The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-04

DOWney, the secretary OF the
school board Of the Methodist cfnfcn
spoke very briefly during the latter
part Of the evening.
DR.. Seaton occupied the greater
portion of the time with a very in
teresting paper on Saving the Chill
dren". The questions presented by
the speaker were Chow can the pull
of the worldly be overcome by the
attraction of the heavenly? What
will lift the eyes of the young from
the steaming muck heaps to the de-
lectable mountains of God?"
He said in Part: I'VE must count,
first of all, upon the influence of the
family. In the divine plan and the or
Urinary movement of human impulses
the opportunity of the parents is I'M
equalled. Sometime ago | issued a
set of questions to students in the
University and asked among other
things for an account of the forces
that had served to bring them to God
or to aid in their religious develop
ment. Out of one hundred answers,
forty-two spoke of the example and
solicitation of their relatives as the
most immediate and powerful in
f1uences. Some of the references we're
touching tributes to the beauty of
character and the strength of life
displayed in parents who had served
as priests and exemplars to their
children.
The fear is often expressed by
father and mother that the constant
and intimate association involved in
family relations will reveal the faults
which they are conscious of having
and make the religion which they
profess cheap and tawdry in their
childrens' eyes. Perhaps the danger
is real but it is relatively unimpor-
tant. For the very intimacy Of the
family provides an opportunity found
nowhere else for illustrating and in
Educating the Christian religion. How
strange it is that the father should
the soul and God, and in times of re-
vival effort should not be the first to
lead him to the altar. How sad that
the mother should confess when urg-
ed to greater activity in behalf of her
Ichildrens' religious welfare. L cannot
do it, my children know me too WE'LL
If anyone has an open and I'M
trammeled approach new and
living way-to the heart of the
child 1t should be the par
ent, and no father or mother who
is conscious of sincerity and earnest
ness needs to hesitate on account of
imperfections to open the revelations
of God to the children of the family.
The shortest and surest method of
securing their salvation is for the
parents themselves to walk humbly
with God, and to invite their children
into that charmed companionship.
The family without an altar and with
out constant and familiar approach
to the throne of grace cannot expect
to be saved In its entirety or to take
its appropriate part in the redempt-
ion of the world.
But many families are precisely
of that character. What can be done
for their children! The only dis
tinctly religious culture they can re-
ceive is in the Sunday and the church.
AS things are nov organized we can
hope for little from the pubic schools
Except as the spirit and life of a
devout teacher may indirectly affect
her pupils. The Sunday school, weak
and poorly organized as 1t may be,
lis our chief reliance. The measure of
good which 1t has accomplished need
not be recited. The question that we
face is this: How can we improve the
Sunday school and raise it to the
maximum Of efficiency?
First, then, it is necessary to Sc
cure capable teachers. Have We not
known it all the time,' you will answ-
er. and have we not tried to get the
best educated and most talented
people in our community to teach
in the Sunday school?' 1t is very like
lily that you have, and perhaps your
efforts have succeeded. But that is
no guarantee even that you have
had capable teachers of religion. No
doubt education and talents of un-
usual quality are desirable in a
teacher they may be given an ex-
aggerated Importance. Some times
when I have heard the things taught
by educated people l have wished
that they knew less instead of know
ing so many things that were not so.
The quality indispensable in a
"