Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-01-04
Sparta, Va, Feb. 25th, 1898.

turned up; when the soil was made ready for and
the seed planted how much, If any, fertilizer was
used; how it cultivated, and harvested all
about it. And am in a measure personally res
ponsible for it's or failure And that is my
idea OF the relation of a Church member to the
Sunday School at his or her Church. 1t is your
Sunday School, you are part OF it, and in a
measure personally responsible for its success or
failure whether you admis it or not. You should
take the same interest in it that you do in your
busness-know it's every officer and scholar, plan,
work. 'spend and be spent" and pray earnestly
for its success
All over this beautiful land of ours faithful and
loving parents have recently been discussing our
Inherent schools and colleges, not knowing which
one TO send their sweet girl of promise or bright
boy OF hope to. And the attainments, the expert
ence, the daily life and character of the presidents
professors and teachers in these schools and col
ieges have been freely discussed and their strong
and weak points viewed from every reasonable
standpoint. The hope of any school or college
to collect large number Of bright boys and girls
IN it's recitation rooms each year depends as much
on the character and daily life of it's officers as on
any other thing in connection with it, AS they
give the college school its tone, character and
example, so Church members bear the same relation
to our Sunday Schols that presidents professors
and teachers do to our schools and colleges and
give them their character, tone and example. Do
you, my dear Christian brothers and sisters,
realize this as you go to your class each Sun
day. What is your idea of Sunday School?
is it band of men and women who meet
at Gods house each Sunday to go hurriedly
over a certain part of Gods Holy Word and
then discuss the affairs of the home the neigh
borhood, the outside world, making special men,
ton OF the recent arrival of friends from a dis
tance OF new dresses and suits that fit the wearers
as if they were moulded in them of new bonnets
and hats that very stylish, becoming and beau
tiiul? Or is it band of Christs men and Christ's
women who daily, earnestly and prayerfully study
portion OF Gods Holy Word and meet each Sun
day at His house to make it plain to the little bows
and girls to tell them true and touching stories of
God sgreat love for them and do all in their power
to train them for and bring them to Christ? The
best way to explain Gods Word TO others is to
study it carefully and prayerfully and know it
yourself The best way to influence Others to be
good is to be good yourself. The best way to per-
suade Others to give their hearts and lives to
Christ is to show them by your words and your
acts always and everywhere that He has yours
At no time in the history of our country has
the value and Importance of educating the young
been realized as it s today. AS evidence of this
our standard schools and colleges are being en-
larged and improved along every line; new schools
are starting up where they are needed; parents
whose educational advantages were very limited
seeing the great advantage of education, begin
to plan, deny themselves and save by the time