The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-17
EVIL IN CHILD STORIES
MISS KENNEDY SPEAKS TO
 UNION INSTITUTE.
Sunday School Worker Deplores Popularity of Santa Claus
 1dea-Training of Children
 Leading Topic-Meeting.

The feature of yesterdays session of the Primary Union Institute was the condemnation by Miss Minnie Kennedy or Opelika, of certain popular story books for children and of the Santa Claus story.
 Miss Kennedy is an earnest Sunday School worker and her discussion of the subject was listened to with great in- terest.
 The Institute was opened yesterday morning in the Chapel of the Dexter Avenue Methodist Church by devotional exercises led by pr. A. l.. Andrews
 Mrs. Ollie Edwards of Prattville, was to have spoken on Value of Stories in Child Training" but was unable to be present In her absence the subject was treated by Miss Minnie Kennedy of Ope- lika.
 Miss Kennedy speaks with a simplicity and clearness of style which is especially attractive. Her points are logical and sine puts them with force. She is an earnest advocate of stories in the training of children-the right kind of stories. Christ, she said. used para bles in His preaching. The educational value of stories is based on two laws of child nature-first that of interest, and second that of suggestibiiity, or what might be called the law of indirecton. As to the character of the stories, there are three kinds of value They should be clean, wholesome and natural-prob- able in their nature: second. they might be bright fairy stories provided the child understands that they are only play like stories: third. the Bible stories that are attractive to children
 In the latter Miss Kennedy laid stress upon the idea that historical facts of the Bible were not in themselves productive of growth in grace-the spirit should be embodied in the story.
 The stories to be avoided were also of three kinds. First. there are the "goody goody" stories made to convey some moral which Is tackled on to the end; second. the unnatural and terrible stories such as Jack the Giant Killer" and Little Red Riding Hood:' third. the stories Is which evil triumphs such as the tales of Uncle Remus" In Uncle Remus "Brer Rabbit Is always victori- ous by trickery and all kinds of low de- vices.
 The Santa Claus" fable, she said, is another story particularly objectionable. It Is not like a fairy story, said Miss Kennedy, In that the child does not un- derstand its fasty and is made to be- lieve an untruth. In the Santa Claus story there is also woe ful waste of opportunity in permitting all of the child's greatest pleasure in keenest anticipation of gifts his most pleasing recollections to center around a fabulous person instead of being centered about Christ whose birthday is being celebrated. If the Santa Claus idea has such hold on the hearts of children would not the Christ idea have an equal hold?
 The manner in which the stories are told and also simplicity of words and style should be considered.
 discussion of the subject followed Miss kennedy's talk which was joined in by Mrs. R. A. Paschal of Union Springs.
 A Round Table Talk was then led by Miss Kennedy on Primary Union Work"
 The afternoon session was opened by devotional exercises led by MT. w. F.. Holloway.
 Miss Mabel Hood read an excellent pa per on 'The Importance of the Study of Child Nature
 "1t Is an acknowledged fact" said Miss Hood. that the Sunday School today has before it one of the greatest problems in its efforts to lead the child into ful wo- manhood and manhood with a life conse- crated to Christ"
 She made valuable suggestions and H. lustrations of her points and quoted from authorities such IS Tumble and Miss Burton.
 Miss Kennedy then led d discussion on grading the Sunday School pupils. She advocated dividing the primary depart mcnt into three grades-from threc to five, from five to seven and from seven to nine. She gave illustrations of the work under the grading system that has come under her personal observation; and dwelt interestingly on the relation of the | teacher to the pupil The teachers, she | thought, should not be promoted but | should remain in the same department | as in the public school grades thus be- | coming specialists in their several lines | of work.
 Miss Kennedy was asked many ques- tions on the system all of which she an- swered lucidly She gave blackboard H. lustrations.
 This afternoon the Institute will close by meeting at o'clock in the chapel. Much interest Is taken in the work and a special feature of the sessions is the dis cussion of the study of the child as the best means to it's religious training
 A model class will be taught at the