The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-09

prepare for the larger blessing which
the mother has to bequeath. l think
the one thing that ought to character
re the negro preachers value 10 the
members of his parish, is his ability to
so pastor the young that he can lead
them at all time into the places best
adapted 10 their Christian growth. How
true 1t ls that we have large numbers of
colOred preachers who never bother
themselves to see whether or not the
children of their own parish are kept
in school. Our brethren who have the
larger churches have q great responsi-
bility placed upon their shoulders L be-
lieve God Will require it at their hands
# any Of the children of their parish
grow up in ignorance. There are not
many of the children connected with
families OF the Presbyterian, Episcopal,
and Congregational. churches who do
not go to some school. The great mass
of ~unschooled children belong to the
other two larger denominations. These
preachers have much to do, but brethren
there is no excuse for this deplorable
state of affairs. l believe if 1 had one
of our churches 1 would close every
sermon, by urging my audience to see
to it, that their children. be kept IN
school.
However much has been said to lessen
the influence of the negro preacher yer
the members of his race, there is yet to
be found the man whom the people re-
spect more, and to whom they look
to be counseled as they look to the men
who preside over their churches. One
r1NI I n IL frAro fhn nrnanhar n nhn nOa
very often, a wrong idea held by a
member of that preachers parish. The
negro Of tomorrow must be in some re-
spects different from the negro Of to-
lay. His conditions will be different
and he must be trained to meet them.
There can be no life without pre-exist-
ing life. The life of every nation is
its church n it's school. The negro
can be no exception to this rule.
LOCAL CONDITIONS.
Before the negro school in Whining
ton can show up as it should there arc
q few local customs to be done away
with. Near Christmas and at straw
berry season our city has a large num-
Der of cOlored children to leave school.
This is not done so much for the need
of money. as it is a long custom on the
part of parents to indulge their children
to go out to pick up a few pennies Sc
as to have what other children might
have at that season Of the year.. Now
in eighty cases out of a hundred there
Is no need for the children to stop school
at all: and if the work of the teacher
is Just backed up by the parent, impress
sing the mind of the child, with the
fact, tina learning is of more value than
a few dimes, that child will too gladly
keep digging away at his books. Ther
too there is the old custom of Informing
the teacher at the opening of the session
that your boy or girl will be needed a
certain hours of the day to carry din
ner or perform some other duty abou
the home. hat could be easily dispens'
ed with. There are cities larger thar
Wilmington and too employing more
men than our city, and We do not SCI
half so many negro school, children upo1
the streets at meal hours as we se'
here. Now if the good people of thos'
places can so arrange to feed thei
working men without taking away tn
chance of the boys and girls, surely tn,
people Of Wilmington can do the sam
thing. There is another custom no
peculiar to Wilmington alone 1t i
that ignorance that has been hande
down to our people, to tolerate at tn
mere suggestion Of the child, the t
ping Of school as soon as that chill
learns a. little more than to e an
write. Our people must discourag
every notion Of this kind advanced b,
their children. There must be give
constantly about the negro fireslde
those talks, that kindle school enthus1
asm in the child and that bind him lk
wax to the very place Of his making.
think of all men that ought to be en-
couraged by our people, those men al
our school officials and commltteemer
Few people understand the worry an
yeXations that are a necessary par
of their office. The best way in tn
world to appreciate the work Of thes
men and that too is the way to encou1
age is to show it by putting IN the wa
. the very children whom they are tryln
. to reach. Standing behind all goo
schools are these men who study mig
and day for the school life of their re
spective committees. Let US see to
that our schools are kept croWde
throughout the entire year.
JOHN ADAMS,
Pastor Christ Congregational churci
Wilmington, y. c.. October End.
Mysterious Murder in
D:-L,,o,5 W. nc+ohar 81 4