The American Missionary — Volume 43, No. 07, July, 1889Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 43, No. 07, July, 1889
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
In this land where the people live by their crops, it was most
encouraging to see the number of older boys who remained in school till
the last of the term. Two of our boys remain with us during vacation, to
do the needed work. They are earnest Christians and faithful workers,
and appreciate the home influences here.
Many of the girls tell me that their fathers used to be "moonshiners,"
and they say that at that time they thought it all right; did not
realize the evils of alcohol until taught about it in the school. We
believe, however, that the morals of this part of Kentucky are steadily
improving, and feel confident of it in our own little town.
Last week I visited a country school house about four miles from town.
It was made of logs. Three small holes were cut in the logs for windows.
The benches were split logs, and the floor was the earth. The great
stone chimney, (the only spacious thing about the building,) was
beginning to crumble away. This is a typical log school house of the
past, but much better ones are going up all over the country, giving
brighter hopes for the future.
With the better school buildings through the country, our Academy will
be ready to furnish them with better teachers than they have had in the
past. Our hope for the future among the Mountain Whites is great.
* * * * *
SCHOOL AT MARSHALLVILLE, GA.
BY MRS. ANNA W. RICHARDSON.
Our school is very large, there being enrolled two hundred. Our great
trouble is a lack of teachers. There are only three of us.
New facts regarding the people among whom we work are brought to us
constantly. Yesterday four pupils entered school who were perfect
wonders. The oldest of them is seventeen years of age, and the youngest
perhaps ten. The oldest has been to church three times during her life,
the others have never been. They have never been to Sabbath-school, and
know nothing about Christ and God. They have never in their lives heard
the word Bible. The _oldest_ one has seen a preacher three times--the
same man each time. They made their first visit to town, and beheld the
first railroad car yesterday. They do not know who made them! Ever since
their arrival I have been saying over and over, "Surely we have Africa
at our very door." I cannot realize it. The responsibility is so great
that it makes me tremble.
Many of our pupils have little or no religious training at home. We have
a good many pupils whose parents are "_Hard Shell_ Baptists," and do not
allow them to go to Sabbath-school, and teach them not to pray for
forgiveness of sins. A few afternoons ago, the pupils were all asked
what they desired to be. One little boy raised his hand to say that he
was going to be a "Hard Shell" minister, for they were already saved,
and had no praying to do. This answer was a result of his training at
home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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