The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-11-03
The Sunday School Convention
The Influence of the Sunday School and
Tribute to its Workers.
[Aroostook Times, October 26th.1

[Aroostook Times, October 26th.1
Men who have been successful trace
that success back to the early influence
of the home. If there are exceptions
they are very rare. Men who have failed
or who are failing to reach the goal
marked success, trace their failure back
to the time when they began to diverge
from the good influences which the home
cast about them. If they are honest
with themselves, such men will acknowl-
edge the source of their failure. The
home influence has not always succeeded,
good as it is and powerful as it is, in
holding men to the path of rectitude
which leads to life of uprightness and
honor. Without this influence the chances
are small; with it formation of sound
character is not absolutely certain. 1t
is critical time when the child begins
to enter the wider experiences, away
from the influences of the home. At
this point if society would help to make
him useful citizen, it must take some
pains to oversee the little excursions he
is making into the world, and to continue
to train, in the right direction, the bud
ding thought.
On Maine Central train, not many
years ago, two men who had for years
been strangers to each other, met. After
the recognition and the expression of
pleasure at this unexpected meeting, the
younger of the two men said: II have
long desired to have this meeting with
you because | want to say to you that |
believe | owe much of the success | have
been able to achieve in life to your in
tiuence. You came to our village as the
village school master at period in my
life when was vacillating between the
right and the wrong, as likely to be led
one way as the other. You were fresh
from college and brought with you into
our little community an atmosphere of
the outer world, but you brought with it
more, the well grounded principles of a
then, and it was years after before /
realized the subtle influence which YOU
exercised upon my youth. We are getting
to be old men now, and this is the first
time | have ever had an opportunity to
express to you my thanks and apprecia-
ton OF what SO many years ago. you did
for me-
1t was frank acknowledgment On the
part of the pupil and splendid reward
for his work, to the old teacher.
In convention assembled in our city to-
day, are men and women devoting them
selves to the exercise of this needed in
f1uence at the critical time in the life his
tory of the youth of our land. Citizens
should appreciate, particularly fathers
and mothers should appreciate, the labor
unrewarded. so far as worldly remunera-
ton goes, of the men and women who
are engaged in this Sunday school worl,
IN connection with the church activities
in Maine. Too much are we apt to re-
gard this Institution as matter of
course. Too little do we realize what it
has done and is doing toward making
substantial honored, responsible citizen
ship in New England. Let US confess to
these Sunday school workers, as the for
mer pupil confessed to his teacher, the
tremendous influence they are exerting
for good in our land.