Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-11
WITH THE SUNDAY SCHOOL WORKERS


"Habit."-These formative years
are the elimination of the habit
forming period. Some one has aptiy
said "Habit is a cable, we weave a
thread of it every day, and at last we
cannot break It," Many who have TO
deal with children fail to realize the
fact that habits are formed very
early in life.
Rack of the school stands the
greatest factor in forming habits
the home. 1t is the first and most
important school of character. The
home influence will greatly affect the
temper. the will, and the habits OF a
person-on which depends so much
of the happiness of human beings IN
after life. Although man is endowed
with a certain self-acting, self-help-
ing power of contributing to his own
deyelopment, independent OF sur
rounding circumstances, and or re-
acting upon the life around him, the
HAS given to his moral character in
early life is of immense Importance.
The great scientist, Darwin, was
once a church-man, but his mind pe-
came so enamored with false theories
that they led him into skepticism'
DENYING his soul of the proper diet,
drifted into atheism. Place even the
highest minded philosopher In the
midst of daily discomfort, immortality
and vileness, and he will insensibly
grayitate towards brutality. How
much more susceptible Is the I'm.
pressionable and helpless child amid
such surroundings. 1t is not possible
to rear a kindly nature, sensitive 70
evil, pure in mind and in heart, amid
coarseness, vice and impurity.
The teacher should use every effort
to drill the pupil into habits OF clean
illness, neatness, orderliness, punctu-
ality, courtesy, obedience and Veracl-
ty. The work is here supplemental to
the home work We could not i'm
press too forcibly upon the boys and
girls of the junior department habits
of reverence, prayer, Bible reading.
church attendance, temperance and
self-control in all things, benevolence
In the sense of giving; service for hu-
manity in the name OF Him VINO
came not to be ministered unto, but
to minister, fellowship with Christ
and his people.
In order that a teacher may best
influence those under her care TO ac-
complish some definite end in regard
to so many habits, she must create
and maintain an atmosphere that Will
tend to the formation of correct hab-
its. Some few suggestions might be
helpful to the teacher who would help
her pupils in forming habits:
l. Commend every effort made to
break a bad habit, or to make or
strengthen a good one.
2. If possible reward in some way
the effort put forth in the direction
of habit formation. Less scolding ana
angry reproof of the evil-doers and
more rewarding Of those that do well
is needed.
8. Do not fail to lead the pupils to
know and understand that they may
have the help of the Holy Spirit In
their efforts to form good habits.
4. Set the pupils good example.
How-We come now to consider the
other part Of our great question: How
to take care Of the juniors? The first
part of this great answer will be the
teacher, and, it Is no longer necessary
to urge that the best teacher should be
in charge of the primary departments.
DR.. MacKinney says: CD. The best
teacher for the beginners, (2) the next
best for the primaries, CD the next
best for the juniors" By the best
teacher, do not mean one who merely
teaches, but one who is teacher in
every sense of the word, one who Is
q lover Of children, student OF chill
dren and a sympathizer with children,
one who recognizes the individuality or
children, and deals with them accord
ingly, one who is an active person.
Children love life. A lazy and inert
teacher will not stimulate and main
tain that interest on the part OF the
pupil which is so necessary to good
teaching. We teachers must be active
not in body only, but alert In MIND
also. Juniors delight in persons In ac-
ton.
To impress truth, we must present 1t
as il is incarnate in, or given In con-
nection with, living beings. Hence, we
must be able in imagination to put
ourselves along side those, the record
of whose thoughts and actions, tri-
umphs and defeats, we have in the b.
BILE, so that We may think with, feel
with, and act with them. We must see
them. In the ratio that we do this, in
that ratio will we gain, and hold the
attention of the class and accomplish
the work the real teacher should ac-
complish, which is to interest, to in
struct, and to inspire her pupils. The
world holds nothing truer and sweeter
than a child at this age, free as 1t is
| from all affection and policy, and II is
there in the heart Of every child, await
ing the touch Of the teacher who can
find the hidden spring.
The contact on Sunday is not suffi-
cient however, to reveal it. The child
must know through the letter, the call,
| the invitation to the teachers home,
the loving sympathy in his life and in
terests, that the teacher wants him
and not his Golden text and his offer
| ings, and in this knowledge is found
| the magic spring.
Philip Brooks wrote a book on reli-
gion called, AT the Beautiful Gate of
the Temple" the reader is taken, with
Peter and John, up to the temple In
| Jerusalem at the hour of prayer, and
as they went they passed through the
gate which is called Beautiful" The
author describes the glory of the an
cient temple, complete in all its work.
manship. Here he draws a parable to
| Observation-Disclosures is the gate, and
every temple should have Gate Beau
tiful" Let us think of the wisdom and
love of God which places the beauty of
youth at the gate, for every human life
starts in the beautiful mystery Of child
hood. The thought for us is this-that
as teachers of children, we stand at the
Gate Beautiful of the temple of the
| living God. Before we can pass through
and enter into the holy place-we must
tread softly, and know positively what
the message is which we bear.
The requisite next in Importance to
good teacher for the juniors, is sep
arate room for the junior department.
l doubt very seriously if there is a sin
| gle Sabbath school in York county,
where the juniors have a room to them
selves. and why? Simply because our
people have not reached a more intel
| ligent appreciation of the situation.
Why do we have separate rooms for
the different grades of the week day
schools? How much do you suppose
that the teachers would accomplish If
they were all in one room? Just as as
suredly as there is need of separate
rooms in the weekday schools, so
there is need of separate rooms for
Sunday school.
The difficulties connected with the
work in small country schools are ap-
preciated, and great honor is given to
| the teachers who are rendering noble
services with inadequate facilities; but
even in these schools a little thought
and a little planning will result in
working wonders. But before going
further, know of some churches where
there are rooms that could be used for
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