Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-11
General Suggestions.
GREAT THE CRADLE ROLL.
When II Contains Every Baby's Name
Problem Will Be Solved.

Paper by Mrs. A. s. Rogers, before
York County Sunday School conVen-
ti6n.
The cradle roll department, In It's
present popular operation, Is compar-
atiyely new to us. But we can trace
it's origin to the day Hannah and Eli
kanah took little Samuel to Ell, anu
enrolled him as a helper In the mousse
of the Lord. 1t is possible, too, that
the infant Jesus, when He was brougnt
TO the temple was enrolled, and couid
be called a member Of the cradle roll.
Later, perhaps twenty-five years
ago, the cradle roll as we know IL, was
begun in the Sabbath schooi py a
wide-awake primary teacher who Kept
record of the birthdays of her pu.
nils and received birthday pennies OF
them. Slowly and gradually the IDEA
grew. until now nearly every well OF
ganized Sabbath school has cradle
roll. ,
Early in the movement the plan
was adopted by the Woman's Foreign
Missionary society of the Metnodlst
church. They have done much to
make the work popular and thus IN
sure it's success as adapted to the SAP
bath school.
There are many reasons why every
baby's name should be on the crauie
roll, and the work accomplished by a
properly conducted cradle roll Is OF
able value. The first consider
alton is the child, himself.
This is the babys century. Baby
surely is king and this Is at 1t should
be. The way the cradle rocks, the
world rocks. The cradles decide the
destinies of nations. In ten Thousand
of them at this very moment are the
hands that will give benedictlons Oh
mercy or hurl bolts Of doom; the feet
that will mount the steps, toward
God or descend the blasted way; the
lips that will pray or blaspheme. .,
the cradle! 1t is more tremendous
than the grave.
The world has had many great era
dies But the greatest cradle In which
child ever slept or walked, laughed or
cried, was the cradle over which Mary
bent and to which the wise men
brought frankincense, and upon whlch
the heavens dropped song.
Can we think that the Holy Scrip
ture tells us of the sacred childhood OF
Jesus and means us not to reverence
childhood? Feel we not a drawing
forth of our inmost hearts toward
them. q tender love, a reverence LOT
them?
In the earlier stages of civilization
1t was the main endeavor or man 10
get away from the childhood. The
ancients esteemed 1t their first duty
to put away childish things. In Pla-
to's eyes children were not to be neg
lected, but it was only because they
will inevitably become men and wo-
men. Jesus was the first who loved
childhood for the sake of chilhood. IL
was Jesus who, seeking to bring ABOUT
a new and higher development or
character, perceived that there were
elements in childhood that should be
preserved in the highest MANHOOD
that a man must indeed set back again
toward innocence and simplicity OF
childhood, If he would be truly man.
Until Jesus Christ came, the world
had no place in its thoughts for child
hood. When He said, "Of such is the
Kingdom of Heaven" it was revela-
ton.
1.-The morning with every flower
glistening with dew, the fresh air
loaded with perfume, the hills bathed
in golden sunlight, the skies ringing
with the song of larks, Is beautiful
Beautiful as is the morning Of day, is
the morning of life. Fallen, though
we are. there remains a purity, mod
eSty, an lnSenuOuSneSS, anu tenuei
ness of conscience. about childhood
that looks as If the glory of Eden yet
fingered over it. like the light of day
on hilltops at even, when the sun goes
down"
If it is true that the first three years
of a child's life count the most, how
important it is that we should have all
the influence of church, Sabbath school
and parents thrown around him for
good. How careful we should be to
gather these little lambs into the fold
and safely guard them before they
have had an opportunity to wander.
Reason would teach us If revelation
did not. that childhood Is the most
propitious period of life to instill those
precepts, ingraft those truths. and
form those habits which become the
people of God, who are emphatically
styled a holy and peculiar people. 1t
is common sense to put the seal to the