Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1902-06-13
a GLASS IN SUNDAY SCHOOL

! DrOne and q Dreamer, by Nelson
Lloyd will enjoy the following taken
from that very entertaining novel
giving the Squire's method of teach
ing an adult class in Sunday school
When Elisha MArcy spoke and 1
faced the adule class the Squire
turned and threw back his head so
as to bring me in line with his spec.
tacles, which we're caught on the
end of his nose. He gave me an in
tense look. Having surveyed me
from head to foot he smiled kindly
and said, "Oh-ah, Mr. Hume.
From the Squire my eyes wander
ed down the double line of my fel.
low scholars, for the adult class fill.
ed two pews There were about
ton women in age ranging from fif-
ty to eighty five some small and
wizened, others fat and placid look
looking, all continually tanning. A
few pews back, alcne sat johnson
Marcy, the only man in the class,
and of MS membership 1 should
have had no indication had he not
later answered questions at long
range.
made bow in general greeting
The class smiled and quickly lost
itself in the examination of the les
son paper, while l slipped into an
empty place at the end of the seat,
next to Mrs Elisha Marcy Of Mar
cyville She said that it was good
of me TO come and that 1 was very
fortunate as the Squire was just be-
ginning.
A very terrible person the old
man seemed now, so different from
my friend of the store whom had
so often chaffed over politics and
checkers, He had a pew to himself
and for a few momonts paced up
and down its narrow confines like
Gagged animal. Suddenly he stopped
and faced us, shot forward his head,
turned up his nose and brought me
in the visual range of his great,
staring spectacles.
"Mr. Hume" he said, twill you
repeat'the golden text?"
l was being crushed beneath an
avalancheof years. One ages so grad
ually as not to notice the weights
Time keeps piling up to squeeze out
the life at last. 1t was twenty five
years since 1 had learned a golden
text. had almost forgotten that
such thing existed Now l went
madly cropping around the shadowy
past in search of one. There was
silence all about me. 1t seemed that
the steady, monotonous Sunday
school buzz had stopped and that
from the infant class to the adults
one and all were listening to hear
me. The Squire had Strengthened
up and fixed his eyes on the ceiling,
turned his right ear toward me and
placed his hand there for trumpet.
The golden text Computing on
the basis OF ffty-two Sundays TO
year, and figuring that had gone
to Sunday school at the early age of
four and continued a regular atten
dant until 1 was fourteen, 1 had
committed to memory some five
hundred and twenty of them. And
now when really had use for one /
could not remember it
l was about to beg to be excused
from active participation in the
lesson when the squire's head shot
toward me again and he repeated a
little louder; "Mr. Hume, will You
recite the golden text-the golden
text"
Mrs. Elisha Marcy had always
been favorite of mine, for she was
a sensible, whole-souled woman.
Now 1 could almost have worshiped
her. She pushed toward me a pam.
phlet and with one finger pointed to
a bit of print enclosed in a wreath.
There, read that, she said IN an
undertone.
I read "And Mephibosheth had
a young son whose name was Mi
cha And all that dwelt in the
house of ziba were servants to
Mephibosheth.
Somehow when I finished ! felt
that l must have made dreadful
mistake. Mrs. Elisha Marcy got
side glance from me to see if she
looked capable of treaohery and
could even now be laughing. No.
The Sunday school was buzzing
away as merrily as ever, The
Squire was thoughtfully eying the
ceiling. The adulta were all intent
on their lesson papers.
1 leaned toward my neighbor and