Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-10-20
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UNCLE TOMS LETTER.


The Mt. Pleasant Sunday School,
the Superintendent informs me, is tax
ing on new life. That is the thing to
do never could see much in thing
that stood still and 1 was never con-
tent to lead thing or be in the front
unless could go forward. My idea is
to push, scotch and go ahead. Some
folks get wrong ideas about Sunday
schools, anyway. They think it all
wrong to have social recreations and a
jolly good time. Well, don't. feel
it is as much the duty of superintend-
ents and teachers of the Sunday school
to supervise and get up amusements
for the children as it is to hear their
lessons. / have no use for the old
Puritan idea of things. believe in
training our children Alright and L
dom see and never could see how we
are to do that unless we select their
entertainments and amusements. Long
before the child can walk or talk it
wants to play, and what father or
mother would try to prevent it from
enjoying itself2 Not one. The dis
position of children is to play and en-
Joy themselves, and l believe in social
recreations and amusements for our
Young people, and I had rather select
the kind and quality for them than to
allow the world, the flesh and the dew
il to do it. Yes sir, believe in hav-
ing fun and lots of it, and l want the
superintendent, and teachers to super
wise and look after the social interest
of the child, and see that they are not
led astray by. wicked persons. The
Sunday school is generally rated as
the nursery of the Church. Then it
looks to me like each nursery ought to
have romping every once and a
while. The Sunday school is no more
the nursery of the Church than a
christian home is, and what home is
there that wants to cut off all the So
cial recreatlons of the children. True,
there are few homes that don't pro-
vide anything much for the children
socially, but did you know such homes
have quite lot of drones in them,
and, further, such homes generally
furnish the gamblers of the communi-
ty. and Sabbath breakers. I mean
christian homes, so called. Some peo-
pie wonder why certain Christian
mems boys are worse than other boys.
It is because they ale so puritan in
their make up and narrow in belief
that their children have no social rec
reations in their own home, no encour-
agement to seek the cleanest and best
society by their father and mother,
and consequently they fall prey and
become the companions Of evil per-
SONS. After while they are jerked
up into court for gambling or some
other violation of law, and then his
old father will whine around and say,
~ tried to raise him right" etc. No,
he didn't, for his ideas of right were
too narrow. He tried to make him an
angel instead of manly, self respect
ing boy. He failed to provide the
proper recreation for his son, just like
many are doing today in allowing
their children to hunt up their social
recreations and companions.
Put your children in the Sabbath
schools and then encourage the Super
intendents and teachers to get up
something to amuse and entertain
your child.
I've had had lots to do with child
rem all of my life, and they are easy
managed if you treat them right. much
easier than some parents of the narrow
hidebound order. Social recreations
are uplifting to young people, provid-
ed they are governed and controlled by
the best people. They arouse the boy
and girl to higher conception of them
selves, and bring them into contact
with the better elements.
A Sunday school that has no social
Yecreations doesn't amount to much.
II never saw one that did, and I've
been on earth quite while. It's cas-.
Ter to build up lively. energetic Sun
day school than anything know Of a
public character. A dead school in
any town or community don't speak
very we'll for its officers and teachers.
Some people, especially Sunday school
workers, are continually asking how
to build Sunday school. Well, an
going to tell them in my next letter
We are q progressive. go ahead people,
and as such we must get life in us al
Sunday school workers.
UNCLE TOM