back home-第6部分

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　me！　　Never　again；　never　again。

Well；　who　wants　it　to　be　that　way　again？　　We're　men　and　women　now。　We've　duties　and　responsibilities。　　Who　wants　to　be　a　child　again？　Not　I。　　Let　me　stick　just　at　my　present　age　for　about　a　hundred　years；　and　I'll　never　utter　a　word　of　complaint。




THE　SABBATH…SCHOOL


　　　　　〃We…a　love　the　Sunday…school。　　　　　　　We…a　love　the　Sunday…school。　　　　　　　（Girls）　…　So　do　I。　　　　　　　（Boys）…So　do　I。　　　　　　　（School）　…　We　all　love　the　Sunday…school。〃


SPARKLING　DEWDROPS。〃

Some　people　believe　that　when　General　Conference　assigned　them　to　the　Committee　on　Hymn…Book　Revision；　power　and　authority　were　given　unto　them　to　put　a　half…sole　and　a　new　heel　on　any　and　all　poetry　that　might　look　to　them　to　be　a　little　run　over　on　one　side。　　If　they　felt　as　I　do　about　the　lines　that　head　this　article　they　would　have　〃Sunday〃　scratched　out　and　〃Sabbath〃　written　in　before　you　could　bat　an　eye。　　The　mere　substitution　of　one　word　for　another　may　seem　a　light　matter　to　a　man　that　has　never　composed　anything　more　literary　than　an　obituary　for　the　Western　Advocate　of　Sister　Jane　Malinda　Sprague；　who　was　born　in　Westmoreland　County；　Pennsylvania；　in　1816；　removed　with　her　parents　at　a　tender　age　to　New　Sardis；　Washington　County；　Ohio；　where；　etc。；　etc。　　If　he　wanted　to　extract　a　word　he　would　do　it；　and　never　even　offer　to　give　the　author　gas。　　But　I　know　just　how　it　hurts。　　I　know　or　can　imagine　how　the　gifted　poet　that　penned　the　deathless　lines　I　have　quoted　must　have　walked　the　floor　in　an　agony　until　every　word　and　syllable　was　just　to　suit　him；　and　so；　though　I　feel　sure　he　meant　to　write　〃Sabbath…school；〃　I　don't　dare　change　it。

To　most　persons　one　word　seems　about　as　good　as　another；　Sunday　or　Sabbath；　but　when　there　are　young　people　about　the　house　you　learn　to　be　careful　how　you　talk　before　them。　　Now；　I　would　not　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　〃Sunday〃　is　what　you　might　call　exactly　rowdy；　but　er　。　。　。　but　。　。　。　er　。　。　。　Let　me　illustrate。　　If　a　man　says；　〃It's　a　beautiful　Sunday　morning；〃　like　enough　he　has　on　red…and…green　stockings；　baggy　knickerbockers；　a　violet…and…purple　sweater；　a　cap　shaped　like　a　milk…roll；　and　is　smoking　a　pipe。　　He　very　likely　carries　a　bagful　of　golf…sticks；　or　is　pumping　up　his　bicycle。　But　if　a　man　says；　〃This　beautiful　Sabbath　morn；〃　you　know　for　a　certainty　that　he　wears　a　long…tailed　black　coat；　a　boiled　shirt；　and　a　white　tie。　　He　is　bald　from　his　forehead　upward；　his　upper　lip　is　shaven；　and　his　views　and　those　of　the　late　Robert　Reed　on　the　disgusting　habit　of　using　tobacco　are　absolutely　at　one。

Not　alone　a　regard　for　respectability；　but　the　hankering　to　be　historically　accurate；　urges　me　to　make　the　change　I　speak　of。　Originally　the　institution　was　a　Sunday…school；　and　not　very　respectable　either。　　I　should　hate　to　think　any　of　my　dear　young　friends　were　in　the　habit　of　attending　such　a　low…class　affair　as　Robert　Raikes　conducted。　　Sunday…schools　were　for　〃little　ragamuffins；〃　as　he　called　them；　who　worked　such　long　hours　on　week…days　（from　five　in　the　morning　until　nine　at　night）　that　if　they　were　to　learn　the　common　branches　at　all　it　had　to　be　on　a　Sunday。　　A　ragged　school　was　bad　enough　in　itself；　putting　foolish　notions　into　the　heads　of　gutter…brats　and　making　them　discontented　and　unhappy　in　their　lot；　but　to　teach　a　ragged　school　on　Sunday　was　a　little　too　much。　　So　Robert　Raikes　encountered　the　most　violent　opposition；　although　from　that　beginning　dates　popular　education　in　England。

To　be　able　to　read　is　no　Longer　a　sign　that　Pa　can　afford　to　do　without　the　young　ones'　wages　on　a　Saturday　night；　and　can　even　pay　for　their　schooling。　　It　is　no　longer　a　mark　of　wealth　or　even　of　hard…won　privilege；　but　the　common　fate　of　all；　to　know　the　three　R's；　and　Sunday　is　not　now　set　apart　for　secular　instruction。　　So　good　and　wholesome　an　institution　as　the　Sunday…school　was　not　permitted　to　perish；　but　was　changed　to　suit　the　environment。　　It　is　now　become　the　Sabbath…school　for　the　study　of　the　Bible；　a　Christian　recrudescence　of　the　synagogue。　　For　some　eighteen　centuries　it　was　supposed　that　a　regularly　ordained　minister　should　have　exclusive　charge　of　this　work。　　At　rare　intervals　nowadays　a　clergyman　may　be　found　to　maintain　that　because　a　man　has　been　to　college　and　to　the　theological　seminary；　and　has　made　the　study　of　the　Scriptures　his　life…work　（moved　to　that　decision　after　careful　self…examination）　that　therefore　he　is　better　fitted　to　that　ministry　than　Miss　Susie　Goldrick；　who　teaches　a　class　in　Sabbath…school　very　acceptably。　　Miss　Goldrick　is　in　the　second　year　in　the　High　School；　and　last　Friday　afternoon　read　a　composition　on　English　Literatoor；　in　which　she　spoke　in　terms　of　high　praise　of　John　Bunion；　the　well…known　author　of　〃　Progress　and　Poverty。〃　　Miss　Goldrick　is　very　conscientious；　and　always　keeps　her　thumbnail　against　the　questions　printed　on　the　lesson…leaf；　so　as　not　to　ask　twice；　〃What　did　the　disciples　then　do？〃

It　were　a　grave　error　to　suppose　that　no　secular　learning　is　acquired　in　the　modern　Sabbath…school。　　I　remember　once；　when　quite　young；　speaking　to　my　teacher；　in　the　interval　between　the　regular　class　work　and　the　closing　exercises；　about　peacocks。　　I　had　read　of　them；　but　had　never　seen　one。　　What　did　they　look　like？　　She　said　a　peacock　was　something　like　a　butterfly。　　I　have　always　remembered　that；　and　when　I　did　finally　see　a　peacock；　I　was　interested　to　note　the　essential　accuracy　of　the　description。

Also；　one　day　a　new　lady　taught　our　class；　Miss　Evans　having　gone　up　to　Marion　to　spend　a　Sunday　with　her　brother；　who　kept　a　stove　store　there；　and　this　new　lady　borrowed　two　flower　vases　from　off　the　pulpit　and　a　piece　of　string　from　Turkey…egg　McLaughlin　to　explain　to　us　boys　how　the　earth　went　around　the　sun。　　We　had　too　much　manners　to　tell　her　that　we　knew　that　years　and　years　ago　when　we　were　in　Miss　Humphreys's　room。　　I　don't　remember　what　the　earth　going　around　the　sun　had　to　do　with　the　lesson　for　the　day；　which　was　about　Samuel　anointing　David's　head　with　oil　…　did　I　ever　tell　you　how　I　anointed　my　own　head　with　coal　oil？　…　but　I　do　remember　that　she　broke　both　the　vases　and　cut　her　finger；　and　had　to　keep　sucking　it　the　rest　of　the　time；　because　she　didn't　want　to　get　her　handkerchief　all　bloodied　up。　　It　was　a　kind　of　fancy　handkerchief；　made　of　thin　stuff　trimmed　with　lace　…　no　good。

The　Sabbath…school　may　be　said　to　be　divided　into　three　courses；　namely；　the　preparatory　or　infant…class；　the　collegiate　or　Sabbath…school　proper；　and　the　post…graduate　or　Mr。　Parker's　Bible…class。

What　can　a　mere　babe　of　three　or　four　years　learn　in　Sabbath…school？　sneers　the　critic。　　Not　much；　I　grant　you；　of　justification　by　Faith；　or　Effectual　Calling；　but　certain　elementary　precepts　can　be　impressed　upon　the　mind　while　it　is　still　in　a　plastic　condition　that　never　can　be　wholly　obliterated；　come　what　may　in　after　life。　Prime　among　these　elementary　precepts　is　this：　〃Always　bring　a　penny。〃

Some　one　has　said；　〃Give　me　the　first　seven　years　of　a　child's　life　and　I　care　not　who　has　the　remainder。〃　　I　cannot　endorse　this　without　reserve；　but　I　maintain　as　a　demonstrated　fact：　〃Bring　up　a　child　to　contribute　a　copper　cent；　and　when　he　is　old　he　will　not　depart　from　it。〃　　It　was　recently　my　high　privilege　to　attend　a　summer　gathering　of　representative　religious　people　in　the　largest　auditorium　in　this　country。　　Sometimes　under　that　far…spreading　roof　ten　thousand　souls　were　assembled　and　met　together。　　This　fact　could　be　guessed　at　with　tolerable　accuracy　from　the　known　seating　capacity；　but　the　interesting　thing　was　that　it　could　be　predicated　with　mathematical　certainty　that　exactly　ten　thousand　people　were　present；　because　the　offertory　footed　up　exactly　one　hundred　dollars。　What　an　encouragement　to　these　faithful　infant…class　teachers　that　have　labored　unremittingly；　instant　in　season　and　out　of　season；　saying　over　and　over　again　with　infinite　patience；　〃Always　bring　a　penny；〃　to　know　that　their　labor　has　not　been　in　vain；　and　that　as　a　people　we　have　made　it　the　rule　of　our　lives　always　to　bring　a　penny　…　and　no　more。

I　have　often　tried　to　think　what　a　Sabbath…school　must　be　like　in　California；　where　they　have　no　pennies。　　It　seems　hardly　possible　that　the　institution　can　exist　under　such　a　patent　disability；　and　yet　it　does。　　Do　they　work　it　on　the　same　principle　as　the　post…office　in　that　far…off　land　where　you　'cannot　buy　one　postal　card　because　the　postmaster　cannot　make　change；　but　must　buy　five　postal　cards　or　two　two…cent　stamps　and　a　postal？　　In　other　words；　does　a　nickel；　the　smallest　extant　coin；　serve　for　five　persons　for　one　Sunday　or　one　person　for　five　Sundays？　　　I　have　often　wondered　about　this。

Subsidiary　instruction　in　the　preparatory　course　consists　of　sitting　right　still　and　being　nice；　keeping　your　fingers　out　of　Johnny　Pym's　eye；　because　it　hurts　him　and　makes　him　cry；　not　grabbing　in　the　basket　when　it　goes　by；　even　though　it　does　have　pennies　in　it；　coaching　in　a　repertory　of　songs　like：　〃Beautiful；　Beautiful　Little　Hands；〃　〃You　in　Your　Little　Corner　and　I　in　Mine；〃　〃　The　Consecrated　Cross…Eyed　Bear；〃　〃Pass　Around　the　Wash…Rag〃　…　the　grown　folks　call　that　〃Pass　Along　the　Watchword〃　and　stories　about　David　and　Goliath；　Samson　and　the　three　hundred　foxes　with　fire　tied　to　their　tails；　Moses　in　the　bulrushes；　the　infant　Samuel；　Hagar　in　the　wilderness；　and　so　forth。　　The　clergy　have　often　objected　that　these　stories；　being　told　at　the　same　period　of　life　with　those　about　Santa　Claus；　〃One　time　there　was　a　little　boy　and　he　had　a　dog　named　Rover；〃　the　little　girl　that　had　hair　as　black　as　ebony；　skin　as　white　as　snow；　and　cheeks　as　red　as　blood；　because　her　Ma；　who　was　a　queen　by　occupation；　happened　to　cut　her　finger　with　a　black…handled　knife　along　about　New　Year's　…　the　clergy；　I　say；　have　often　objected　that　all　these　matters；　being　brought　to　a　child's　attention　at　the　same　period　in　its　life；　are　likely　to　be　regarded　in　after　years　as　of　equal　evidential　value。　　I　am　not　much　of　a　hand　to　argue；　myself；　but　I　should　like　to　have　one　of　these　carping　critics　meet　my　friend；　Mrs。　Sarah　M。　Boggs；　who　has　taught　the　infant…class　since　1867；　having　missed　only　two　Sundays　in　that　time；　once；　in　1879；　wh