Sunday-school times

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VOLUME IV.
THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL TIMES,
A WEEKLY RELIGIOUS PAPER,
PRICE ONE DOLLAR A TEAR,
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT ONE DOLLAR A YEAR-PHILADELPHIA, JULY 26, 1862.
NUMBER 30.
PAYABLE EST ADVANCE.
JOHN   S.   HART,   Editor.
Please address all communications to
THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL TIMES,
148 Sonth Fourth Street,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Subscriptions are also received by
A.  D. F. RANDOLPH,
,683 Broadway, New York.
HENRY HOYT,
9 Cornhill, Boston, Mass.
J. W. MoINTYRE,
9 Sonth Fifth Street, St. Louis, Mo.
4£S~ For farther particulars, see Notices on fourth page.
For the Sunday-Schooi Times.
THE DOVE.
IN the animal kingdom, among the beasts of
the field and the fowls of tbe air, over
which God has given man dominion, there are
particular feelings we experience toward
different species. For the noble horse which
carries ns safely, arching his neck as if both
proud and glad of the burden, we have an
affectionate admiration; for the good cow
and sheep giving food and clothing, an
emotion of gratitude,—and toward the timid,
helpless lamb arises a desire to protect. The
soaring eagle rivets our eye uplifted with
wonder, while the black crow draws on our
inventive powers to scare away the little
thief, who has never learned the eighth com¬
mandment. But the pure, innocent dove,
with its gentle coo and loving ways, has a
snug little corner of our heart, all its own.
Sometimes it is entirely white, as if its
feathers were moulded out of the fresh fallen
snow; with timid winking eyes of pink.
Generally it has various darker colors mixed
with white, and a neck that glitters in the sun¬
light, with shining green and brown and
purple. Then the dove is often tamed, so
that it will alight on the hand or shoulder,
and pick grains of corn or crumbs of bread
off its owner's lips. All these pretty ways
make us love and cherish it.
Sweet emblem of hope to the Ark and its
long imprisoned inmates! How gladly they
welcomed it returning the second time with
the olive leaf in its tiny bill 1 So may we,
finding no rest in the weary world, when the
"deep waters" of affliction come near over¬
flowing, seek peace and safety in the Ark of
the Covenant bearing this leaf of promise in
our mouth, " Gome unto me all ye tbat are
weary and heavy laden, and I will give you
rest."
The dove being one of the appointed
sacrifices for God's altar from the poor, it
showed the poverty and low estate which our
Saviour voluntarily assumed, when Mary his
mother could only afford two turtle-doves to
bring in her hands to the temple, with the
infant Jesus. Again in his life-time, we see
the dove chosen, not now the sign of earthly
poverty, but the visible medium of heaven's
richest blessing. For as the sacred rite of
baptism was finished, Jesus, " coming up out
of the water, saw the heavens opened and
the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him."
This was to set him apart for his work of
love on earth, as well as to strengthen him
to drink of the future cup of sorrow. "Who¬
ever now has the Holy Spirit resting on his
heart, will become meek, harmless, and loving
as a dove. The affection of this interesting
little bird for its own dear mate and family
is remarkable and beautiful.
What child has not heard of carrier doves?
Long before post-offices were thought of, be¬
fore the hurrying, whistling locomotive and
the astonishing telegraph were invented, peo¬
ple would make use of the dove's love for its
home to send letters to one another. Fasten¬
ing a letter or note under the wing, they now
let loose the bird kept up for a time from its
nest, and it strikes out high into the air, and
soars on unwaveringly, till it reaches "home,
sweet home" once more.
" So grant me, God, from every care
And stain of passion free,
Aloft through virtue's purer air,—
To hold my course to thee!
"No sin to oloud, no lure to stay
My soul, as home she springs,—
Thy sunshine on her joyful way,
Thy freedom in her wings!"
For the Snnday-School Timea.
God Fat Aim at School in Heaven.
HOW do the minor cares of life shrink to
insignificance as some overmastering
anxiety takes possession of the mind. All
thought, all feeling is then drawn to the one
absorbing centre. Thus doe3 sickness enter
a dwelling, and become at once the ruling
power. A most devoted mother, who would
never before trust ber infant beyond the limit
of her own vision, found herself engrossed
with the care of a sick husband. As days of
suffering lengthened into weeks, the shadow
upon her heart deepened. Hope lifted no
rosy finger, beckoning to a smiling future.
Then came days of waiting, nights of watch¬
ing, such as woman only can give to the best
beloved. Her infant's feeble wailings would
perchance disturb his unquiet slumbers, and
it was consigned to the care of its nurse,
remote from that couch of pain. It was well
and happy, and like a true woman, her heart
fluttered over the suffering one. Ah, in that
dread silence of the midnight hour, heard she
not Time, moving his restless wing, as if
beckoning onward the chill messenger from
the unseen world! and lo, she knew at length,
by her own heart's pulselessness, that she was
alone in the world. .That love, which long
had been as a protective shield between her
and the world's rude gaze or speech, was
powerless now to breathe one word of tender¬
ness, or stay the falling tear. Then breaking
in deeper agony through the cloud of woe,
which encircled her, came the thought of her
three fatherless boys. How could she shield
them from temptation? How teach them
evermore to choose the right ? What wonder
that she refused to be comforted! But now
came the dear, little, banished pet of five
months, and as it clasped her neck and crowed
in unfeigned joy, as it felt the pressure of
its mother's fondness, the icy fetters of her
grief melted beneath the warm embrace. Its
helplessness, the thought that it could never
know a father's love, deepened her love for it,
till it grew the very bow of promise on her
cloud of sorrow. How the fibres of her
lacerated heart twined round this heaven-sent
treasure! But not long, alas ! One year had
not passed, ere again the destroyer entered
with stealthy step, and bore away the little
laughing creature, while yet all encircled
with the light of his mother's smiles.
How doubly desolate is that dwelling I
How welcome the coming of the man of God,
whose voice has so often breathed words of
hope, and glorious promise, who, while he
wept with her a present grief, could see for
her the present help. And now what will he
say ? Oh, how tenderly he soothes this new
anguish! " Your trials are very great, my dear
madam ; it was a great care for you to have
to bring up these children to God's glory;
God saw it was too much for you, and he
has put one of them at school in heaven."
Cheering thoughts 1 Not in anger, but in love
God stooped to her weakness, and lifted part
of the care from the o'erburdened soul. Her
little one, ti learner now within the Courts of
heaven! Earth's song of pleasure (he never
knew its pain,) is exchanged for the heavenly
song of triumphant- joy. M.
New York.
For the Snnday-School Times.
THE RIVALS.
MORE than thirty years ago, there were
- two boys who went to the same district
school in one of the Northern States. They
were very nearly of the same age. They did
not differ greatly in their capacities. They were
regarded as the two best scholars in the
school. As to which was the superior of the
two, opinions were divided. It was thought
that they would both become distinguished
men.
They were generally on good terms with
each other; but as they were rivals in regard
to the leadership of the school, sometimes
jealousies and ill-will arose. These never
lasted long. Both were rather amiable in
their dispositions.
When they were about fourteen years of
age, a revival of religion occurred in the
village in which they lived. Both were
awakened, and were very anxious about their
souls'. Julius had been instructed in the
truths of religion by his parents. He knew
something about the way of salvation, though
in consequence of his sinful heart, he found
it difficult to comply with the terms. He was
cautions and earnest in regard to the great
matter.   He wished to make salvation sure.
Hiram was not a child of pious parents.
His parents were respectable church-going
people; but they were without the knowledge
of God themselves, and of consequence, could
not teach it to their children. Hiram was
very ignorant of the Bible, and of the doc¬
trines it contained. He obtained a hope,
nearly a week before Julius ventured to
believe he had been forgiven.
Julius was afraid that Hiram's lack of re¬
ligious knowledge might lead him to take up
with a false hope. He counseled him to study
the Bible, and go to the minister with all his
difficulties.
Hiram seened to be more anxious to get
peace and safety than to get deliverance'from
sin. He based his belief of his conversion
mainly on the change in his'feelings from
anxiety and pain, to peace and joy. He seemed
to be much more engaged in religion than did
Julius. People thought he would make a
aealous and successful minister.
In about three months, Julius joined the
.church. Hiram was not quite ready to come
forward. He would wait till the next com¬
munion season. The next communion season
found Julius at his studies preparatory to the
ministry, and Hiram in the employment of a
man whose chief employment was that of
retailing ardent spirits. He had given up his
hope. He had been deceived; he said, he
had never been converted.
Soon after that communion season, Julius's
parents removed to the West. He did not
visit his native village till long after he had
become a minister, and had earned a wide¬
spread reputation. The stage in which he
came, stopped at the hotel of the village.
There was an excited crowd about the door.
The keeper of the hotel had just committed
suicide. On inquiry, Julius found that it was
his old school-fellow and rival. ' He had be¬
come intemperate, and in a fit of despondency,
had hung himself.
Observe the value of religious knowledge.
IUis quite probable that if he had possessed
an adequate amount of religious knowledge,
when he. was awakened in time of the revival,
he might have obtained a good hope through
grace.
For the Sunday-School Times.
JUNO AND GEORGIE;
OB,
PRACTICAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL INSTRUCTION.*
A. B.
18.—Jnno will not Discourage her Scholars.
A FEW days after the first opening of Juno's
school, as she was walking along the.
street of the village—having been sent there
on an errand by Georgie's mother—she saw
Pompling standing on the side-walk a little
way before her. He was looking up into a
tree, thinking he saw a bird's nest there, and
wondering whether he could climb up and
get it.
Pretty soon Pompling heard the sound of
foot-steps, and looking up he saw Juno
coming. She was pretty near before he saw
her. The recollection of his escapade from
school immediately rushed upon his mind,
and his first impulse was to run away. He
accordingly turned and set off at full speed.
"Stop, Pompling," said Juno. "Stop a
moment.   You have not got your apple."
Pompling, hearing the word apple, was ar¬
rested by it. He stopped running and turned
round as if to hear what more Juno had to
say. At the same time he went on, walking
backwards, as if he still intended to make
good his retreat.
" I owe you an apple, or at least half an
apple," said Juno.
" What for ?" asked Pompling.
" Come here," said Juno, beckoning to him.
" Come here and I'll tell you."
"No," said Pompling, shaking his head
suspiciously, and- still walking backwards as
fast as Juno advanced, so as to keep at the
same distance from her.
" You see," said Juno, " that I am going to
have apples for the rewards in my school—
the rosies for attendance, and the golden balls
for good behavior. You stayed in my school
like a good boy about half the time, and so
you ought to have half of one of my rosies.
I don't mind giving you a whole rosy, for I
have no doubt you will come some day and
stay half the time again."
" I'll come next Sunday if you like," said
Pompling.
" Well," said Juno, " and then I'll give yon
the apple."
Pompling, finding that the conversation
was taking thus rather a friendly turn, had
slackened his pace, so that by this time Juno
had very nearly come up with him.
"What were you looking at up in that
tree 1" she asked.
" There's a bird's nest up there, I believe,"
said Pompling.
"Do you want to climb up and see?" said
Juno.
" I can't climb up," said Pompling. " The
lower branches are too high."
« Come back to the tree," said Juno, " and
I'll hoist you up till you can reach the lower
branches."
So Juno held out her hand and Pompling
gave her his, and they walked back to the
tree together in the most friendly manner pos
sible. Juno lifted fompling up,' or rather
helped him up, by lifting and pushing, until
he reached the lower limbs.
" There you are," said Juno. " I like to help
you up to see a bird's nest, because I know
you won't do anything to harm the little birds
or frighten the old ones."
" No," said Pompling, " I won't hurt them."
" Once I knew a boy," said Juno, " who
took the eggs out of a robin's nest and carried
them off and broke them to pieces. And
what do you think was the consequence of
that?"
« The eagles came and picked his eyes out?"
asked Pompling, guessing.
" No," said Juno, " it was not quite so bad
as that. But the next year there were four
less robins in that town than there would
have been if he had not destroyed those eggs,
and so much less singing."
By this time Pompling had reached the
nest. Just before he reached it the mother
bird, who was there sitting upon her eggs,
heard him coming, and flew away. Pompling
called out to Juno as soon as he was high
enough to see, and said that there were four
eggs in the nest.
" Four speckled eggs," said he, " and pretty
big ones."
" That's exactly right," said Juno, " they
ought to be speckled and there ought to be
four. By-and-by there will be four little
birds in the nest, that is if the mother bird
does not get frightened away and forsake it.
Come down now softly and she will come
back, and the next time I come by here, if
you are here, I will hoist you up again and
let you see if the eggs are hatched."
So Pompling came down to the lower
branches, and there Juno assisted in letting
him down gently to the ground. He then
turned to go towards his home, while Juno
went on her way.
" I'll bring the rosy for you next Sunday
afternoon," said Juno, turning back toward
Pompling.
" Yes," said Pompling, "I'll come."
"And there is something I want you to do
for me," said Juno, " if you will."
" Well," said Pompling, " I'll do it."
" There were two other scholars of mine
that stayed in the school like good children
half of the time, and then they got tired and
went home. You know them. One was Trip
and the other was Sally Lane."
" Yes," said Pompling, " I know them."
♦Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862,
by Jacob Abbott, in the Clerk's Office of the District
Court of the United States for the Eastern District of
pennsylyania.
" I want you to go and find them," added
Jnno, "and tell them they were good chil¬
dren to stay so patiently half of the time, and
that I have got a reward for them, half an
apple apiece. If they had stayed the whole
time they would have had a whole apple. But
I don't blame them for getting tired."
Observe, Juno did not say that she did not
blame the children for leaving the school
without permission and going home, but only
for feeling tired, which last they certainly
were not to blame for.
It may seem strange to children accustomed
to know what good behavior is, that Juno
in dealing with two little truants, who ran
away from school for half the time, should
reward them for the little time they stayed, in¬
stead of punishing them for going away. She
did this simply in obedience to Mary Osborne's
advice, which was that she should seize upon
the good which she could find in her children
and build upon that, taking little notice of
the bad, except to show that she observed it.
Accordingly, as the children had . sat still
and patiently for a quarter of an hour, she
thought she might properly consider that as
something good, and so offer a reward for it.
In fact such a course, besides being in ac¬
cordance with Mary Osborne's advice, was
really right and proper. Such children as
these, who have never been at school, and
have never been taught the principles of duty
in any way, or the nature of right and wrong,
are to be considered and treated almost as if
they were little animals, and it is not reason¬
able to expect from them much more self-
control than - you would look for in a kitten,
or a young colt, that you were trying to teach.
If we find in them any degree of willing effort,
or self-denial, however little, and however
transient it may be, it is a good beginning,
and must be encouraged and fostered, and it
will grow and increase, and in time lead to a
complete transformation in the character.
But to return to the story. Juno having
sent her message by Pompling to Trip and
Sally, who had left the school in the midst of
the exercises, now turned her thoughts to¬
ward Oliver and Dick, who, it will be remem¬
bered, ran off and hid when they saw her
coming for them on Sunday morning. She
was very desirous of finding some opportunity
of communicating with them.
"If I could only get an opportunity of
speaking to them," she said to herself, " and
talking a few minutes with them about any
thing, even if I should not say a word about
the Sunday-school, it would do some good
perhaps. It might make them not so much
afraid of me."
Juno accordingly determined that every
time she had occasion to go to the village that
week, she would take pains to pass the houses
in which Oliver and Dick lived, in hopes of
seeing one or both of the boys, and of falling
into conversation with them. She did this
two or three times during the week without
seeing either of the boys, but at last, on Sa¬
turday, her plan succeeded.
It happened that on that day, as she was
leaving the house to go into the village on
some errand for Georgie's mother, Georgie
called to her, after she had proceeded a few
steps from the door.
" Juno," said he, " could you do an errand
for me too ?"
"Yes," said Juno, "with pleasure."
" I want you to buy me two fish-hooks,"
said Georgie. "Here is the money. One
cent. ' That's just what they will come to."
So Juno took the money and went on. She
stopped at the hardware store and bought the
fish-hooks. She had some doubt about the
size, as Georgie had given her no particular
directions on that point, but she decided as
well as she could. The hardware man put
the fish-hooks up in a paper, and Juno took
them and went on.
She came, as usual, by a somewhat round¬
about way home, in order to pass by the
houses where her runaway scholars lived. As
she came near Oliver's house, she saw, to her
great joy, that both Oliver and Dick were
standing together by the gate.
Oliver, who was rather the smallest of the
boys, was the first to see Juno coming.
" Dick," said he, speaking in an under tone,
" look, here comes Juno.   Let us run."
The two boys had been talking together
a little while before about their running away
from Juno on the last Sunday, so as to escape
from going to Sunday-school.
" I ain't going to run," said Dick. "I ain't
afraid of her. There ain't no Sunday-school
to-day."
By this time Juno, holding the paper of
fish-hooks in her hand, had come up near
enough to speak.
"Boys," said she, "do you know about
fish-hooks ?"
"Yes," said Dick, speaking up in a bold and
decided tone.
11 Then come here and tell me about these."
So saying, Juno began to open her paper
carefully.   The boys ran out eagerly to see.
"Are those good fish-hooks?" said she,
holding open the paper.
" Let me see," said Dick, eagerly, " I can
tell." So saying he took up one of the fish¬
hooks and began to examine it attentively.
"Yes," said he, "they're very good."
" And are they of the right size ?" asked
Juno.
"Yes," replied Dick, "they're the right size
for trout."
" I am glad of that," said Juno, folding up
the fish-hooks in the paper again. "They
are some that I bought for a boy about as big
as you, and I did not know whether they were
of the right kind, so that he would like them."
So Juno smiled upon the boys by way of
thanking them for their opinion, and then
began to walk on.
This interview, though very brief, made an
extremely favorable impression upon the
minds of the boys, and altered entirely their
feelings toward Jnno. It operated in several
ways to produce this effect. In the first place,
it interested them to see the fish-hooks. Then
it pleased them to have their opinions asked
in regard to the size and quality of them.
The kind and friendly manner, too, in which
Juno talked with them, and nodded good¬
bye to them when she went away, touched
their hearts and made them think she felt
friendly toward them; and last, though not
least, the idea that she was a person who
was sometimes the means of procuring fish¬
hooks for boys presented her in a very favor¬
able light to their minds.
Juno walked on a few steps, the boys re¬
maining all the time in the road, where she
had left them, and looking after her as if sorry
that so pleasant an incident was so soon over,
when Juno turned and addressed them again,
walking along backward, however, as she did.
"Boys," said she, "I have got a Sunday-
school, and to-morrow I am going to show
my scholars something curious. If you'll
come I'll show it to you too."
" What is it ?" asked Dick.
" I can't stop to tell you about it now," said
Juno, "but come and see. My school is at
Pompling's house. You wen't have to come
into the school, for I'll show you the curious
thing at the door before the school begins,
and then you can go away if you like."
So saying, Juno turned round and Walked
on.
"Would you go ?" said Dick to Oliver, after
a moment's pause.
"No," said Oliver. "She'll make us go
into her school."
" She said we needn't go in at all," said
Dick. " We can see the curious thing at the
door.   Let's go."
" No," said Oliver. " You may depend that
if she gets us to the door she'll make us go in."
standing the meaning of the expression,' Take
no thought.' That expression had a meaning
when the translation was made which it has
since lost. It means, " Be not over anxious
about the morrow—do not distress yourself
about it. In books written at the time when
our translation was made, we find expressions
like this: ' He was ill of taking thought,' he
died of taking thought—meaning that sickness
and death were occasioned by excessive anx¬
iety. Christians are not to be excessively
anxious about the future, because God work-
eth all things according to the counsel of his
own will. ^. b.
Far the Snnday-School Times.
The Sabbath-School Canse in the Old School
Presbyterian Chnrch.
IHAYE been much pleased in reading the
" Narrative of the State of Religion" as
presented to and adopted by the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian church which
lately met at Columbus, Ohio. That which
particularly interested me was the special
mention made of the Sabbath-sehool work.
It is a cheering sign of the times that, at last,
the church is beginning to appreciate this, one
of its most vitally important interests.
There has been, too long, a feeling of in¬
difference on the part of Pastors, Elders, and
Parents, to the Sabbath-sehool.
It is to be hoped that a new era is dawning
upon this enterprize, and that hereafter the
entire church will co-operate in this good
work.
I would suggest that you publish in the
Sunday-Schooi Times, that portion of the
"Narrative" alluded to, as many of your
readers will not otherwise see it. J.
New York, June 28, 1862.
For the Snnday-School Times.
Consecration to Christ.
Jesus now lives and reigns above
Who hung upon the cross for me;
0, how my heart should melt with love,
When I behold that crimson tree!
I will be his who died for me;
Help me, my God, to keep this vow;
For grace and strength I look to thee;
Before thy throne I humbly bow.
I'll serve thee here while life is given;
Thy love shall ever be my song;
To thee I'll tune my harp in heaven,
And sweetly praise thee with my tongue.
Thy word, 0 God, whioh thou didst send
To bid thy wandering children come
To thee, their Father, Saviour, Friend,
Shall be my lamp to* guide me home.
Help me, 0 Lord, to work and pray,
To call the promises my own.
Send me thy Spirit day by day,
And with success my labor crown.
J. F. H.
"MAY I PUT IN MY HYMN BOOK?"
HAVE I told you about the first offering of
our mission school ?   '
We had read of the contrabands, and of
their eager desire to learn to read the word
of God, and it was proposed to our young
people, as they had received many gifts of
books and papers from kind friends, that they
themselves should send a gift of primers to
the little colored children at Fortress Monroe.
" Not a penny must be begged from father
or from mother," said the superintendent,
"but each one who gives must earn the
money for himself."
The proposition was received with great
favor, and on the following Sabbath never
were seen happier faces than those gathered
in the mission hall. The box was passed
aronnd, and the pennies dropped in thick
and fast. Joseph earned his by "going down
town for uncle Joe;" Katy by "taking care of
the baby while mother went out washing;"
Johnny by "picking, up chips;" Porter (a
great rogue) by "being a good boy;" and "it
was hard work, too," he added aside to his
teacher; and so on, one after another. All
had earned something to put in the contribu¬
tion box. All but Annie. Annie is a dear,
motherless child—not tall and strong like
other girls of her age, but a little dwarf.
Her eyes wistfully searched the face of the
superintendent as she held the box, and
stretching out her hand, she said in a sweet,
tremulous voice,
" I couldn't earn a cent, Miss .   Mayn't
I put in my little hymn book ?"
Yes, dear child I and God bless it and
you, too. So Annie's hymn book has gone
to the contraband school, we trust to be. the
means of leading some little heart to the Lord
Jesus Christ. C. E. K.
it
I
For the Sunday-Schooi Times.
"No Thought for the Morrow."
DON'T see what that means," said Jo¬
seph Hill, as he sat by the fireside one
Sabbath afternoon, reading his Bible. " It
says here, ' Take no thought for the morrow.'
Now if we don't practice any forethought, we
can't do much. The Bible seems to forbid us
to exercise our reason."
« Not at all, my son," said Mr. Hill. " The
Bible requires us to act reasonably and in no
other way.   Your difficulty lies in not under-
EXTRACT REFERRED TO ABOVE.
" There is another sphere of Christian activity
that merits special attention. The mass of a
population is composed of children, and in
them each generation has the power of mould¬
ing its successor. And it wonld seem, from
all indications, that more and more the
"hearts of the fathers are turning to the chil¬
dren, and the hearts of the children to the
fathers." Besides what is done in families, in
instructing, and in praying with and for the
lambs of the flock, new and increasing interest
and success are reported in the sphere of
Sabbath-sehool instruction. Presbytery after
Presbytery reports encouraging advance in
this department of labor. Nearly two hun¬
dred thousand children have, during the year,
been statedly grouped in Sabbath-schools,
around nearly twenty thousand Sabbath-
sehool teachers. And while the church re¬
joices in all that is done among the pupils,
she has no little reason for gratitude in the
possession of an army of laborers like that
band of Sabbath-sehool teachers. And if the
service they render is self-denying, it is also
remunerative. For there can be little doubt
that they who spend so much time on the
Sabbath in simplifying gospel truth, and
seeking a lodgment for it in the minds of tho
young, reap in their own souls larger spiritual
benefit, and lay up larger stores of scriptural
knowledge, than those who are able to spend
their Sabbath hours in more quiet reading
and meditation. They who water others,
themselves are watered. -
"In our larger cities there is a branch of
Sabbath-sehool labor which presents special
claims for Christian sympathy, contributions,
and co-operation. This is called the "mission-
school" system. It is a purely aggressive
movement. Bands of self-denying Christians
penetrate those city recesses given over to the
wretched and abandoned, and gathering in
some schools several hundred of these chil¬
dren of penury and vice—candidates for a
life of crime, for the prison and the gallows—
teach them the truths of heaven, and the songs
of Zion. Thus many a firebrand is quenched,
many a tool of some future Catiline is trans¬
ferred to the vineyard of virtue, and many an
uncouth character transmuted into jewels for
the diadem of our Lord.
" It were well that our wise statesmen and
our city magistrates were aware of the mag¬
nitude and value of the service thus rendered
to the Commonwealth, and of the important
bearing of the "mission-school" system upon
the solution of that increasingly difficult
problem—the adjustment of a republican
form of government to the exigencies of vast
and rapidly growing cities. To our brethren
in these cities we would say—" Give all
diligence to secure the multiplication and
efficiency of mission-schools."
"And among the facts reported by our Pres¬
byteries, none are more gratifying than those
embodying the results of labors among chil¬
dren. In one case, some forty souls were
added to the communion of the church in one
revival, and nearly all of them among the
children and youth. In some instances, chil¬
dren as early as in the ninth and tenth year
of their age are reported as giving hopeful
evidence of conversion. Two or three other
Presbyteries report additions to the church
from the Sabbath-sehool, of as many as
twenty and twenty-five each. A very large
number of Presbyteries report the flourishing
condition of their Sabbath-schools, and an
increasing attention to this kind of labor
within their bounds.
" One Presbytery alone, reports upon labors
among the colored race. This is a subject
worthy of much consideration, and it is feiued
that, especially in our large cities, there are
multitudes of these people almost as much
in need of Christian effort as the children of
heathenism in foreign lands."
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