Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1915-06-03
DECORATIONS, SINGINGS
AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS
r. H. Peek.

There has been so mucl
said about these subjects in re-
cent issues of the Herald thai
if the Editor will allow me space
l will say my little piece.
five in our indignation, right
eOus or otherwise, allow our
selves to descend to vitupera-
tive comments on those holding
opposite opinions, we will very
likely cause the editor to refuse
to give space to us on the sub
ject. The "billingsgate" refer
red to is not argument and nev
er convinced anyone
In my humble opinion, the
Sunday school as a moral and
instructive institution is Sec
to none. If we must omit either
Sunday school or preaching,
preaching important as it is
can be omitted with less harm
full results. Take the singing
out of the Sunday school and
you have taken one ofthe most
important parts. When all
day singings really interfere
with Sunday schools they should
be suppressed, or at least reg
ulated. This last can usually
be arranged to eliminate fric-
ton, If we must miss one or the
other miss the singing.
1t must not be understood
that I oppose singing, quite
the contrary is the fact. One
of our great religious leaders
once said that there were more
people sang into heaven than
preached in. He must have had
in mind one of our local Sun
day schoolswhen he said that.
A very little of it's singing sure
ly put you into either heaven
or-lets talk of something else,
If you feel equal to the journey
after Sunday school you can get
a great deal of pleasure and
inspiration by going to the
singing.
A thing that has hurt our
Sunday schools more in the past
than singing is Sunday decora-
tions. The idea seems to be
a day set apart to show the pub
lie how much reverence you
have for the resting places of
friends and relatives, so they
gather far and near and place
flowers on a weed covered, di-
lapidated grave. Thus showing
the public how much they love
these spots.
If you have flowers for any,
one, give them while they can
be appreciated. The flowers
most appreciated are those
presented to the living in the
form of kind words entwined
with good deeds and with
perfume of brotherly love. If
people are anxious to have the
resting places of their dead at
tractive, it would be advisable
to meet some day and have
general cleanup, plant flowers
vines and shrubbery. You might
possibly make the cemetery SO
attractive that people would
long to occupy it at once, but /
have my doubts.
1t is certain that you can do
the dead no good, ,and unless you
are certain that you do some
good to the living, a Sunday
decoration is a good thing
to stay away from.
In rural communities, isola-
tion and lack Of proper social
are leading factors
in causing young people to look
upon Sunday decorations ard
"such like doings" as merely
social institutions. If we had a
good literary society at each
school and church house with
frequent lectures or lyceum
course with the literary and
talents of the commun-
ity utilized for instruction and
some of our social
problems would be settled |
nicely. The lectures and de-
bates educate and create a de-
sire for knowledge in the peo-
pie and cause them to read
more books and newspapers.
Then a Commercial Club of
Putnam County" could be or
ganized and city and country
people work together for things
10 the advantage of all. (Things
that are good for Putnam coun-
w are good for the towns in IL