Then he adopted the plan of giving an address at the close of the school, and the address was exceedingly like a lesson, for he had a large blackboard on which he wrote points to be committed to memory; and he asked many questions, which happened to be mostly addressed to the classes that knew the least. After this had gone on for a few Sundays he called a teachers’ meeting, and astonished the teachers by the directness of his words to them. “The most important part of the work of the church,” he said, “is the Sunday-school, which ought, therefore, to be in the hands of those whose whole hearts are in it. It is so great, and of such infinite moment, that it deserves to occupy the men and women of highest culture and talent; but it is work which is best done by those who love it, for without enthusiasm in the teachers Sunday-schools are a failure. I hope you will not be offended—but in any case I dare not hold my peace—when I say that in all departments of our own schools there are some classes which greatly need reform. There is a lack of discipline which is fatal; and I fear that sometimes whole classes are dismissed which have not had any real teaching at all. Now, my friends, this work must not be left in incompetent hands. For my own part, I tell you frankly that I dare not be a party to anything so disastrous to the future well-being of this church. Let no earnest teacher be discouraged; but let all who are not in earnest reconsider their position. The first thing for us to do is to form a Teachers’ Training Class, and let us also meet together for mutual preparation of the lesson. What times will be most convenient to you?” The teachers, as a whole, did not approve of the minister taking things into his own hands in this fashion, and some of them ventured to say so. “We’ve took this school ourselves heretofore, and we’re masters here,” said a man, his face flushing with anger. “If the minister likes to come and visit us sometimes, and say an encouraging word to us, why, we shall be glad to see him; but I, for one, ain’t agoing to be dictated to.” Mr. Collinson made no reply to this, and another spoke. “It is all very well to talk about training and preparation classes, but few of us have time to attend them, for what with our two week-night services, and all the things going on in the town, it is not easy to take up two new subjects. I think we do enough if we come to school Sunday after Sunday and take a class, for the children are so bad that it is dreadfully hard work to do that.” But the new minister had his own way. “It is my school as well as yours,” he said. “I am at the head of it, and while I wish to dwell in harmony with you all, yet, as I place a higher estimate on Sunday-school work than any other, I am extremely anxious that only teachers whose hearts are devoted shall attempt to perform it. We must raise the whole character of this school; who will stand by me in my endeavour to do this?”