Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-11-26

For The Gazette.
Believing that many of our tow
people, who are contributing t
the work at the House Mountai
Settlement, will be glad to hea
through The GAZETTE somethin,
of its progress, we venture to asl
for space for a partial report 0
what has been done, and what W,
hope still to do. SO may w
assure them that their investmen
is a good one and thereby CLAIM
their continued interest and per
haps secure the attention and hell
of Others for this important work
which lies at our door.
No regular Sunday school work
has been carried on at the Jacktowr
Chapel for more than ten years
until last April, when three young
men of the Washington and Lee
Y. M. G. A. joined forces with
some members of the Northern
Methodist church, the organization
of the community, and issued the
invitation to come to Sunday
school, promising them teachers
from Lexington. The response
of the people, old and young, has
been hearty and continuous; they
have met every Sabbath, averaging
in attendance at least eighty {;
coming under what many would
consider great difficulties, carrying
babies in their arms, and walking
several miles through the hot sum-
mer sun.
They show real appreciation
of the effort made for them, by
their regular attendance, and
evident desire to learn; they show
their warm hearts, in the express
sions of affection for those who 90
to them as manifested by their
simple gifts of flowers, chestnuts, etc
Now, some cynic is ready to
laugh and say, "They know they
will get good measure in return"
but we are sure that the Lord, who
reads the heart, sees differently,
hat He sees in them loving hearts
20 be won for Himself and we hope
many of these young hearts have
been truly given to Him. How
ire we to judge of this? They love
o gather at His house they listen
md appear to take pleasure in the
tudy of His word; they say they
want to be children of Cod, that
hey are trying to keep His COM
The superintendent and secre-
ary of the Sunday school are men
t the neighborhood, who bear
God Christian characters, and who
II their positions as officers of the
'hool with dignity and true
everence as humble worshippers
the Most High God. Seven
achers go from Lexington; in I
edition to these, the teacher of 1
lie day school and two other c
dies assist in the work. i
We have been most fortunate in
curing for the day school the o
rvices of cultured, consecrated o
dy of many years experience in d
st such work as we want done. t
esides the regular school work, o
e holds sewing-class once t.
eek for the girls, and has prayer G.
Getting or mothers meeting one il
ternOon each week and does much o
sitting. 81
AS the way opens and the means te
e provided for carrying out our IL
sires, we hope to own house in h
lich our teacher can live, when bi
e will add a coOking-class to her h
rriculum, and then we may hope H
shop for the boys to learn j
me trade. nj
We are very thankful for the tie
re will offerings that have made
possible to do what has been c.
ne for these, our poorer brethren G.
d neighbors. They are poor, but v
ey are not the lazy, ungrateful ia
that many think. They are be
ling to work if we will show SIX
I'm how. They do work, hard, ca
ny of them, most of them.
me of the children have not been III
lie to start promptly to school 81
cause they have had to "help at
lex corn" Others are the
wers of wood and carriers of in
ter for the mothers who wash in
living. wi
)ne little blind girl came regu- br
~ all summer to Sunday school,
king full two miles to get pa
re, with a younger sister hold no
each hand. She is refined to
king sweet-faced child of ten sh
lrs, with unusual memory, quick re.
learn and very helpful at home
spite of her affection. She is
entered as a pupil at the school Ga
stanton for the Deaf, Dumb
Blind. A little brother two ha
RS old is similarly afflicted. an
Vow, we want to give all of these Tn
pie a good Christmas. We
ut to take their Christmas to w.
Ill and avoid 90 for DC ,aocn;II da,