The Sabbath-School Index: Pointing out the history and progress of Sunday-schools, with approved modes of instruction.Pardee, R. G. (Richard Gay)
Religion
The Sabbath-School Index: Pointing out the history and progress of Sunday-schools, with approved modes of instruction.
Pardee, R. G. (Richard Gay)
Sunday schools
Sabbath after Sabbath rolled on, and rain or shine my six boys were
always in their places. They had learned to love the school,
especially the sweet hymns; and their quick sympathies had gone out
to one who at least always tried to treat them gently and kindly. Of
their affection I had many unmistakable proofs. Once I remember
walking in one of the quiet streets. I was suddenly startled by three
sonorous cheers, and looking up I saw the "Marquis," Andrew Jackson,
and Byron Clarke. Though not precisely the most agreeable greeting
for a young lady, I could not in my heart do less than wave a return.
Again, they frequently brought to our door presents of flowers and
fruit. In one instance the latter bore such a striking resemblance to
some rosy-cheeked apples in a neighbor's orchard that I was forced to
reprove the boy, and the next Sabbath took for our "lesson talk" the
eighth commandment. Not many days after the same child made his
appearance at the kitchen, his hands filled with the first
pond-lilies of the season; and as he gave them to me he said, "There,
Miss Esther, you will like them, for _they's honest; God growed them
in the outlet_." Never, from that day to this, have flowers brought
more true gladness to my heart than did those pure white blossoms,
plucked by swarthy hands in the "outlet" where "God growed them."
We established a missionary society among them, and many a penny,
previously devoted to fire-crackers and the like, now found its way
down the red chimney of our "savings bank." Poor Bill Jones had less
to give than any of the boys, and this I plainly saw troubled him a
great deal. He had stopped dancing "Jim Crow," first on Sabbath, and
of late on week-days; and this being his chief source of revenue, his
spare pennies were few and far between. One day, with a bright face,
he asked me "if it was not right to do good on Sundays?" Of course I
replied yes; and then "if it was wrong to take money for doing good
on Sundays?" This was a nice distinction--one which I felt him not
capable of understanding should I attempt it. So I simply said, "No,
I thought not." Though feeling rather curious, I had no opportunity
just then of asking as to these pious earnings. Next Sabbath the
teachers were requested to remain a moment. A gentleman arose, not a
member of our school, saying that a few hours since he had witnessed
a scene which had so touched his heart that he could not forbear
cheering us with the glad tidings. Passing the "Harrison House," he
noticed that the invariable group of Sunday-noon loungers had
deserted their post. Just then his ear was caught by a clear
melodious voice singing. It seemed to come from the bar-room. Yes, as
he drew near, from the open windows of that den of pollution floated
out on the summer air the words:
"Watchman, tell as of the night,
What its signs of promise are."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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