Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-03-19
..,,,,v,xoE rs SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

lsls, ssS ,on Dissrict sunday School associa-
tenl
u.,v host TO tesea total abstinence in
-. Sunday schooi Is question that Is
- IN spswer, as there sses many ways
!, aoing the same work, and each teacher
a.y have .'be.t" wsy in her own class
-h,.h might not be the "oest" for an-
other clsss.
ps,hsp- IL msy be well before studying
-. ahow -. 10 ask The question ''N by"g
wbv teach total abstinence, or In fact
.,vthing about Temperatures. in The Sunday
.ssoo,s Parents, it may be argued, can
,sash the children at home all they need
!, know about these things.
1rue. they eau, but do theyf IN many
,.mllies there Is no temperance teaching,
osrhsps no religious teaching of any
I,nd, and yet the children may be per-
,t,,sd 10 attend the Sunday school and
,bere they may learn all they ever know
4 the Christian virtues, OF which temper
.pce is not the least. This may be ex.
,aptIopal, to be sure. but even IL we'll
tsugh, at home, the truths may be more
denly impressed by the preeept upon
urecep,, line upon line, OF the regular
,eaehiur at the sunday service.
In our own schools, OF course, no OBJ
,.e,ion ia made TO having one lesson in the
ousries devoted to temperance, but there
i opposition 20 1t In some quarters, aud II
i. important that We consider whether we
are 10 stand Tor such teaching or not. l
msy be psrdoned for quoting from one
much better qualified than myself to
write OF this. Rev. Wilbur F. Craft says:
Frances Y. willard, Iiss other expert and ex.
vetiencsd moral refeFmers, realized that the
greatest reform work Is to enlist shs church Of
God In behalf of Individual and social ethics.
And abe secured the largest inssallment OF that
reform that has yet been won when. al the inter.
rational Sunday school convention In Pitts
burg twelve years ago, she carried the Law that
pa. foar temperance lessons scar Into Sunday
schools ali over the world. But In every trsen.
a!a convention STAGE, except the last nne, IL has
peen necessary to win the same victory over
AGAIN, and we are assared thai The haale. barely
won SIX years age. will have to be fought again
al Denver next June. with the opposition more
strongly LED than ever. AT 81. Louis, three
Years after Miss Wizards victory. a committee
unanimously advised that the international les
$40 committee be released from tho quarterly
temperance rule, bus the writer found the rank
aud ale ready 20 support bin 10 motion that
Abroke the slate" aud continued the lessons.
To US that live In a state where intern
perance, though alive, is oatlawed, ii
seems as II there could be no objection to
such teaching, but the facts show other
wise. II those In the interests of the
liquor element ind 1t worth their " bile to
use their influence against IL, we may be
sure that Ii distutbs them enough TO make
ii worth while Tor all true temperance
people to urge Its continuance and to be
wide awake enough TO bring their intiu-
enee to bear 10 good season upon the pow
ers that be.
The "Why" being considered, the
How" takes the next place. How best TO
teach total abstinence? We read that
when the apostles were brought before
the council, Peter, "being filed with the
Holy Ghost, addressed them in words
which caused them to marvel. Later they
chose Stephen, q man foil OF fAit IA and OF
tne Holy Ghost, for certain work, "and
Stephen, foil of faith aud power. did great
wonders and miracles among the people. +"
truth successfully, be Allied with the spirit
efthat truth aud with faith. Children
are usually very logical In their coneln-
sions, and II they hear the teacher teach
ing one thing in the Sunday school and
see her practicing an entirely different
course through the week, they will natur-
any pay more heed to the practice than to
the teaching. Therefore one essential to
teaching total abstinence is praeticlng 1t
In daily lille.
As to details, let tbs temperance lesson
oe made the most OF; let the pupils under
s'and that this Is a special study Sc; apart
from the other lessons, and OF at least
equai Importance with any other gospel
ieasoh. Drunkenness lies at the root OF
most OF the crimes and sins of the day
therefore II this could be done away with,
sarge proportion of wrong doing would
eaOoiished In consequence.
Bible stories of insempsrance and its
consequences, OF the opposite, those who
pfactieed total abstinence, OF penalties
aHu judgments and commands against it,
'e plentiful enough to Furnish material
WI all The lessons needed. Children are
Always interested 10 pictures of the scenes
seaefioea In the lesson, and word pictures
's appreciated where drawings cannot
" used. Tell them OF the irst temper
N"'s pledge, that OF the Nszarites, OF the
'"mands given to the priests to abstain
"ou wine-to the Nszarites, "He shall
pAsate himself from wine and strong
and shall drink no vinegar OF wine
vinegar of strong drink, neither shall
a1ihk any liquor of grapes, nor eat
' grapes or dried" The mother OF
'oh' the strongest man, was COM
ss, uaeu not to drink wine nor strong
~ nor anything that cometh of the
As, and Samson was Nszarite from
has,., i'n. Show how temperance and
go together in his history, and hat,
tor MS turning away from God. his life