The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-08-19
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DAY OF PRAYER FOR SCHOOLS

The National Reform Association,
moved by a deep sense OF the dill
culties and dangers which beset our
public schools, especially in their
bearing on the interests of morality
and religion. has recommended that
a day in September, every year, be
observed as a day for special and
united prayer in behalf of the public
and private schools of the United
States.
The second Sabbath of September
was most appropriately designated.
The schools are opening, the
churches are filling, the Sabbath
Schools are rallying. How can the
years work be better introduced
than by praying for the children and
youth? The day is meant to con-
centrate the ordinarily loose think
ing about the schools so that there
may be more praying and the pray
ing more intelligent. There Will
be notices and preludes from some
pulpits and stated discusses from
others. Sabbath Schools will feel
their affinity with the theme and
its treatment instinctively, and the
Young Peoples Societies lin which
there are always so many teachers
and pupils will be quick to show
sympathy. Can there be anything
of greater Importance than that
all, younger and older, teachers,
parents and pupils should come to
feel the close and vibrant unity ex-
listing between school life and
church and home life?
The magnitude of the moral and
spiritual interests involved in this
vast work of education, or affected
by it, commend this suggestion to
all Christian citizens. For more
than seventy years the Day Of
Prayer for Colleges has been OBJ
served by the Christian people in
terested in these institutions, and
incalculable results for good have
been vouchsafed in answer to these
prayers. But while the student
world in the United States numbers
not far from 100000 persons, there
are about twenty millions in the
common schools of the nation. For
every student in our Universities,
Colleges and professional schools
there are eighty in our public
schools. When we add the private
schools, which, with certain classes
take the place of the public schools,
we have before us an agency which
gathers under its influence, with
Insignificant exceptions, the chill
dren of the whole people, which is
steadily making its work more thor
ough and complete, and which is
confessedly one of the strongest
moulding forces at work upon the
character Of the nation.
Those who believe in God, and in
the efficacy OF prayer, will agree
with us that interests so momen-
tous and so urgent as these, ought,
by Christian people, 10 be spread
before the Hearer Of Prayer.
These are interests, moreover,
which lie very close TO the hearts
OF the people. Parental love and
solitude, as well as the impulses OF
patriotism, will respond TO this ap-
peal. There is a multitude of Chris
tian teachers, superintendent and
school officers, unselflshly desiring
TO do their best for the moral well
fare OF their pupils and burdened
often with sense Of their response
bilities, who will be greatly helped
and encouraged by this sympathetic
remembrance on the part OF the
Christian Church. These prayers,
moreover, will ennOble in the
minds OF many less thoughtful
teachers the work to which they
have been called. will inspire them
with new and higher motives and
set a worthier aim before them thru
all are arduous labOrs OF the follow
ing year. The same impressions
will be made, in measure, on the
millions Of pupils from Christian