The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-01-23

and the journey was made in safety.
i They now went to Cokeville, Wyoming,
and discovered an onyx quarry. Need
ing capital for its development one of
the White Bros. went to Chicago and Sc
cured the cooperation of Van Osdale
Bros, who forwarded the necessary ma
chinery and they quarried and prepared
a carload of onyx. 1t was discovered
that the best part of the quarry had
been so shattered by earthquake shocks
that they could not get slabs of sufficient
size to be profitable.
!: IAe above experiences of my friend
seems very real to me, because have
traversed that part of the country by
train and had similar experience in fol-
lowing river. But as one day of that
kind of life is enough for me I never got
so far from civilization. | will now give
few OF my own experiences in Maine
during the present winter
We attended the Center Church in
Thorndike Dec. 22nd, where the speaker
dwelt upon the Christ as a histories al
character and his relation to humanity in
perfect accordance with Christ's own
teachings as set forth in the illustration
OF the vine and the branches. The same
life-giving sap must flow through both
or they wither. The same influences
which produce enthusiasm among teach
ers should be difused through the COM
munity that all may work in harmony to
one common end.
On Christmas day visited the scenes
of my childhood. Though the old red
schoolhouse is in ashes. the skating pond,
stones and lodges all looked natural, but
1t took some time to call them to mind
after the lapse of so many years. l
walked through the little orchard, the
seeds OF which | planted As years ago.
The Ole rail fences on the place look
| little older now than they did then. l
took supper in the house where l was
born and then called on the neighbor
across the road, who told me that he
helped build the railroad into Edgeley,
North Dakota, when l was living in sight
OF the town. had a neighbor in Wash
lngton who teamed over the road in
Dakota long before l ever went there. SO
we crossed each others tracks at manv
distant points.
Some of my old friends have sermon
read every Sunday in the family; others
read it in public. Those who spend the
day reading sensational reading are Gull
tivating weeds. ! think it was Jeremy
Taylor who said that it was better to do
something useful on the Sabbath than to
do nothing.
At Clinton, Dec. 9th, the subject was
conservation. The speaker noted the
decline of old-fashioned enthusiasm and
spoke of the inconsistency of a man pro-
Tossing infdelity when he has never in
vestigated the subject. l spent few
hours with friend of early years who
has had full share of sorrow. found.
not respondent, grey-headed old per-
son, but jolly couple who leave the
dead past to bury its dead and live in the
living present with heart within and a
God overhead. This method of life is in
accordance with Bible teaching as we'll
as with our modern poet. When all good
influences in community combine it is
easy to raise moral standards.
A Presbyterian preacher once visited
my school, gave a little talk and notice
to preach in the evening. Every pupil
except one was present in the evening
and it was said that he cried himself to
sleep because his father would not let
him go.
1t has been quite common to bring
every pupil in the public school into the
Sunday school. The teacher is in posi-
ton to exercise the most powerful in
fuence in the community. Many a
teacher gains the affections of every
pupil as fully as the parent who has sup
piled the physical needs for so many
years, and they often do this without
going out to play with the children at
childish sports, as is so often claimed to
be necessary.
Some teachers say they get enough of
children without attendingSunday school,
but such teachers lead their pupils to the
brink of precipice and abandon them.
The Sunday school should not be the in
culcation of individual opinions, as is SO
often the case, but the embodiment Of
the great principles of human life to
which no reasonable person can object.
The first Sunday of the new year we
attended the Congregational Church in
Topsfeld, Mass, where the speaker
dwelt upon the work of Christ as
breaking up of old ideas and powerful
stimulus to motion and growth. The
talk was founded upon the statement of
Jesus in regard to who was his brother
and sister and mother. Our higher kim
ship depends upon the sentiments we
cherish.
A. A. Mothod;s% Church II, tho ovon