Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-05-10


upon the group Of
competitors but presenting no claim,
Jupiter exclaimed, "Who art thou?"
"Only spectator" said the sage; "all
these were once my pupils" Grown
him, crown him." said Jupiter; "crown
the faithful teacher with Immortality"
Making due allowance for the ex-
travagance Of this fable, there yet re-
mains enough of truth in it to prove an
inspiration to every faithful teacher.
God has indeed laid upon you great
responsibility. AS teacher and COM
panion of youth you have an influence
second to no other in the community.
You are in daily contact with minds
that are bright, hearts that are sensi-
tive, and wills that are pliable. They
are sent to you for the express pur-
pose of being Influenced by you, and at
the most plastic period of their lives.
Granted that the special work for
which you are employed is to educate
the mind; still, is it not your duty also
to lead them into the realms Of spir-
itual knowledge, and above all to in
trOduce them to the Great Teacher,
who said, "Take my yoke upon you
and learn Of me, and We shall find rest
unto your souls?"
We all know that young people do
not wish to have religion thrust upon
them continually, but they do, without
or
character, and they appreciate a low
Ing Christian interest in their welfare
and an occasional earnest word upon
the subject.
Remember also that many Of your
pupils receive no Christian training at
home, and they will doubtless 20 out
into the world without any definite re-
ligious principles unless they receive
them from you.
OF all the instructors whom the
writer had in school and college, no
one did so much in shaping his life as
the district Schoolteacher who intro
duced him to Jesus Christ. And there
was seldom term in that school when
someone was not laid under the same
debt Of gratitude. There was no dis
tlnctlve religious teaching in the
school, but in and out of classroom she
SO exhibited the beauty Of holiness in
her own life that her pupils became
easy converts to her Lord and Master
when the opportunity arrived to pre-
sent his claims.
Every true teacher hopes to leave
the stamp of his own personality upon
those entrusted to his care. Blessed
is ne whose personal impress leaves
on every heart the beautiful image Of
Jesus.
II you are Sunday school teacher
your opportunities are all the greater
Tor leading your scholars to Christ.
NO one can estimate the influence of a
real heart-to-heart talk with a pupil.
or the touch of a loving hand, or the
power of persistent prayer, but those
who use these means know that they
are almost irresistible.
A man in New York said to his pas
tor, You ought to have known my
mother. She was always hunting for
the lost. In the town where she lived
was a family of low reputation, con-
tanning seven boys, each of whom was
worse than the rest.
"She went to the home and asked
the parents If they would send their
boys to her class in Sunday school,
and they cursed her. Then she tackled
one OF the boys on the street, and per.
suaded him to come into her class
He sat there while, and then started
for the door with the teacher after
him. He told her to go to hell, and
she came back deeply grieved, but not
discouraged. Two Sundays later she
had him back in the school. After 6
while she lured the second boy into
her class, and then another and an
other, until finally she had them all.
Everyone of those boys was con
verified, and all seven of them becam,
preachers of the Gospel The boy wht
told his teacher to 60 to hell preached
her funeral sermon only short tim,
ago." Until he find it," is q goot
motto for every teacher to write in he
Bible.
But when we live a divided life
when we call Christ, Master" wit
our lips and cruelty him again an
again upon the cross of our own cor
venience, we may as well take q vaca
ton until we decide, once and forever
whose we are, and whom we are t
serve.
Perchance in heaven some day to me
Soma blessed saint will come, and sa
| ~ hale, beloved! but for thee
My soul to death had fallen a prev"
Md oh, what rapture in the thought
| Inc soul to glory to have Brought