The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-11-03

Inc last HleelluB vi tue OOhNChbipi
was held Friday evening from 1880 to
9.15. Vesper hymns were sung at
the opening under the leadership of
Mr.. Swift. One of the hymns was
sung to the tune Dundee" Mr..
Swift requested that it be sung slow
~ and majestically as the Scotch peo-
pie sing it. He said IF ! ever have
money enough to go abroad | want to
go to Scotland and hear them sing
Dundee
The first address of the evening
was given by Rev. w. r. Davenport,
his subject being "Our Place in the
Temperance Advance" He said that
the time has gone by when ii is sui
ficient to hold the fort. We must
wage active warfare against the great
Ievil of intemperance. The warfare
must be twofold: list, Against the
traffic; End Against the habit OF
drinking. The. work must be largely
educational and must be carried on in
the home, in the school, and in the
Sunday school Boys should be taught
by both example and precept that
drink, undermines the health, and in
terferes with business success. There
are many kinds of business in which
drinkers are not employed, The mod
crate drinker soon becomes the sot,
health gone, ambition destroyed. Will
power permanently weakened. The
only safe course is total abstinence.
Let the boys choose between the
black bottle and the fat pocket-book
and he is likely TO choose the latter II
he knows that he is not likely to Sc
cure the latter If he has the former.
M some parts of our own state
there are boys who have never heard
of the Heavenly Father and of Jesus
Christ except as they have heard
these names in ppDfanity. The Yer
mont Sunday School Association is
the only organization that makes a
complete canvass of the entire state,
reaching children who have no adyan-
tages and seeking to help and upiift
them. For this reason if no other
this great organization is worthy OF
the recognition and help of all citiz-
ems who desire that good citizenship
shall be taught to the young people
of the state.
We should pray for tempted men
and try in all ways to help them. We
little understand the perils that sur
round them, nor their struggles TO es'
cape froBl these perils.
At the close of this address a trio
| furnished music.
The last address was given by Rev
| John. r. Cow, of Brattleboro. His
subject was The Library as a Char
4 To rf
portance of a good library in every
Sunday School. There should be tic
ton, history, essays, poetry, a good
dictionary of the Bible, and Other
books of reference for the adult class
es.
The founders of Chicago University
| insisted that its library was as impor
| tant as its faculty The Sunday
School library yields the same power
for character building that other col
lections of books do.
Buy no books simply because they
are cheap. Accept no books as gifts
to the library unless they are suit
able. Gather from the old and the
new treasures of literature the gems
for the members Of your Sunday
School. Good books should have
good bindings that they may make
worthy impressions upon the minds o.
all who use them. The word good
as applied to a book must be defined
with the end or purpose of the booi
In view A physiology might change
| the morals of neighborhood. We
need beauty of literary form; the
printed page is a master OF the minds
OF men today. The church and sun
day School need to recognize the
value OF the Sunday School library
1t is a part Of the Kings Business
| No holier task can engage a person
than that of selecting books for Other
neople to read. 1t is a service Of
high rank in the modern church
Reach the people in their homes with
books that educate and build charac
| ter. People have a right to demand
this of the Sunday School and the
service must be rendered If our
schools would live up to their oppor
tunities.
This last meeting of the Conven
| ton was closed with an impressive
service led by Mr.. Fuller, who chose
as his theme "Kingship." The spirit
prevailing this beautiful service was
| characteristic of the whole Conven.
ton. It was calm, quiet. devotional
vet alert to seize upon every helpful
thought that was presented and to APP
propriate it for use in the work for
the coming days. 4f the Convention
did nothing more than to inspire
those delegates attending with a de
sire for greater efficiency and more
helpful service 1t would have accom-
plished much. But the uplift given
to the community where the Conven
ton is held and the deepening OF IN
terest in the work, as well as the IN
fuence upon all members of schools
sending delegates are also TO DC
counted. We cannot tell where tha
Influence will end. We who have at
tended these meetings. surely know
that it all pays, and we pray God t'
nrosper the work of the Vernon
State Sunday School Association.
The Convention chose the following
Iofflcers of the Association for the
coming year: President. f. s. Pease
burlington: Vice President, ]. A
Barse, Principal of the industrial
School of Vergennes; recording seere
ltary. Rev. Mr. Cobb, of Brandon
Treasurer, F. II. Shepardson, of Rich
mond.
Members of the Executive commit
tee for one year. II. A. Slayton, o
Worthwhile: for two years, NJ. p
Perley of Enosburg Fails for three
vaars w r. Dean. of Ferrisburg.