledge said: ''No we oamo
hcre t, hear preaohiug and want you to
preach" replied II that was the senti.
ment I was ready. We went in had the
preliminary service. announced text
aud p.eaohed just fifteen minutes during
that time noticed my jealous brother was
shaking like an aspen leaf. When we oame
out remarked to him that he seemed to
got very cold during the service. Yes said
no you preached go long. Fifteen miautes
to o man sufPerinS with cold listening to
perhaps q cold sermon dill have no doubt
seem like long tilne.
But before close let me return to old
Bennty Spot Many memories spring up in
my mind ut the mere mention OF that
place. Many good people worshipped there
From the days Of Robert Pnrnell oil down
through succeeding ages to tho present
time, good people have gathered and wor.
shipped there. And the ohnroh yet lives,
though moved to another site, It is pao
l.. - ~ 4 q = q