,sunday-,school ,success                
,sunday-,school ,success    ,a ,book of 
,practical ,methods   for               
,sunday-,school ,teachers   and         
,officers    ,by    ,amos ,r4 ,wells    
,author of ,business1 ,when ,thou ,hast 
,shut ,thy   ,door1 ,social ,evenings1  
etc4  ,illustration    ,,new ,,york     
,,chicago      ,,toronto   ,fleming ,h4 
,revell ,company   ,publishers of       
,evangelical ,literature                
,copyright1 #ahig1 by   ,,fleming ,h4   
,,revell ,,company    ,,the ,,new ,,york
 ,,type-,,setting ,,company    ,,the    
,,caxton ,,press     ,preface   ,in     
these pages ,i have described the       
methods of the most successful teachers 
and ,sunday-schools ,i have known4      
,while a large part of the book is the  
direct fruit of my own experience in    
,sabbath and secular schools1 it sets   
forth1 as every teacher will understand1
 what ,i have learned from my failures  
rather than from my successes4  ,though 
the volume has something to say on all  

the great ,sunday-school problems1 it   
does not pretend to be a complete       
manual2 indeed1 who could prepare one on
 so stupendous a theme8 ,if it justifies
 its appearance among the admirable     
treatises already published for         
,sunday-school workers1 it will be      
because it presents with frankness the  
methods found helpful by an average     
teacher1 who never had charge of a large
 school or a large class1 but in        
district school1 small college1 and     
small ,sunday-school has struggled with 
the practical problems of a teacher1 and
 in some of them at least1 like         
,sentimental ,tommy1 has found a way4   
,a large number of these chapters have  
appeared in the ,sunday-school ,times1  
and others in the ,sunday-school        
,journal of the ,methodists1 the        
,pilgrim ,teacher of the                
,congregationalists1 the ,westminster   
,teacher of the ,presbyterians1 the     
,baptist ,teacher1 and the ,golden      
,rule4 ,i am grateful to these          

periodicals for permission to include   
this material in my book4    ,,amos ,r4 
,,wells4    ,,boston1 ,september1 #ahig4
     ,contents                          
,,page        ,i4 ,,the ,,teacher',s    
,,crown                            #i   
,,ii4 ,,who ,,should ,,teach ,,in ,,the 
,,sunday-,,school8        #ad           
,,iii4 ,,preparing ,,the ,,lesson       
#ba       ,,iv4 ,,something ,,about     
,,teachers' ,,meetings            #cb   
,v4 ,a ,,teacher ,,with ,a ,,schedule   
#ci       ,,vi4 ,,my ,,lesson ,,chart   
#db      ,,vii4 ,,the ,,value ,,of ,a   
,,monotessaron                   #df    
,,viii4 ,,getting ,,attention           
#eb       ,,ix4 ,,keeping ,,attention   
#eg        ,x4 ,,the ,,importance ,,of  
,,questioning                 #fd       
,,xi4 ,a ,,good ,,question              
#fi      ,,xii4 ,,inspiring ,,questions 
#ge     ,,xiii4 ,,trigger-,,teaching    
#hj      ,,xiv4 ,,galvanic ,,teaching   
#he       ,,xv4 ,,serial ,,teaching     
#hi      ,,xvi4 ,,teaching ,,the        

,,psalms                           #ie  
,,xvii4 ,,those ,,temperance ,,and      
,,missionary ,,lessons      #ajd        
,,xviii4 ,,topical ,,lessons            
#aad      ,,xix4 ,,introducing          
,,thoughts                         #aai 
,,xx4 ,,illustrations ,,and             
,,applications               #abe       
,,xxi4 ,,righteous ,,padding            
#acj     ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,sunday-,,school
 ,,and ,,the ,,newspaper          #acd  
,,xxiii4 ,,on ,,taking ,,things ,,for   
,,granted                 #aci          
,,xxiv4 ,,utilizing ,,the ,,late        
,,scholar                   #adc        
,,xxv4 ,,side-,,tracking ,,the ,,teacher
                    #adf     ,,xxvi4    
,,the ,,problem ,,of ,,the ,,visitor    
#aej    ,,xxvii4 ,,under ,,petticoat    
,,government                 #aed       
,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,teacher',s ,,three    
,,graces                   #afj         
,,xxix4 ,,something ,,to ,,belong ,,to  
#afc      ,,xxx4 ,,through ,,eye-,,gate 
#afg     ,,xxxi4 ,,foundation ,,work    

#agh    ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,trial ,,balance
                            #aic        
,,xxxiii4 ,,at ,,the ,,helm             
#bja    ,,xxxiv4 ,,the                  
,,superintendent',s ,,chance            
#bji     ,,xxxv4 ,,the ,,sunday-,,school
 ,,and ,,the ,,weather            #bac  
,,xxxvi4 ,a ,,profitable ,,picnic       
#bag   ,,xxxvii4 ,a ,,singing           
,,sunday-,,school                       
#bba  ,,xxxviii4 ,a ,,praying           
,,sunday-,,school                       
#bbg    ,,xxxix4 ,s4 ,s4 ,,and ,c4 ,e4  
#bcc       ,,xl4 ,,teachers ,,in #h,,vo 
#bda      ,,xli4 ,,around ,,the         
,,council ,,fire                        
#bef     ,,xlii4 ,,the ,,incorporation  
,,of ,,ideas                   #bfg     
,,xliii4 ,,from ,a ,,superintendent',s  
,,notebook             #bgb     ,,xliv4 
,,from ,a ,,teacher',s ,,notebook       
#bhg     ,sunday-,school ,success       
,chapter ,i  ,the ,teacher's ,crown     
,in one of those dreams which are truer 
than waking there passed before me a    

long line of the ,sunday-school teachers
 ,i have known4 ,one after the other    
they appeared--those that had taught my 
childish lips to repeat the ,bible      
words1 those that had led my youth into 
the opening glories of the              
,international ,lessons1 those that had 
put to rest the rising doubts of the    
young man and clinched his faith to the 
,rock of ages2 those1 also1 of less     
blessed memory1 whom ,i knew in early or
 later years1 that had done none of     
these things1 but other good things not 
so good4  ,and ,i noted in astonishment1
 as each came into view1 that all were  
decked with diverse crowns4 ,i had not  
looked long before ,i saw that these    
crowns were not arbitrary and           
artificial1 but sprung from the very    
substance of the character of each4     
,they had all received their reward1 but
 according to their deeds4  ,first came 
a teacher whom ,i remembered merely as  
an eloquent talker4 ,his words were     
deftly chosen1 his sentences smoothly   

formed4 ,his teaching was a charming    
harangue1 bright with metaphor1 flashing
 with sparkling parables4 ,i loved to   
listen to him4 ,i was as proud of him as
 he was of himself4 ,to be sure1 the    
only good thing he ever did for me was  
to inspire in me the vain desire to     
become an equally eloquent talker1 but  
yet ,i was sorry he had not received a  
nicer crown4 ,it looked very beautiful1 
as if it were thickly studded with      
lovely pearls richly iridescent in the  
sun2 but when he came near ,i saw that  
each pearl was a little bubble swollen  
from a reservoir within4 ,these bubbles 
were bursting all over the crown1 fresh 
ones ever taking their place4 ,it was a 
very pretty sight1 yet a very trivial   
crown1 and ,i was sorry for him4  ,there
 were several worthy teachers in the    
line whom ,i remembered as careful      
instructors in ,bible history4 ,they had
 every date at tongue's end1 knew the   
order of the books and their contents1  
the relationships of the prominent      

characters to each other1 all details of
 place and customs4 ,they could repeat  
,bible verses by the yard1 and gave     
prizes for such feats of unreasoning    
memory4 ,they were mechanical1 but      
thorough and useful4 ,they had taught me
 how to dig into the ,bible and study it
 as hard as ,i would study calculus4 ,i 
was grateful to them for this1 though   
they did no more1 and so was rather     
sorry to observe their frail crowns4    
,they were all of paper1 neatly folded  
and plaited1 and as ,i came nearer ,i   
saw that each crown was made up of      
leaves of the ,bible4  ,i saw there also
 two or three teachers who had always   
taught with a sad countenance1 teaching1
 not because they loved to teach1 but   
because it was their duty to4 ,these1 ,i
 thought1 will be joyful1 now that their
 distasteful task is over and their     
reward has come2 but when ,i could see  
their faces clearly they looked mournful
 as ever4 ,their crowns were ebon black1
 pointed with little urns and lined with

 crape1 and they often shifted them1    
pressing their hands gloomily to their  
brows1 as if the crowns were very ill   
fitting and uncomfortable4 ,they wore   
them with a martyr's air4  ,there were  
several teachers whom ,i remembered with
 gratitude because they had been so     
careful1 in teaching1 to emphasize      
always the fundamental doctrines of     
,christianity4 ,these doctrines were the
 warp and woof of the solid fabric of   
their lessons4 ,over and over1 in the   
same set phrases1 they pressed those    
great truths1 until1 strive as one      
would1 one could never forget them4 ,but
 they never taught me the relation      
between these blessed doctrines and my  
own life4 ,for years the formulas they  
had taught me remained for me mere      
words4 ,and so ,i was not at all        
surprised to find their symbolic crowns 
solid and rich1 but not attractive1 for 
they were thickly set with jewels in the
 rough4 ,here and there1 from beneath   
the incrusting stone1 some magnificent  

gem would flash out1 but the beauty and 
splendor of most of them were hidden4   
,in my fantastic dream ,i saw another1  
who had been a good teacher and a very  
poor one by turns4 ,his piety and zeal  
were subject to great fluctuations1 and 
a ,sunday's teaching from him1 carefully
 thought out1 full of wise helpfulness1 
would be followed by a fortnight or more
 of questions read out of a             
question-book1 lifeless and mechanical4 
,i was prepared1 therefore1 to          
understand the meaning of his crown1    
which bore many beautiful gems1 but     
these gems gave intermittent light1     
flashing out for a moment with most     
brilliant hues1 then suddenly growing   
dull and dark4  ,one alone of all ,i saw
 in my strange dream wore a             
looking-glass crown4 ,he had done his   
,sunday-school teaching1 ,i had always  
feared1 for the praise of men1 to be    
seen of them4 ,his attitude1 his pompous
 words and gestures1 irresistibly       
suggested to me always the posturing of 

an actor before a looking-glass4 ,and so
 his crown was all a mirror--clear1     
bright1 beautiful1 but mirroring a      
looking-glass soul4  ,and now1 closing  
the long procession1 who are these ,i   
see8 ,a thrice-blessed band1 to me ever 
sacred4 ,there is the cheery little     
matron whose brisk kindliness gave charm
 to my introduction into ,sunday-school 
life4 ,there is the quiet and low-voiced
 lady whose gentle teachings carried me 
many a step toward my ,saviour4 ,there  
is the thoughtful and saintly woman     
whose prayers for the school-boy went   
up1 ,i know1 night and morning2 whose   
urgings were so earnest1 brave1 and     
wise4 ,and there is the noble-hearted   
man1 familiar with a young collegian's  
perplexities1 sympathetic as a woman1   
trustful as a hero1 strong and uplifting
 in word and friendly deed4 ,i see them 
all1 and from their glorified heads a   
wonder shining1 a crown of light1       
beautiful as the love-gleam from a      
mother's eye4 ,and every one of the     

crowding star-points of those crowns is 
for a life won to the happy service of  
the ,master4  ,as ,i gazed with         
tear-dimmed eyes at the dear vision1 an 
angel stood at my side and asked me1    
,what are all these thou hast seen8     
,forms1 ,i answered1 of ,christ's       
teachers ,i have met2 of my own         
teachers1 these last1 all crowned as    
they have taught4 ,yes1 answered the    
angel1 but you have seen more than that4
 ,you have seen among them the crown you
 yourself will wear when your teaching  
days are over4 ,which shall it be8      
,chapter ,,ii  ,who ,should ,teach in   
the ,sunday-,school8   ,the ,master1 who
 loves little children1 stood in the    
,sunday-school door and cried to all    
that came up1 ,who will teach my        
children about me8 ,and they all with   
one consent began to make excuse4  ,the 
preacher passing by said with           
conviction1 ,i have my sermons to       
preach1 and ,sunday-school work         
distracts my thought from them4 ,then   

answered the ,master3 ,crucify your     
pride in words1 and seek the glory of   
deeds4 ,this is your true sermon1 to    
bring me close to human hearts4 ,thus   
did ,i most gladly preach1 when on      
earth1 to small classes and not to      
throngs4 ,thus should my ministers most 
gladly preach1 face to face1 one to half
 a dozen4 ,you have many pulpits more   
effective than the elegantly furnished  
one to which you mount by three steps4  
,they are the bedside1 the wayside1 the 
prayer-meeting table1 the ,sunday-school
 chair4 ,lovest thou me8 ,feed my lambs4
  ,the teacher1 when invited1 shook his 
head with a sigh4 ,i teach all the week1
 and ,i am so tired6 ,why should ,i not 
rest on ,sunday8 ,then answered the     
,master3 ,the truest rest is a little   
change in work4 ,your ,sunday-school and
 day-school will invigorate each other4 
,it is ,i who have given you the sweet  
power of leading young lives4 ,should   
you not use it in leading them to me8   
,have you not seen how teaching your    

scholars in holy things the first day of
 the week draws them closer to you in   
your secular teaching of the other days8
 ,do you not rejoice in the opportunity 
this work gives you to get an insight   
into your scholars' characters and mold 
them more directly than by the          
roundabout route of grammar and         
geography8 ,indeed1 if ,i excuse any    
from my ,sunday-school1 you1 to whom ,i 
have intrusted in especial measure the  
teaching gift1 must not be the one4     
,the business man rejected the proposal 
with emphasis1 saying3 ,as a matter of  
course1 ,sunday-school teaching is quite
 out of my line4 ,my days are kept in   
close contact with dull matter1 with    
cloth and coal and wood and iron4 ,i    
have no time for books1 except day-books
 and ledgers4 ,my mechanical1 routine   
business quite unfits me for religious  
teaching4 ,to that the ,master replied1 
smiling kindly3 ,i was a carpenter1 my  
son1 but holy thoughts kept pace with my
 plane1 and firm conclusions were       

clinched with my hammer4 ,and at        
evening1 work done1 ,i found time for   
prayer and meditation and calling young 
children about me to talk with them4    
,your contact with men and things makes 
you one of the most valuable of         
,sunday-school teachers4 ,what parables 
are acted all around you1 in nature1 in 
your work1 in the lives of your helpers6
 ,what illustrations lie heaped up in   
your business experience1 ready to your 
hand6 ,most of these young people in my 
,sunday-school will choose some business
 like yours4 ,how happy for them1 then1 
if they could have you to tell them     
beforehand of its perils1 strengthen    
them for its difficulties1 point them   
the road to success and true happiness6 
,no2 ,i can better miss preacher and    
teacher from my ,sunday-school than you 
men of affairs4  ,then came the         
care-worn housewife4 ,master1 said she1 
,i am perplexed and troubled about many 
things4 ,my days1 and often my nights1  
are crowded with a woman's myriad       

unheralded tasks4 ,the children are ever
 with me4 ,why need ,i go to            
,sunday-school to teach them8 ,why not  
each home the mother's ,sunday-school8  
,why not each home the prayer-meeting8  
the ,master asked her4 ,there come from 
numbers an interest1 a help and         
inspiration1 which you cannot get in the
 holiest family circle1 and which you   
dare not miss4 ,and what of the little  
ones whose mothers are less faithful    
than you8 ,have you no love to spare for
 them8 ,i have implanted in the very    
nature of you mothers my most earnest   
call to ,sunday-school teaching4 ,what  
is it8 ,the greatest love of little     
children4  ,and then came up two young  
people1 a youth and a maiden1 and said  
to the ,master3 ,we are too young4 ,we  
have had as yet no wonderful experience4
 ,we know nothing of death1 of disease1 
of great sorrows1 of heavy              
responsibilities4 ,we are not wise in   
these high matters4 ,we do not          
understand theology4 ,we cannot teach4  

,why1 answered the ,master1 neither do  
my little ones in the ,sunday-school    
want to know about death or disease or  
heavy responsibilities4 ,i would not    
have them taught what you think of as   
theology4 ,but you are wiser than they4 
,you see beyond their little worries and
 mysteries4 ,help them to your own      
measure of grace and strength1 and as   
you teach and they grow1 will not you   
grow1 too1 for further teaching ever8   
,no1 my young man and maid1 with your   
ardent and fresh-hearted zeal2 you can  
come very close to my little children1  
and ,i cannot spare you from my         
,sunday-school4  ,long stood the ,master
 there by the door of the               
,sunday-school1 and many were those whom
 he called to the work1 and many excuses
 were made4 ,one pleaded ignorance4     
,but1 gently questioned the ,master1    
have you a mind1 to learn8 ,one urged   
timidity4 ,but ,i will be with you1 said
 the ,master4 ,there are others who can 
do it better1 insisted one4 ,will you   

not get them to do it1 then8 begged the 
,master4 ,and if they will not do it1   
then you will be the best1 and cannot   
refuse4  ,it was not long before a      
strong little group stood by the        
,master's side1 ready for service1 and  
as the regular teachers of the school   
came up1 the ,lord of whom they taught  
received them lovingly1 or sadly turned 
them back4 ,as hard-faced1 unsympathetic
 ,mr4 ,grim would enter--he whom all the
 children fear and elders do not love2  
he to whom a boy is only the necessary  
inconvenient early stage of a man1 of   
promise only as he can commit to memory 
,bible verses--when he would enter the  
,master turned him back4 ,you must not  
teach my children1 said the blessed     
,one1 until you become as a little      
child4  ,he barred out also ,mr4        
,brainy1 whose ideal recitation is an   
argument1 and whose scholars are far    
more familiar with points of skeptical  
controversy than with the ,bible4 ,he   
would not admit ,miss ,tangent1 whose   

sole preparation for the lesson is the  
culling from her book of extracts of    
choice sentiments1 pretty fables1 and   
striking bits of verse of mysterious    
relevancy1 which she recites for her    
scholars' admiration1 and makes them    
learn4 ,he turned back also ,mrs4       
,scold1 with her sharp tongue and cold  
eyes4 ,he rejected ,mrs4 ,job1 who      
taught only from a sense of duty1 and   
only with a long face4  ,but ah1 the    
warm smile1 the eager greeting1 with    
which the ,master welcomed the school's 
workers6 ,there was ,jack ,manly1 who   
had not waited for the desire to begin  
teaching1 but had seen the need and     
filled it1 not knowing how soon and     
largely the love for the work would come
 and grow4 ,there was ,lucy ,gentle1 who
 did not feel able to teach1 yet        
considered1 not her ability1 but the    
need1 knowing that duty is measured     
rather by the seeing eye than by the    
feeble hand4 ,there was ,mrs4 ,patient1 
who had hesitated to begin the work     

because of her ignorance of the ,bible1 
but who by quiet and faithful study for 
her class had become a wise and thorough
 scholar of the ,word4 ,there was old   
,squire ,greatheart1 who taught a group 
of full-grown men and women whom he had 
gathered into a class when they were    
boys and girls1 and had led ever since  
in hard study of ,god's ,book4  ,there  
were many others whom the ,master       
received1 of many varied talents1 for   
the ,sunday-school can use a wide range 
of powers2 but all were alike in        
consciousness of their weakness compared
 with the greatness of their task1 in   
willingness to resign their work to any 
better able who could be got to take it1
 in gladness to go on with it if their  
betters would not assume it1 relying for
 success on the ,god of it4 ,their      
credentials were that they saw the need 
of the work1 that they saw their own    
unfitness to do it1 that they knew their
 fitness and power were assured when    
,god assigned the task4  ,thus the      

,master chose his teachers and blessed  
them2 and though there was no genius    
there1 no mighty mind1 no trained skill1
 but only humble readiness to serve1 he 
poured out on them the fullness of his  
love and power1 and they left the       
,sunday-school room ever bearing        
precious sheaves4  ,that is the end of  
my parable4 ,oh that all might know1 as 
we1 dear fellow-teachers1 know it1 the  
joy of our ,sunday-school ministry6     
,then superintendents would have no     
search to find teachers1 no trouble to  
keep them4 ,then to the enlarging band  
of teachers would come a constantly     
enlarging band of scholars1 and all     
together would soon bring the multitudes
 of the world into the host of the      
redeemed4     ,chapter ,,iii  ,preparing
 the ,lesson   ,some teachers think that
 preparing the lesson is merely the     
loading of a cannon with powder1 that it
 may go off with a big bang in the      
presence of admiring scholars4 ,and the 
more powder1 the bigger bang4 ,so they  

load up with scintillating similes1 and 
pretty parables1 and striking stories4  
,other teachers have set up some        
historical or theological or ethical    
target-board off at a distance from     
their class1 and load their cannon with 
ball1 that their scholars may see how   
accurate is their aim and how fairly    
they can hit the bull's-eye4 ,so they   
prepare a mass of facts and figures1    
arguments and evidences4  ,but the wise 
teacher rejects in toto the cannon      
notion4 ,he sees in each lesson a ledge 
of that grand mountain of life--of      
,christ-serving1 strong life--up to     
which he must lead his little band1 on  
which he must plant their feet so firmly
 that they may not slip back during the 
six days' interval1 but may be ready for
 the next fair terrace1 and the next4   
,so the wise teacher1 in preparing the  
lesson1 knows that he must first reach  
that ledge himself2 must repeat the     
journey over and over until he has      
learned the easiest way for little feet2

 must make ladders with rounds close    
together2 must spread sand on slippery  
places and stretch ropes along the edge 
of the cliff4 ,he1 too1 lays in supplies
 of stories and pretty parables1 not1   
however1 in the form of powder1 to make 
a show1 but 7if this is not too severe a
 twist of the simile7 as dainty food to 
keep the young travelers fresh and      
hearty4 ,he1 too1 has facts and figures 
and arguments and evidences1 not1       
however1 as cannon-balls1 but in the    
shape of iron bridges and railings and  
ropes1 that the way may be solid and    
safe4  ,there are some teachers that do 
not study at all4 ,it is as if a        
will-o'-the-wisp should undertake to    
guide one on an important journey4      
,those teachers are going they know not 
whither1 over they know not what road1  
for what purpose they have not the      
slightest idea1 and land always in a    
bog4  ,emphatically1 the teacher that is
 not always climbing himself will leave 
his class on a very dead level indeed4  

,he should be reaching down and pulling 
them up1 but he is soon compelled to    
stand where they are and push1 and ends 
with believing his level best to lie    
along the smooth road of the easy-going 
valley4  ,the teacher who ceases to grow
 ceases to teach4 ,that is why a        
,sunday-school lesson cannot be crammed4
 ,that is why preparation for it must   
extend all through the week4 ,growth    
cannot be ordered offhand4 ,it comes    
from ,father ,time's shop1 and he is a  
deliberate workman4 ,you will lose your 
hold on your class if each ,sunday hour 
does not begin with you a little above  
them1 and end with them at your level4  
,this advance cannot be won ,saturday   
night1 or during the space between the  
first and second bells for              
,sunday-school4 ,such a spasmodic leap  
ahead will leave you too much out of    
breath even to tell them to come on4    
,dropping metaphor1 of which we may have
 had too much1 there are several        
substantial reasons why the             

,sunday-school preparation should extend
 over the seven days of the week4 ,thus 
only can you utilize in the ,master's   
work odd bits of time1 your ,bible on   
the bureau while you dress1 in your     
hands on the street-cars or while you   
wait for the meat to be cooked4 ,there  
are many ,bible verses which should be  
carefully committed to memory in        
connection with each lesson1 as the     
teacher's best reliance for commentary  
and inspiration4 ,these verses should be
 running through our heads as we run on 
all our six-day tasks1 and should sing  
themselves to all our labor-tunes4 ,but 
chiefly1 it is only in this way that we 
can accumulate hints1 and grow into the 
truths of the lesson by experience4     
,with the lesson theme for a nucleus1 it
 is astounding to see what a wealth of  
illustration1 of wise and helpful       
comment1 each day's living thrusts upon 
us4 ,every event is a picture of some   
truth which needs only a sensitive plate
 to be photographed forever4 ,that      

sensitive plate is a mind which is      
studying that particular truth4  ,how   
much time do you spend in studying your 
,sunday-school lesson8 ,you see that no 
true teacher can answer that question1  
any more than the poet can tell how long
 he is in writing his poem4 ,this is the
 inspirational part of the teacher's    
work1 and not the mechanical part1 and  
his brooding will have issue of life    
just in proportion as the ,holy ,spirit 
dwells in his heart4 ,but along with    
this lofty work must go lower processes1
 of which it is far easier to speak4 ,i 
mean those lower processes which alone  
we are likely to call studying4 ,permit 
me to lay down a programme for the study
 of a ,sunday-school lesson4  ,to begin 
with1 let it be always with pencil in   
hand4 ,you have seen iron filings       
scattered in rough confusion over a     
sheet of glass4 ,and then1 when the     
magnet was placed beneath1 you have seen
 those ugly bits of metal dance into the
 daintiest designs1 fairy curves and    

most symmetrical figures4 ,such a       
delightful magnet is a pencil or a pen  
for all the disordered thoughts and     
fancies of our brains4 ,next to the     
,bible1 the ,sunday-school teacher's    
inseparable companion should be a       
lead-pencil4  ,what book is nearest you 
while you study your lesson8 ,teachers  
may be classified finally by their      
answers to that question4 ,is it the    
commentary1 the atlas1 the ,bible       
dictionary1 the concordance1 the        
question-book1 or the ,bible8 ,if the   
commentary1 your comments will fall     
fruitless to the ground4 ,if the atlas1 
your class will wander nowhither4 ,if   
the ,bible dictionary1 your diction will
 have no issue in deed4 ,if the         
concordance1 your class will know little
 from you of that concord which passes  
understanding4 ,if the question-book1   
the value of all your study is at least 
questionable4 ,no2 let me emphasize this
 statement3 ,not a single lesson help   
should be touched until everything      

possible to be learned about the lesson 
from the ,bible directly has been       
learned4  ,for this you will need two   
,bibles at least1 one to be kept open at
 the lesson1 one to turn back and forth 
in pursuit of references and            
information4 ,the first must be a ,king 
,james reference ,bible2 the second1 the
 noble translation of ,victoria's reign4
 ,thus furnished1 read the lesson4 ,as  
you read1 examine your mind4 ,what      
questions assail it8 ,those moments are 
full of matter4 ,those questions are the
 clues to the lesson labyrinth4 ,those  
perplexities constitute your programme4 
,i wonder where this place is8 you will 
say to yourself4 ,who was this man1 and 
what was his past history1 that he did  
this deed8 ,what does this odd phrase   
mean8 ,is that sentiment a just one8 ,is
 that act a model for us modern folk8   
,as these difficulties come up in your  
slow and thoughtful reading1 jot them   
down1 and the resultant half-sheet of   
scribbling means half the work          

accomplished4 ,but hold6 ,did you read  
through a child's eye as well as your   
own8 ,did you read in the plural number8
 ,if not1 you must read the lesson once 
more1 with a poet's imagination noting  
this time the difficulties which you    
strode easily over1 but which would soon
 trip up little feet4 ,when you write   
down such points on your paper1         
underscore them4 ,and underscore them   
again4 ,a vast deal of preparation for  
teaching is fruitless because it is made
 in the singular number4  ,the next     
stage in our lesson study will be to    
answer our questions4 ,points in regard 
to antecedents and motives will be      
answered by the chapters intervening    
between the last lesson and this4 ,those
 should next be read4 ,many difficulties
 concerning customs and laws will be    
cleared up by parallel passages and the 
references of your reference ,bible4    
,those same references will collate for 
you helpful utterances on the ethical   
problems of the passage4 ,comparatively 

few people know1 by the way1 how nearly 
a reference ,bible allows one to        
dispense with the ,bible dictionary1    
,bible index1 concordance1 and          
commentary4 ,i am continually astonished
 to see how few are the questions which 
may be asked about a passage that the   
,bible itself does not answer if closely
 scrutinized4  ,but all this is a waste 
of time1 you object4 ,in the lesson     
helps all of these points are stated and
 discussed1 fully1 methodically1        
concisely4 ,others have done this work  
for me1 anticipating all my             
difficulties4 ,why need ,i repeat their 
labor8 ,surely not merely to be         
original4 ,there's too much original    
work crying to be done to waste a moment
 in duplicating unnecessarily work      
already done for us4 ,but the ,bible    
study cannot be done for you4 ,it must  
end in familiarity with the ,bible1 in  
appreciation of it1 in a wide-awake     
understanding of the problems it        
presents1 to be obtained in no way      

except by original work4 ,if            
difficulties are solved before we have  
felt them to be difficulties1 if customs
 and phrases are explained before we    
have discovered the need of an          
explanation1 and places located before  
we fall to groping after them1 it is the
 old story of light won1 light lost4    
,and so ,i wish to repeat that the one  
proper commencement of study of a ,bible
 lesson is the ,bible1 and the ,bible1  
and the ,bible2 once to note our own    
questions1 once to imagine our scholars'
 questions1 and once1 in large measure1 
here1 there1 and everywhere1            
concordance1 index1 references1 and     
atlas at our elbow1 to answer1 if it may
 be1 from the ,book itself all the      
questions it has raised4  ,and when this
 is done1 even if every question has    
been answered1 open arms to the         
commentaries and the lesson helps1 the  
wisest and richest you can find1 and as 
many as you have time for4 ,why8        
,because twenty heads are better than   

one2 because the ,hebrew and ,greek and 
travel and debate and experience and    
insight and spirituality of our best    
thinkers will suggest new points of     
view1 add a world of illustration1 may  
even upset some of your conclusions4    
,stand sturdily1 however1 in the        
presence of these learned doctors4 ,you 
will be tempted to throw away your own  
honest results and adopt their wise and 
brilliant homilies4 ,if you do1 your    
class will laugh at you1 or yawn4 ,you  
will be giving them1 not your life1 but 
your rhetoric4 ,these helps are for     
inspiration1 not respiration and        
circulation4 ,they are for hints toward 
originality1 not hindrances4 ,they are  
useful in strengthening your own        
thought1 vivifying your own feeling1    
confirming your own conclusions1 opening
 new vistas for your own exploration1   
suggesting methods for your own         
practice4  ,if these two lines of       
preparation have been faithfully carried
 out1 you will by this time have        

accumulated a mass of material which    
will be confusing1 and the third step is
 to reduce it to order4 ,long practice  
has convinced me of the utility of the  
plan of writing out questions4 ,whether 
these questions are used in the class or
 not1 they clarify the subject          
marvelously1 and the mere drill of      
writing them adds fifty per cent4 to the
 teaching power of the instructor4 ,when
 ,i began trying it1 ,i was astonished  
to see how many thoughts which seemed to
 me quite promising and bright could not
 be approached by the interrogative     
mood4 ,i wanted to lead up to this      
simile1 that illustration1 this theory1 
that pretty idea4 ,i would soon find    
that my questions refused to lead up to 
them naturally4 ,why8 ,simply because   
these fancies answered no query likely  
to rise1 solved no difficulty likely to 
suggest itself1 and were mere           
adventitious decorations wherewith ,i   
had been accustomed to load my          
,sunday-school teaching1 to show off4   

,my attempt at formulating questions    
soon taught me1 too1 that ,i had been   
indulging in monologue4 ,i found it     
unexpectedly difficult to frame a       
question--one1 that is1 which required  
the scholar to do some thinking to      
answer4 ,i discovered that ,i had been  
in the habit of propounding yes and no  
queries1 merely as excuses for          
five-minute orations4  ,then1 too1 when 
,i began to put down in black and white 
just what ,i expected to put into that  
precious half-hour1 ,i wondered what ,i 
had been doing with it hitherto4 ,by my 
previous methods two or three little    
notions would keep me going through the 
whole thirty minutes2 but ideas do      
shrink so when you put them on paper    
with a question-mark at the end6 ,it is 
wonderful how many questions can be     
asked and answered in half an hour4 ,i  
gained a new conception of the value of 
time1 and of the teaching value of study
 hours4  ,in writing out these          
questions1 then1 the first thing to be  

thought of is that consideration with   
which a good teacher will begin his     
lesson1 but a poor teacher will close3  
,what is the main teaching of the       
lesson8--as important1 this main        
teaching1 as the compass to the sailor4 
,what particular characteristic of      
,god's noblemen is this lesson to       
strengthen in my scholars8 ,every       
teacher should know the power which is  
given by an ultimatum2 by a decision1   
that is1 as to the one thing which1 no  
matter what else it wins or fails to    
win1 that lesson must accomplish4 ,is it
 to make my boys and girls more         
truthful1 more brave1 more cheery1 more 
trusting8 ,whatever the point be1 about 
that shall cluster the questions1 the   
illustrations1 the arguments4           
,countries1 customs1 times1 history1    
shall be only its framework4 ,there must
 be other points1 to be sure1 but merely
 as side excursions1 from which we      
return with greater zeal to this our    
main quest4 ,those subordinate points we

 next determine1 and the order in which 
we shall treat them1 and then sit down  
to write out our questions4  ,does all  
this seem too mechanical1 this writing  
out questions1 and determining point by 
point just what results you will seek1  
and in what order8 ,it is businesslike2 
it is mechanical4 ,why are we so afraid 
of mechanism in bringing hearts to the  
great ,mechanic1 without whom was       
nothing made that has been made8 ,a     
machine is merely a contrivance for     
applying power effectively1 and the only
 question should be1 ,does this         
machinery make my aim more direct1 widen
 and deepen the range of my efforts8 ,it
 is a grand and godlike thing to be     
mechanical1 but it is a pitifully weak  
thing to stop with being mechanical4    
,machinery accomplishes all the work    
that is being done anywhere1 but it is  
machinery informed by the ,holy ,spirit4
 ,our lesson preparation will be in     
harmony with all of ,god's preparing if 
it is orderly1 painstaking1 and         

definite1 binding together1 however1 all
 its labored details with the sweet and 
creative spirit of prayer4 ,machinery   
touched by prayer is always the         
machinery in which1 as in the old ,greek
 plays1 the god descends4 ,nothing is   
mechanical1 everything is poetical and  
spiritual1 that can be prayed over4     
,but will not all this take time--all   
this ransacking of the ,bible1 original 
study1 writing out of questions1 and    
formulating plans8 ,of course it will4  
,time is what good things are made      
of--time and toil4 ,it would be strange 
if the best of good things1 the         
sanctification of lives1 did not take   
time and toil4 ,but let us remember two 
facts3 one1 that this work1 being       
thorough work1 need not be done twice4  
,seven years of such ,bible study as ,i 
have indicated1 and what a magnificently
 trained teacher you will be1 ready1 all
 ready1 for the next ,international     
,lesson cycle1 the next ,sunday-school  
,sabbath of years6 ,we ,sunday-school   

teachers have enlisted for life4 ,it is 
so much wiser1 then1 to study for life4 
,and in the second place1 familiarity   
with this thoroughgoing way of working  
makes it much easier and more rapid than
 at first4 ,we no longer have to use the
 concordance1 but memory supplies       
passages needed for illustration4 ,bible
 customs are soon learned4 ,the         
peculiarities of ,bible language are    
readily mastered4 ,the poetic instinct  
which sees parables and applications    
grows with its use until they crowd upon
 you and must be critically culled4     
,nothing ends easy but that which begins
 hard4  ,after all1 however1 these are  
the lower motives4 ,what matters it even
 if the preparation for this blessed    
work remains hard to our last ,sabbath8 
,let it be the best we know1 and on that
 last ,sabbath1 if ,god has given us the
 knowledge that even one soul has been  
turned to the supreme happiness by all  
our toil1 we shall deem it rich reward4 
,chapter ,,iv  ,something about         

,teachers' ,meetings   ,the teachers'   
meeting is not so much to get facts as  
to vivify and arrange them4 ,the leader 
does not teach the lesson unless he     
teaches how to teach the lesson4 ,this  
is a place for comparison4  ,the meeting
 is perhaps less to make plans for the  
teachers than to stimulate them to make 
good plans for themselves4 ,the         
gathering is not to listen to a lecture4
 ,you cannot make teachers1 except by   
the ,socratic method4 ,a teachers'      
meeting is not a ,bible class4  ,the    
ideal teachers' meeting focuses on the  
work of each the helpfulness and skill  
of all4 ,the leader1 then1 must put into
 the meeting every one's peculiar       
talent1 and must draw out from the      
meeting for every one's peculiar need4  
,and do not--as so many teachers'       
meetings do--let the teachers for the   
older classes run away with the evening4
  ,the right kind of teachers' meeting  
keeps itself up and keeps up the        
teachers4 ,it draws1 because it is      

attractive4 ,the only way to build up an
 attendance is to build up the interest 
of the meeting to be attended4          
,nevertheless1 attention to a few bits  
of detail will greatly assist in        
building up the attendance4 ,have a     
constitution1 a full set of officers1   
and stated business meetings4 ,make the 
teachers feel that they belong4 ,many a 
teachers' meeting goes to pieces for    
lack of something to tie to4 ,cultivate 
the feeling of responsibility4 ,insist  
on rotation in office4 ,give every      
teacher possible some regular duty1 if  
only to pass the hymn-books4 ,once a    
year at least let the teachers' meeting 
have a field day4 ,get up its finest    
programme1 with a special view to       
interesting the entire church in        
,sunday-school work4 ,then invite the   
entire church to hear it4 ,such an open 
meeting should come just before the     
beginning of a new line of study4  ,the 
teachers' meeting1 in many small places1
 will be a union meeting1 of all the    

evangelical churches1 and sometimes of  
neighboring churches in cities4 ,what   
finer close to a year's harmonious work 
than for all the teachers of this union 
meeting to sit down to dinner together  
at a genuine love-feast6  ,attendance is
 in many cases increased by providing a 
variety of leaders4 ,the brightest of   
men becomes wearisome ere long2 his     
methods grow familiar4 ,the heart of the
 teachers' meeting is the programme     
committee1 ever pumping in fresh blood4 
,arrange with neighboring towns for the 
loan or exchange of helpful leaders4    
,there is a certain gain in a uniform   
programme for the hour1 so that         
historical explanations1 difficult      
exegesis1 blackboard work1 plans for the
 little folks1 lesson analysis1 and so  
on1 may be taken up in a uniform order  
each evening4 ,this will insure against 
the omission of any line of work4  ,let 
one teacher--a new one for each         
quarter--be appointed to present within 
ten or fifteen minutes an outline of    

work for the younger classes4 ,if this  
teacher cannot draw1 an assistant should
 be appointed who can4 ,the remainder of
 the time1 after these regular exercises
 are over1 will be at the disposal of   
the leader of the evening1 who will     
treat the lesson in general4 ,some such 
combination of permanent with changing  
leadership will be found exceedingly    
helpful and attractive4  ,who should    
lead the teachers' meeting8 ,teachers4  
,not exhorters2 not conversational      
monopolists2 not lecturers2 not the most
 learned doctor of divinity who is not  
also a teacher4 ,none of these1 but     
teachers4 ,the obscure layman1 if he    
knows how to ask wise questions4 ,no one
 for compliment1 no one for custom1 but 
every one for practical utility1 for    
learning how to teach4  ,see that the   
meeting begins on time1 whether the     
leader is ready or not1 and even if no  
audience is present4 ,there will be an  
improvement next time4 ,promptness      
begets promptness4 ,and let the meeting 

close on time1 though in the midst of   
the most interesting discussion4 ,all   
the better to leave a little interest as
 a nest-egg4 ,open with prayer4 ,some   
teachers' meetings also open with       
singing4 ,one verse is better than two4 
,it is useful to read the lesson text in
 the meeting1 provided the reading is   
made to teach something4 ,the manner    
should be varied4 ,let the leader       
request the teachers to take up the     
reading whenever he stops1 and let him  
stop at eccentric places1 to hold       
attention4 ,let the teachers read each  
verse in the ,king ,james ,version1 the 
leader responding with the ,revision4   
,in a passage where description or      
narrative alternates with speeches1 let 
the leader read the speeches only1 the  
audience inserting the narrative4       
,divide the lesson into sections that   
will analyze the thought or the story1  
and read these sections alternately1 the
 leader prefacing each with a suggestive
 title4 ,divide the teachers into two   

portions1--right and left1 front and    
back1--and let them read antiphonally4  
,let the leader read the entire lesson1 
injecting crisp comments carefully      
prepared beforehand1 these comments     
being all in one line--exegetical1      
historical1 explanatory of customs or of
 phrases4 ,let the leader prepare a set 
of questions1 one to be answered by each
 verse1 and to serve as an introduction 
to it as the teachers read4 ,in studying
 the ,gospels1 whenever the lesson would
 be made clearer by it1 read1 instead of
 the regular text1 the same passage as a
 monotessaron gives it1 combined with   
all that is found in the other ,gospels4
 ,such ancient books as ,the ,teaching  
of the ,twelve ,apostles or ,the        
,apocryphal ,gospel of ,st4 ,peter may  
often furnish a suggestive extract to   
add to this opening reading4  ,the work 
of the teachers' meeting will largely be
 cut out for it at the outset1 if the   
leader knows his business4 ,announce    
your programme1 if you want help in     

carrying it out4 ,what wonder the       
meeting runs off the leader's track1    
when the track is invisible to all but  
the leader6 ,first1 says the experienced
 teacher1 we'll form a scheme for our   
guidance in study2 second1 we'll go over
 the story of the lesson in a           
preliminary survey2 third1 we'll take up
 the words1 phrases1 customs1 and       
circumstances that need explanation2    
fourth1 we'll discuss the best way of   
teaching the lesson to the younger      
scholars2 finally1 we'll bring out      
points for the older members of the     
school4  ,many meetings fray out at the 
end4 ,nothing is finished1 or at best   
there are only a few hasty answers to   
the stereotyped question1 ,now what do  
you consider the chief teachings of this
 lesson8 ,if it has not been made       
evident before the meeting was half     
through what are the chief teachings of 
that lesson1 it surely will not be made 
evident by this hurried question1 whose 
answers are punctuated by the donning of

 overcoats4 ,if the leader began with a 
good outline1 now is the time to clinch 
the discussions of the evening by       
repeating the outline1 enlarged and     
modified as those discussions may have  
required4 ,then let the evening be      
closed reverently with a few words of   
earnest prayer4  ,as to the general     
conduct of the meeting1 probably the    
matter most necessary to be urged is the
 use of direct1 brisk1 suggestive       
questions1 addressed1 not to empty      
space1 but to particular teachers4 ,a   
question spread over a roomful is about 
as efficient as a bullet would be if    
fired flat enough to cover ten men4     
,don't be afraid to use proper names4   
,questions addressed to a crowd put a   
premium on forwardness4 ,call no one by 
name who is really too bashful to reply1
 but teachers ought to pass by that     
stage of timidity4  ,a second common    
mistake is to run the teachers' meeting 
on the low plane of mere facts1 history1
 biography1 when it should be all aglow 

with the spiritual life4 ,if the        
teachers' meeting does not touch the    
teachers' consciences1 hardly will those
 teachers touch the consciences of their
 scholars4 ,let the leader ask at every 
turn this question in effect3 ,what need
 of your scholars' lives will this truth
 fit8 ,and he should not rest satisfied 
until the truth is applied in turn to   
the diverse needs of three classes--the 
little folks1 the young folks1 and the  
old folks4  ,the leader must put himself
 in the place of all kinds of teachers1 
and discern their needs4 ,he must head  
off unseemly and prolonged discussions2 
he must have sprightliness to keep the  
meeting taut2 he must have zeal to keep 
the meeting warm2 he must have          
consecration to keep the meeting        
spiritual4  ,but the best of leaders may
 be thwarted by poor following4 ,to be  
led in a teachers' meeting is an art    
almost as difficult as to lead4 ,a      
skilful follower in a teachers' meeting 
will answer questions briefly4 ,he will 

not commit the impertinence of giving   
ten times as much as is asked for from  
him1 thus stealing from the meeting the 
sprightliness of nine questions and     
answers1 even when all he says is to the
 point4 ,he will make suggestive answers
 rather than exhaustive ones4 ,his eager
 note-book and intelligent listening    
will be as encouraging as a continuous  
round of applause4 ,in short1 he will be
 anxious to do anything for the success 
of the meeting1 even to the extent of   
sitting silent for fifteen minutes4 ,and
 all leaders will bless him4            
,chapter ,v  ,a ,teacher with a         
,schedule   ,the weak point in the      
preparation most ,sunday-school teachers
 make is their failure to prepare a     
schedule for their teaching--the order1 
that is1 in which they shall take up and
 discuss the facts and lessons of the   
day's ,scripture4 ,probably the majority
 of teachers begin with verse #a and go 
stolidly through to verse #ac1 or as    
near it as the superintendent will      

permit them to get4 ,this is teaching   
with a shovel1 and not with a sieve4    
,wise teaching selects1 marshals1 brings
 to a focus4 ,it excels haphazard       
teaching as far as a painting by        
,rembrandt excels a whitewashed fence4  
,it does not permit ideas to neutralize 
each other4 ,it has a purpose1 clearly  
and determinedly held in view1 and to   
this purpose it subordinates everything 
else4 ,it knows that the effectiveness  
of the lesson depends quite as much on  
what is left out as on what is put in4  
,now the more ideas a teacher has1 the  
greater need has he of a schedule1 just 
as the railroad that runs most trains is
 in most need of a good time-table4     
,indeed1 the performance of a teacher   
without a plan bears a strong           
resemblance to a railway collision4     
,ideas1 illustrations1 exhortations1    
bump into one another front and rear1   
telescope each other1 and form at the   
end of the hour a disheartening mass of 
splintered fragments1 with here and     

there a jet of steam or a puff of smoke4
 ,if the teacher has no schedule1 the   
scholars on his lesson train will grow  
confused and get nowhere4 ,small blame  
to them6  ,imitating ,paul1 the wise    
teacher will take for his motto1 ,this  
one thing ,i teach4 ,he will teach as   
much more as is possible1 but first he  
will make absolutely sure of one thing4 
,my own plan in connection with every   
lesson is to lay down one principal1 and
 two or three subordinates4 ,it is best 
to write these down on the margin of the
 quarterly1 in precisely the order in   
which they are to be taken up4 ,ask     
yourself most earnestly1 ,what is the   
main lesson this ,scripture is to teach 
my scholars8 ,having decided on that1   
consider your teaching a success1       
whatever happens1 if it has impressed   
this one truth4 ,leap to this task as   
swiftly as may be1 even if to reach the 
chosen point you must pass hastily over 
the first portion of the lesson4  ,after
 driving home this truth1 and making    

sure of it1 take up in turn your        
subordinates4 ,this will require a new  
view of the lesson story that will      
compensate for your previous haste4 ,and
 reserve some time at the end of the    
lesson for a few parting words on your  
main truth4 ,save for this time your    
most telling illustration1 your most    
ardent pleading4 ,in preparation for    
this get all questions and difficulties 
out of the way4 ,be sure1 before you    
begin1 that your watch is with the      
superintendent's1 and do not permit     
yourself to be caught by the closing    
bell with your lesson only half way to  
the terminus4  ,some teachers are proud 
thus to be caught1 but they should be   
ashamed4 ,if their neighbor admits that 
he got over the lesson with his class1  
they are filled with amazed pity at his 
lack of brains4 ,why1 how could you8    
,there was so much in the lesson that ,i
 scarcely made a beginning4  ,teachers1 
it is a disgrace to any workman to leave
 behind him an improperly finished job2 

and we are1 or should be1 just as       
thorough workmen as any carpenter4      
,select6 ,one truth a ,sunday means     
fifty-two truths a year1 while fifty-two
 truths a ,sunday would not mean one    
truth a year4 ,plan6 ,definite results  
do not come from haphazard methods4     
,finish6 ,one goal reached is greater   
triumph than fifty goals started for4   
,form a schedule1 and carry it out6     
,chapter ,,vi  ,my ,lesson ,chart   ,my 
recipe for a well-prepared lesson is    
expressed in ,captain ,cuttle's formula3
 ,make a note on 't4  ,i have read the  
lesson text1 and the text before the    
lesson text and after it4 ,i have read  
the wisest commentaries ,i can find1 and
 as many of them as ,i can find time    
for4 ,i have mulled over the matter for 
myself a day or two4 ,by this time my   
brain is thronged with facts and        
a-tingle with suggestions4  ,then1 the  
lesson leaf or some other convenient    
copy of the lesson text before me1 ,i   
construct the chart by which to make my 

,sabbath cruise4  ,first1 one must get  
out to sea2 there is the introduction4  
,how shall ,i fit this trip in with last
 ,sabbath's voyage1 and how shall ,i get
 under way8  ,as ,i plan my introductory
 questions1 ,i write at the head of the 
lesson text some word to represent each 
question1 such as author8 time8 place8  
circumstances8 purpose8 outline8  ,with 
the questions concerning the text       
itself1 however1 ,i do no writing2 ,i   
simply underscore neatly those words or 
phrases of the text that will hint at   
the point to be raised4 ,for example1   
take the verse1 ,the ,lord is my        
shepherd2 ,i shall not want1 and the    
questions3 7#a7 ,how was this imagery   
prompted by ,david's life8 7#b7 ,what   
use did our ,lord make of the same      
simile8 7#c7 ,what comfort should we get
 from this thought in the trials and    
uncertainties of life8 7#d7 ,how does   
,christ's shepherding keep us from want8
 7#e7 ,from what kind of want does it   
keep us8 7#f7 ,what makes you sure of   

this8 7#g7 ,how was all this proved true
 in ,david's case8  ,as each question   
occurs to me1 or is suggested by my     
reading1 ,i underscore a word that      
henceforth stands for that question4    
,these words1 in the order of the       
questions1 are3 7#a7 shepherd2 7#b7     
,lord2 7#c7 my2 7#d7 a curved line from 
shepherd to ,i connecting the two       
sentences2 7#e7 want2 7#f7 shall not2   
7#g7 ,i4  ,it will sometimes need a     
little thought to decide just which word
 will best represent the question1 but  
that very thought will fix the question 
more firmly in the mind4 ,if more than  
one question should be attached to one  
word1 make two short underscorings1 one 
beside the other4  ,when the question   
contrasts two persons1 two expressions1 
or two events1 railroading is in        
order--a line1 that is1 drawn clear     
across the printed page1 connecting the 
words which the question connects4  ,if 
you have a parallel ,bible1 or some     
lesson help that gives the ,king ,james 

and the ,revised versions in opposite   
columns1 it is an excellent plan to mark
 in one version all the points of       
history1 geography1 biography1 customs1 
dates1 and the like1 and in the other   
the points requiring practical          
application to heart and life4 ,the     
latter will obviously go best in the    
,revised ,version4 ,the points indicated
 by the underscorings in the ,king      
,james ,version may first be considered 
and got out of the way4  ,if1 however1  
you must use only the ,authorized       
,version1 distinguish in some manner    
between the two sets of points--the     
merely explanatory and the hortatory4   
,use black ink for the first and red ink
 for the second1 or a straight line for 
the one and a wavy line for the other1  
or for the first a single and for the   
second a double underscore4  ,proceeding
 in this way1 ,i soon have a line under 
every word requiring explanation1 every 
hint of a strange custom1 every         
reference to other parts of the         

,scriptures1 every point for practical  
application4 ,i have underscored words  
representative of all the thoughts that 
especially appeal to me as fitting the  
needs of my class4  ,when this has been 
done1 it is time to make my outline4 ,if
 my study has suggested to me an outline
 of my own1 that will be better for me  
than any other man's4 ,the outline is   
the plan of campaign1 the thing ,i wish 
especially to emphasize1 and under it1  
ranged in order1 the points of minor    
importance4 ,i write this outline on the
 margin of my lesson text4  ,having     
decided on the outline1 ,i go over my   
underscorings again1 doubly or trebly   
underscoring the words that have        
reference to the thought around which ,i
 intend to center the entire lesson--the
 thought that is to be the lesson's     
enduring monument in the minds and lives
 of my scholars4  ,now ,i am ready for  
review4 ,i go over the whole1 starting  
with the detached words jotted down at  
the beginning1--author1 time1 place1    

etc41--and consider all the             
underscorings1 railroadings1 and curved 
lines1 stopping at each to frame a      
question of my own and to make sure of  
my best answer4 ,i do this in precisely 
the order in which ,i intend to take up 
these points in the class4 ,not the     
smallest part of my work at this        
juncture is to simplify1 by erasing the 
underscorings where the questions may be
 spared without interfering with my main
 purpose2 and then ,i review once more  
in the same way1 to confirm my grasp on 
the lesson plan4  ,by this time every   
underscoring is luminous1 and my page of
 lesson text has become a graphic       
picture of the lesson ,i am to teach1 a 
true chart for my voyage4  ,do you think
 the process too tedious1 brother       
teacher8 ,it is not a whit too thorough 
when you remember the infinite interests
 involved2 and every repetition of it   
will increase your skill1 and the       
rapidity of your work4 ,i have used this
 method for years1 with various classes1

 and know it to be practical1 pleasant1 
and profitable4 ,try it1 and see4       
,chapter ,,vii  ,the ,value of a        
,monotessaron   ,far above concordance1 
,bible index1 ,bible dictionary1        
commentary1 ,i count the monotessaron   
the very best help to ,bible study4 ,the
 monotessaron1 it might be              
parenthetically remarked for the benefit
 of the lexicon-lazy folk1 is a harmony 
of the four ,gospels1 so arranged as to 
make one continuous and complete story1 
in ,scripture words alone4  ,fie6 says  
one reviewer of a recent monotessaron1  
we have no use for such compilations4   
,god gave us the gospel in four separate
 books4 ,he could have put it in one if 
it had been best that way4 ,this is an  
argument which would make a heretic of  
the locomotive1 printing-press1 and any 
other rearrangement of ,god-given       
matter4 ,having the four ,gospels1 we   
may have one4 ,if ,god had given us only
 one1 we could not have the four4       
,christians will always read the four   

separate ,gospels1 in order to see      
,christ from four separate points of    
view1 through four separate             
individualities1 that their differences 
as well as their agreements may make the
 picture stand out more vividly1 much as
 the two diverse flat portions of a     
stereoscope view combine into perfect   
perspective and reality4  ,but this     
combining is necessary2 and it may be   
truly said that what we lose1 in reading
 the monotessaron1 of the personality of
 ,john or ,luke1 we more than gain in   
the increased vividness of the person of
 ,christ4 ,speaking for one1 ,i may say 
that through my first acquaintance with 
a monotessaron that matchless life has  
shone upon me with an entire splendor of
 beauty and majesty before unimagined4  
,never before was the life a whole1 like
 ,washington's or ,lincoln's4 ,the      
imprisonment of ,john was an event in   
the fourteenth chapter of one ,gospel1  
the sixth of another1 the third of the  
rest2 the call of ,matthew now in the   

ninth chapter1 now the second1 now the  
fifth2 the parable of the sower in the  
thirteenth1 fourth1 and eighth chapters4
 ,nothing was in a clear1 definite      
relation to the single life4 ,the talk  
with ,nicodemus is now no longer to me  
an event of ,john #c1 but of the        
beginning of the first year of ,christ's
 ministry1 at the ,passover4 ,no longer 
would ,i be puzzled to tell which came  
first1 the healing of the nobleman's son
 of ,john #d1 or the stilling of the    
tempest of ,mark #d1 but place the last 
a year later4  ,not only has the        
narrative become clear and orderly1 not 
only has the wonderful history parted   
itself into the true and helpful        
time-divisions so diverse from the      
confusing chapters1 but the places now  
stand out1 and journeys are distinct4   
,take any diatessaron--that is1 any     
parallel arrangement of the four        
,gospels--and note the wide blanks in   
each book1 filled out by others1 so that
 between contiguous verses of one       

,gospel must be inserted whole chapters 
of another1 complete journeys1 many     
deeds and sayings1 the location in the  
meantime greatly changing4 ,a geologist 
will think of the helpful triumph of    
taking from the full rock record here to
 fill out the unconformable strata      
there1 until a geological column is     
built up4  ,a further inestimable       
advantage is the appreciation of        
surroundings4 ,what light is cast1 for  
example1 on the story of ,lazarus in    
,john by its insertion in ,luke6 ,the   
contact of these parted elements of the 
gospel story sometimes rouses a current 
of thrilling thoughts1 making a         
veritable electric battery of the       
monotessaron4  ,still another priceless 
gain is an understanding of proportions4
 ,matthew's parallels1 ,mark's deeds1   
,luke's miracles and parables1 ,john's  
sermons--in reading any of the four     
,gospels peculiar elements come into    
prominence1 and we are left with no idea
 of the relative proportion of these    

elements in the one life4 ,what emphasis
 did ,christ place on the doctrinal1 and
 what on the practical8 ,just how much  
of his teaching concerned himself and   
his character8 ,what space in the ,new  
,testament is occupied by miracles8     
,just what part of ,christ's preaching  
was parabolic8 ,what is the prominence  
of missionary effort and proselytism8   
,how much is there of consolation1 and  
how much of stern rebuke8 ,what measure 
of promise8 ,what quantum of theology8  
,what share of ethics8  ,these and      
scores of other questions which occur at
 once to every ,christian thinker1 the  
monotessaron makes possible of easy and 
rapid answer4 ,indeed1 almost its chief 
advantage is the spur it affords to the 
spirit of investigation4 ,those who are 
statistically inclined can even get at  
precise ratios by the exact process of  
counting lines4  ,well1 that is my      
experience of the value of a            
monotessaron4 ,it has given the life and
 person of ,christ marvelous vividness1 

setting facts in their due order1       
location1 relations1 and proportions1   
while the facility it affords is        
constant inspiration to fresh1          
delightful study4 ,this is the          
experience of thousands1 and yet ,i am  
sure that among the readers of this book
 will be many who are yet unacquainted  
with this ,bible help4 ,not only every  
,sunday-school teacher1 but every ,bible
 scholar1 should own one4  ,the single  
year in which ,i wrote this chapter saw 
the publication1 in quick succession1 of
 four of these monotessarons1 one the   
improved edition of an older work4 ,each
 of these four has its peculiar features
 of value1 and ,i have compared them    
carefully to get at their               
characteristics4      #a4 ,the          
,interwoven ,gospels4 ,rev4 ,william    
,pittenger4 7#e x #g-a_/b     inches1   
pp4 #bde4 ,new ,york3 ,john ,b4 ,alden4 
,price1 #ij cents47 ,five     plates    
give clearly the various journeys4 ,the 
,gospel fullest in each     event is    

taken as the standard1 and its          
verse-numberings given1     while       
sentences and phrases interwoven from   
other ,gospels are     preceded by an   
inconspicuous letter1 to designate the  
book from     which they come4 ,this    
seems to me the ideal plan4 ,there is a 
table     for finding in the            
monotessaron any verse of any ,gospel4  
,there is a     very distinct synopsis4 
,the time is indicated only at the heads
 of     the five divisions of the story4
 ,the place is given at the head of     
each one of the one hundred and         
seventy-one sections4 ,the index is     
scant4 ,the typography is excellent4    
,the ,american ,revised ,version is     
used4      #b4 ,the ,gospel ,commentary4
 ,j4 ,r4 ,gilmore 7,edmund ,kirke7 and  
,lyman     ,abbott1 ,d4,d4 7#e x #g     
inches1 pp4 #hdj4 ,new ,york3 ,fords1   
,howard      ,hulbert4 ,price1 #a4ej47  
,this monotessaron is combined with an  
excellent and very full commentary1     
selected from the works of three        

hundred authors4 ,these multitudinous   
notes somewhat mar the     impression of
 unity and continuity for which the     
monotessaron is     peculiarly valued4  
,no maps4 ,information as to sources of 
the     combined text is given only by  
references at the top of the page--an   
indefinite way4 ,there is a table for   
finding in the monotessaron any         
verse of any ,gospel4 ,there is a       
chronological synopsis1 but no          
diatessaron table4 ,there is a good     
index of thirty-two pages1 and a        
marginal synopsis4 ,the time is minutely
 indicated at the head of     each page1
 and the locations shown irregularly1 in
 notes1 chapter     headings1 or        
marginal synopsis4 ,there are           
forty-three chapters4 ,the              
typography is clear4 ,the ,king ,james  
,version is mainly used4      #c4 ,the  
,fourfold ,gospel4 ,j4 ,g4 ,butler1     
,d4,d4 7#e x #g-a_/b inches1 pp4        
#bab4 ,new ,york3 ,funk  ,wagnalls4     
,price1 #ge cents47 ,this is taken from 

,butler's ,bible ,work4 ,the sources of 
the text and transitions are            
indicated as in ,pittenger's1 but not   
quite so minutely4 ,places are     given
 at the head of the one hundred and     
sixty-six sections4 ,times     not      
shown4 ,a good diatessaron synopsis1 and
 a table to find in the     monotessaron
 any verse from any ,gospel4 ,two       
sketch-maps4 ,no index     whatever4    
,king ,james ,version4      #d4 ,the    
,one ,gospel4 ,a4 ,t4 ,pierson1 ,d4,d4  
7#e x #g-a_/b inches1 pp4 #bjc4     ,new
 ,york3 ,the ,baker  ,taylor ,company4  
,price1 #ge cents47 ,this               
monotessaron contains the gospel story  
in forty-seven sections1 with     no    
section headings1 and no indications    
whatever of times1 places1     or       
sources of the various portions of the  
text4 ,valuable for     reading1 but    
unsatisfactory for study4 ,a capital    
index4 ,no table for     finding verses1
 no synopsis or maps4 ,king ,james      
,version4 ,retains     more than the    

others nearly equivalent words and      
phrases4  ,each of these excellent      
compilations has its own field1 and the 
student who can afford the luxury will  
rejoice in them all4 ,happy times in    
which we live1 wherein the person of    
,christ is brought with such clearness  
and fullness and beauty as never before 
to the poorest and busiest and most     
unlearned6     ,chapter ,,viii  ,getting
 ,attention   ,i was once sergeant of a 
college military company that was being 
trained by an officer of the regular    
army from the nearest barracks4 ,in one 
evolution it was made my duty to march  
at the head of a long column1 shouting  
at the top of my voice3                 
,hep--hep--hep--hep6 ,this was to give  
the time2 we had no drum4 ,i            
conscientiously obeyed orders and       
strutted off1 shouting the required     
,hep--hep--hep--hep6 ,but alas6 at a    
critical turn1 thinking more of my glory
 than of my duty1 ,i marched to the     
right1 while the column1 more heedful1  

turned off to the left4 ,so there ,i    
was1 a long1 lank figure1 strutting off 
by myself over the field1 shouting      
,hep--hep--hep6 ,how many times since1  
when standing before inattentive        
classes1 have ,i repeated that          
mortifying performance1 less obviously1 
but none the less really6  ,how often   
teachers are bent on planning what they 
are to say and how they are to say it1  
but omit to consider how they may induce
 people to attend to it2 just as if 7to 
change the figure7 a locomotive engineer
 should polish and oil his engine and   
turn on full steam1 but forget the      
little coupling-pin that hitches the    
engine to the train6 ,it is a very      
little thing1 this coupling-pin of      
attention1 and often the teacher goes   
puffing a long way before he perceives  
that it is left out2 and it is a great  
humiliation1 as well as a great loss of 
time and steam1 to go back and hitch on4
  ,the first thing to be considered1 if 
we would win attention1 is the room4    

,poor janitors spoil more               
,sunday-schools than poor teachers4 ,you
 remember how the ,peterkins tried to   
take their drive1 shaking the reins1    
clucking at the stationary horse1       
whipping and coaxing him by turns1 and  
all in vain until the lady from         
,philadelphia unhitched the obstinate   
beast4 ,we make ,peterkins of ourselves 
every time we try to take an            
intellectual journey with our pupils    
when they are tied down by hot air1 poor
 ventilation1 uncomfortable seats1 and  
surrounding noise and bustle4 ,all our  
pedagogical ingenuity will fight in vain
 against the fiendish ingenuity of a bad
 janitor4  ,having made it possible for 
the children to pay any attention at    
all1 the next thing is to get it4       
,attention has something to do with     
tension4 ,now it takes two to stretch a 
cord1 and there are two parties to every
 act of attention4 ,how about the second
 party in this case--the children8      
,imprimis1 when you appear before the   

children1 leap at once into your theme4 
,older folks rather like to doze along  
through the preliminaries of a speech1  
economically saving their enthusiasm for
 the end1 if not for next time2 but the 
attention of children is lost or won for
 good by the opening sentences4 ,our    
sharp boys and girls discover very      
quickly whether a veteran or a raw      
recruit is calling ,attention6  ,there  
are some beginnings which are sure to   
offend them4 ,there is the bagpipe      
beginning--the long1 droning prelude1   
which advertises a teacher set out on a 
mud-turtle to catch these lively colts4 
,there is the jack-in-the-box prelude3  
,eh6 ,now1 children6 ,what's lesson     
'bout8 ,quick6 ,there is the crape-dirge
 beginning1 which solemnly hopes the    
children have studied their lesson and  
will recite better than they did last   
,sunday4 ,there is the plead-guilty     
beginning3 ,you'll have to teach me     
to-day1 children4 ,i've been unable to  
look at the lesson4  ,but it is by no   

means easy to give affirmative rules4   
,the best of beginnings1 if stereotyped1
 becomes inefficient4 ,no general can   
plan a campaign in advance4 ,and yet a  
general must understand the art of war1 
and a teacher must study his tactics4   
,in the first place1 attention is won   
partly by position and attitude4 ,happy 
the teacher whose class is a semicircle1
 himself at the center6 ,and luckless   
the teacher whose class1 fixed on       
straight1 fastened pews1 sees past him  
the distracting background of a crowded1
 bustling school6 ,he struggles against 
strong odds4  ,but whatever may be the  
position of the class1 any one can see  
that his own attitude shall command     
attention4 ,let him be straight1 alert1 
confident1 quiet--not flabby1 nervous1  
and diffident4 ,let his face and voice  
and bearing expect attention1 and he    
will get it4  ,the opening sentences    
must be businesslike4 ,there must be no 
indecision1 no puttering4 ,the teacher  
must leap at once to that hand-to-hand  

combat with the theme which tells his   
scholars that there's purpose in it4    
,the opening sentences may sometimes    
best catch the class by directly        
addressing one person in it1 the most   
restless1 indifferent one1 and nailing  
him4  ,a paradox is good to begin with1 
some statement of the lesson theme so   
startling as to spur to discussion1     
possibly to opposition4 ,then the next  
,sunday1 perhaps a quiet picture of the 
historical setting of the story1 or a   
description of the landscape surrounding
 the event1 or a compact review of the  
last lesson4 ,then the next day you     
might begin with a bit of personal      
experience bearing on the matter in     
hand4 ,nothing wins attention better    
than the first person singular4 ,or your
 introduction might be a whiff of fun1  
for which the youngsters are so eager   
that the most witless piece of jollity1 
if it spring from a merry heart1 is     
certain to reach theirs4  ,you are sure 
of their attention if you can get them  

to do something for you--open their     
,bibles1 repeat something in concert1   
find a verse1 or look at something4 ,for
 this purpose maps1 diagrams1 pictures1 
all material objects connected with the 
lesson1 are invaluable4 ,scholars yield 
their wills to yours through their hands
 or their eyes more readily than through
 their ears4  ,and none of this must be 
done with manifest purpose4 ,surely in  
vain is the net spread in the sight of  
any bird4 ,woe to the teacher who shouts
 the word ,attention6 ,he will get      
nothing but the echo of the word from   
stony cliffs of indifference4  ,and     
finally1 woe to the teacher who relies  
at bottom on any skill of his own to    
draw young hearts to his teaching2 whose
 main dependence is anything but the    
attention-winning power of that         
incarnate ,sympathy and ,love who       
promised to draw all men--and           
children--to himself4     ,chapter ,,ix 
,keeping ,attention   ,we are likely to 
think that the attention of children is 

hard to get2 but the very opposite is   
true4 ,the minds of children1 like their
 tongues1 are hung in the middle4 ,it is
 the easiest thing in the world to turn 
them in any direction4 ,no teacher need 
spend much force on his introduction4   
,merely appear and begin to talk--that  
is enough4 ,a fresh voice and presence  
and a new theme will draw all eyes and  
all hearts4 ,if grown people are your   
audience1 the situation is somewhat     
reversed4 ,they are the heavy           
weights--hard to move1 but just as hard 
to stop4 ,an attention-forcing prelude  
will hold them attentive to a good      
half-hour of platitudes4  ,the teacher  
of children1 however1 flattered by the  
eager listening given at the start1 is  
likely to relax his efforts and deem the
 crown of the children's interest       
already attained4 ,but alas6 soon here a
 little tot wriggles1 and there another 
whispers1 and yonder a third giggles1   
and now a fourth turns around to see    
what's up1 and the teacher might as well

 be talking to a school of young fishes4
  ,demosthenes once said that if        
whatever a man got he took care to keep1
 he was grateful to the gods2 but if he 
spent it1 he spent with it all his      
gratitude4 ,how many teachers are so    
prodigal of the attention given at the  
beginning that toward the close1        
dismayed at the listlessness1 they      
forget ungratefully their initial       
capital of bright eyes and eager ears6  
,there are many ways of squandering this
 attention capital4 ,we may waste it on 
those long exhortations so very valuable
 7when omitted71 on side issues1 on     
quibbles4 ,we may choke it with         
dullness1 drive it off with scolding4   
,the only way always to keep attention  
is always to be expecting to lose it4   
,be prompt to note signs of its         
vanishing in drooping eyelids1 wandering
 gaze1 jerking in the seat1 uncertain   
answers4 ,the teacher whose ingenuity   
can always recall stray-away minds need 
fear few other recitation problems4 ,how

 to do it8  ,the best provocative of    
attention is variety4 ,the skilled      
teacher brings as many suits of manner  
to the class as the bulkiest clown wears
 costumes to the circus4 ,before one    
suit becomes wearisome he strips it off1
 and presto6 a fresh teacher before the 
wide-eyed children4 ,if he has been     
sitting1 he rises2 if erect1 he leans   
eagerly forward4 ,his utterance becomes 
rapid from slow1 impetuous from         
drawling4 ,he darts from generalizations
 into personalities4 ,if motionless     
before1 he begins to gesticulate4 ,this 
is acting8 ,no4 ,it is only doing what  
the facile children themselves do on    
their kaleidoscopic playground1 where no
 one goes to sleep4  ,again1 a teacher  
must learn to emphasize his important   
points1 not by enlarging on them1 but by
 reverting to them4 ,slight impression  
on a wall by holding a battering-ram    
against it6 ,nor can you impress a      
child's mind by holding a fact up       
against it4 ,it is intervals which make 

blows possible4  ,so the child will     
attend to two things or three better    
than to one4 ,concentrate on one matter1
 burning-glass fashion1 but only while  
the sun of interest is shining4 ,with   
the first mist of indifference the wise 
teacher will drop the burning-glass4    
,more teachers fail from having too few 
points to make than from having too     
many4  ,but to retain attention1 you    
need less to multiply points than points
 of view4 ,a teacher can usually fix the
 attention of his class upon one subject
 while using in succession six different
 methods of treatment4 ,passing swiftly 
from questioning to formulating         
principles and illustrating them1 from  
,bible quotations to personal           
experiences and exhortations1 he will   
hold his audience delighted1 though a   
single method would have wearied it4    
,note how a skilled cook presents the   
,thanksgiving turkey on different days4 
,it is a lordly brown biped1 a plateful 
of nice slices1 a salad1 a pot-pie1     

hash4 ,teachers will be able to hold the
 youngsters' attention as well as cooks1
 if they learn thus to put things in    
different lights4  ,furthermore1 let it 
be remembered that no one was ever      
dignified with a child1 and won its     
attention4 ,and some teachers are too   
staid to be useful4 ,startle into       
inattention by a smart slap of the hands
 together1 sharp extension of the       
finger1 abrupt turns upon the floor4    
,preachers use such artifices when pews 
grow somnolent1 and why not teachers8   
,never forget that the slightest        
inanimate object wins attention better  
than the greatest animation of the      
teacher4 ,a pencil-tablet will rivet all
 eyes4 ,a finger laid upon a map is     
cynosure for the most fidgety scholars4 
,if you have a picture which can be     
brought into connection with the lesson1
 it is a pedagogical sin to omit it4 ,a 
chart is as necessary to the            
,sabbath-school teacher as to the       
sailor1 albeit the teacher's is best    

home-made4 ,i used to hesitate to take  
time to use such helps2 but ,i found    
that the poorest picture did better work
 than my most vivid word-paintings1 and 
that my clearest statement was          
inefficient beside the clumsiest        
diagram4  ,the beginner in this fine art
 of attention-holding is likely to      
derive the word attention thus3 from    
teneo1 ,i hold1 ad1 on to2 attention1 ,i
 hold on to him4 ,he tries to hold      
attention1 therefore1 by main strength4 
,he grapples with his audience as a     
bulldog would4 ,his nerves are tense4   
,his voice is imperative4 ,his eye      
glares4 ,he is rapid1 impetuous1        
strategic4 ,this is power1 he thinks1   
and this is skill2 but his audience     
astonishes him by going to sleep4       
,abashed1 he tries milder means of      
holding on to them4 ,he begins to       
buttonhole his audience4 ,he uses soft  
and flattering tones4 ,he coaxes4 ,he   
wheedles4 ,he jokes4 ,he chucks them    
under the chin4 ,and then his audience  

gets up and goes out4  ,the real meaning
 of the word attention contains an      
invaluable hint for all who are trying  
to win others by speaking or teaching4  
,it is teneo1 ,i hold1 ,i stretch1 ad1  
toward2 and it is not by any means      
applied to the speaker1 but to the      
listener4 ,to get your audience1 whether
 of little folk or big folk1 to stretch 
out toward the same goal of truth that  
you are seeking is the true art of      
winning attention4  ,this understanding 
of the matter implies that the teacher  
also is really in pursuit of truth      
himself4 ,the failure of much teaching  
is because it cries ,go on instead of   
,come on4 ,the speaker that you follow  
with most difficulty is the speaker who 
has the air of knowing it all1 while the
 speaker who succeeds best in holding   
your attention gives you the impression 
of a chase4  ,there's the game before   
you--that elusive truth slipping away   
through the thicket yonder4 ,the        
huntsman's eye flashes4 ,he whistles up 

the dogs4 ,we all leap to the saddles4  
,off we go1 over upland and vale1 swamp 
and rock1 fence and ditch1 our leader   
far in the van1 pointing here1 waving   
there1 and hallooing the huntsman on4   
,and when the game is tracked down1 and 
our leader stands above it1 dripping    
knife in hand1 our veins tingle with    
his1 and we shout with delight at our   
triumph4  ,this is the first principle  
in the art of winning attention4 ,the   
speaker must give the impression of a   
truth-seeker1 if he would win others to 
seek truth with him4 ,what ,edward      
,everett ,hale once said of a sermon    
applies to this4 ,every ,sunday-school  
lesson should start out to prove        
something4 ,it should have some goal4   
,it should intend something4 ,intention 
must precede attention4  ,but though    
there must be this element of pleasing  
uncertainty and suspense1 we all have   
difficulty in attending to a speaker who
 does not appear to have himself well in
 hand or to be quite sure what he is    

about4 ,have you not caught yourselves1 
teachers1 talking as if in your sleep8  
,have you not sometimes waked up at the 
end of a sentence1 a question1 or a     
harangue1 and wondered what you had been
 talking about8 ,did you suppose that   
any one else knew8 ,did you expect to   
hold on to them when you had no grasp of
 the subject8 ,can listeners pay        
attention to any one who does not pay   
attention to himself8  ,teachers make   
the mistake of dividing attention       
between the class1 to watch that they   
hear2 and themselves1 to see how they   
are getting along2 and the little       
attention left goes to the theme4 ,not  
unnaturally1 the attention of the class 
is divided in the same way--much to     
themselves1 less to the teacher1 and    
least of all to what is being taught4   
,of course it is a teacher's business to
 hold his scholars' attention1 but he   
will never do it by worrying and        
wondering whether he is succeeding4     
,nay1 ,i even go so far as to say1 if   

one of your pupils pays no attention1   
then pay no attention to him1 provided  
the mischief is not spreading4 ,a       
teacher should not fritter away his     
attention on inattentive pupils4 ,if he 
cannot win their attention by his own   
interest in his theme1 he cannot win it 
at all4 ,not that ,i would imply for a  
moment1 however1 that the teacher is to 
rest satisfied while a single one of his
 pupils remains inattentive4 ,if your   
chicks are average chicks they are      
gregarious1 and one stray-away is enough
 to carry the whole flock with him into 
foreign parts4 ,while you have a single 
inattentive scholar you should conduct  
your lesson with a view to holding him4 
,you will hold the rest then1 as a      
matter of course4 ,i am only speaking of
 the best way to win attention4 ,it must
 be won1 or you are beaten to some      
extent2 and the attention of all will be
 won in the end if you are deeply enough
 in earnest yourself1 if you do not     
allow your attention to be side-tracked 

by the inattention of a few4 ,if you    
wish to win and hold the attention of   
others1 win and hold your own4          
,chapter ,x  ,the ,importance of        
,questioning   ,ever since ,socrates1   
conversation has been the soul of       
teaching1 and ever since ,adam and ,eve 
the question has been the life of       
conversation4 ,a teacher's success      
depends1 in about equal measure1 upon   
inspiration1 cogitation1 and            
interrogation4 ,let the first be the    
great gravitative forces2 let the second
 provide the truth1 the liquid2 then the
 interrogation-point is the curved      
siphon1 which transfers from the full to
 the empty vessel6  ,many1 many a       
teacher has failed1 thinking himself not
 wise enough1 or not energetic enough1  
while in reality he has simply failed to
 be wisely and energetically quizzical4 
,but what is a question8 ,is it not a   
fish-hook for pulling out1 rather than a
 siphon for putting in8 ,yes1 later2 but
 you cannot fish successfully in a dry  

pond4 ,any bungler can examine and test4
 ,the nice art is to use your           
interrogation-points as instruments of  
addition1 rather than of subtraction4   
,but why is it often better to insinuate
 instruction through a question1 in     
preference to pouring by direct         
harangue8 ,well1 does not a question    
imply community of interest1 and hint at
 equality or similarity of attainment8  
,the question is neighborly2 the        
discourse mounts a platform4  ,the      
helpful lesson commentaries fail1       
practically1 to reach many a class1     
because its teacher in reading has      
failed to translate from the declarative
 into the interrogative4 ,if ,doctor    
,somebody writes tersely1 ,a sin that is
 born of your own will is tenfold more  
dangerous to you than your own sin that 
is born of your neighbor's will1 ,johnny
 will not get the point unless the      
teacher transforms it somewhat thus3 ,if
 you are out in the country all alone1  
,johnny1 jump over a fence1 steal a     

pocketful of apples1 is that a sin just 
as much as if some other boy should be  
along and persuade you to do it8 ,yes8  
,well1 now1 which sin is the more       
dangerous to you8  ,so important does   
this seem to me that ,i always carry    
pencil and paper to the perusal of my   
lesson helps1 and write out1 as a point 
pleases me1 the form in which ,i wish to
 bring it up in the class1 ranging these
 questions under the numbers of the     
verses to which they apply4  ,the       
teacher who does not write out his      
questions1 or do the equivalent of that 
work1 is as sure to be defeated as the  
general who fights without a plan of    
campaign4  ,should those questions be   
read in the class8 ,not unless your     
ideal of teaching is the company drill1 
instead of the conversation4  ,it is    
well1 however1 to ask the scholars to   
write out questions for you on verses   
assigned1 and read these questions      
before the class4 ,the teacher's work is
 grandly accomplished when he has       

induced the scholar to ask his own      
questions1 and work out his own answers4
  ,i often find that a general call for 
questions on some apparently exhausted  
topic brings the richest results of the 
half-hour4  ,few verses are completely  
treated without ,lyman ,beecher's       
snapper1--the appeal to experience4 ,the
 question1 ,is it ,i8 must be raised1 no
 matter by how direct urgings1 in every 
heart4 ,that question is truth's barb4  
,there is a questioning face and        
attitude1 indicative of a real and      
personal interest in the thing          
considered1 without which a question    
will always fall dead1 and deservedly4  
,nor1 on the contrary1 will a live      
manner avail to foist upon the attention
 of a class a dead question4 ,and a     
question is dead to your scholar which  
does not touch his own world of interest
 at some point1 no matter how close     
connection it may have with your life   
and experience4  ,the questions on the  
lesson leaves make a good aid in study1 

but do most pitiably convict a teacher  
of unfaithfulness if he use them in     
teaching4  ,most genuine of all         
questions1 and most likely to be        
helpful1 are the doubts1 perplexities1  
and difficulties which attend a         
thoughtful teacher's first careful      
reading of the text itself4 ,then is the
 time when the cream of that lesson     
should rise4  ,leading questions are    
always better than harangue1 and are not
 to be despised1 on a pinch4 ,see what  
use ,socrates made of them6 ,and1 by the
 way1 modern teachers could learn much  
as to methods from the dialogues of that
 old pagan4  ,by all means we must learn
 to link our questions1 naturally       
developing one from the other4 ,read a  
page of miscellaneous proverbs1 and you 
will carry away from it the same        
bewildered brain much ,sunday-school    
sharp-shooting produces4 ,use the solid 
phalanx6  ,infinite harm is done our    
teaching by questioning down4 ,do you   
know how tiresome it is to talk to a man

 up in a third-story window1 you in the 
street8 ,our level-best teaching must be
 on a level4  ,the novice at            
questioning1 when first he becomes well 
satisfied with himself in this line1    
will probably be making his chief       
mistake1--will have hit upon an         
interrogative phraseology in which his  
thoughts run easily1 which he uses      
incessantly4 ,the artful questioner will
 rack his brains to the utmost stretch  
of ingenuity to devise striking and     
novel ways of quizzing1 to hold the     
restless young minds4  ,of course1 no   
skilled questioner will take the class  
in order4 ,of course1 he will name the  
person who is to answer1 at the end1 and
 not at the beginning1 of his question4 
,of course1 he will understand the use  
of long and attention-holding questions1
 interspersed with short1 quick1        
attention-exciting questions4 ,of       
course1 he will be ready with a varying 
form of the question if he has to repeat
 it1 lest the class fail to listen the  

second time4 ,of course1 he will train  
himself to become ready with a catch    
question1--a question with a quirk in   
it1 to punish mildly the inattentive4   
,of course1 he will know when the class 
needs unifying by the general question  
addressed to all1 and when the subject  
needs unifying by the general question  
reviewing all4 ,and1 of course1 he will 
have learned that the best teacher of   
this1 as of all arts1 is ,he whose      
boyish questions in the temple grew to  
such mighty answers that no man         
thereafter dared question him1 save only
 his true disciples4     ,chapter ,,xi  
,a ,good ,question   ,if ,i were asked  
to name the chief fault of the average  
teacher1 ,i should say1 ,asking         
questions that can be answered by ',yes'
 and ',no4' ,among my acquaintances was 
once a teacher in a secular school whose
 method of questioning was invariably   
this4 ,he would have before him the     
statements of the text-book1 copied out 
with painstaking care1 and would develop

 the subject thus3 ,is it true or is it 
not true1 ,mr4 ,a----1 that--and here   
would follow the statement or definition
 of the text-book4 ,the ambiguous       
answer1 ,yes1 was amply satisfactory4   
,unfortunately1 when such teachers gain 
a foothold in the ,sunday-school1 they  
are not so easily dismissed as from     
secular establishments4  ,now1 a good   
question merely furnishes the           
starting-point1 and pushes the scholar  
out along the course toward some goal of
 truth2 but in a question that can be   
answered by ,yes or ,no the teacher     
himself ambles amiably up the track1 and
 condescendingly allows the scholar's   
monosyllable to pat him on the head     
after he himself has reached the goal4  
,a question that can be answered by ,yes
 or ,no merely formulates the truth as  
it exists in the teacher's mind1 and    
invites the scholar's assent to it2 a   
good question1 on the contrary1 provokes
 the scholar to formulate truth for     
himself4  ,now1 it is much easier to    

express what we see to be true than to  
get any one else to express original    
thought4 ,there is also1 to the unwise1 
more glory in laying down principles to 
which others must agree than in getting 
others to lay down principles to which  
we must agree4 ,it will always be true1 
therefore1 that the lazy and the pompous
 will have no aim beyond educing        
monosyllabic answers4 ,most teachers1   
however1 are earnestly desirous of the  
best1 but do not know how to frame wise 
questions4 ,what must be said to them8  
,first1 that they must not go to school 
before their scholars4 ,expert          
questioning is not learned in the       
class-room1 but in the study4 ,a        
lead-pencil is the best teacher4 ,a     
sheet of paper is the best drill-ground4
 ,as ,i have urged before3 ,let the     
,sunday-school worker who aspires to the
 high praise of a good questioner sit   
down persistently1 after studying the   
lesson1 and write out a set of          
questions4 ,nay2 on each point1 so far  

as he has time1 let him write several   
questions1 criticise them1 fancy what   
kind of answer each will be likely to   
elicit from the scholar1 and choose what
 appears the best question4 ,try it on  
the class1 and learn valuable lessons   
from the result4  ,this method1         
laborious as it is1 must be kept up     
until skilful questioning has become    
instinctive4 ,that there may be hope of 
this happy result1 by the way1 the      
written questions must never be used in 
the class1--only the memory of them1 and
 the drill the preparation has given4   
,it surely will happen1 sooner or later1
 that the careful student of practical  
pedagogics will be able to get along    
without writing1 merely formulating fit 
questions in his mind as he studies the 
lesson4 ,after a time he may dispense   
even with this1 and look simply after   
the points to be presented1 trusting to 
extemporaneous question-making4  ,not   
wholly1 however4 ,the best questioner in
 the world gets into ruts4 ,the best    

forms of questions ever invented are    
worse than the worst if they are used   
with dull reiteration4 ,no one can      
devote careful attention to the form of 
his questions without falling in love   
with some particular way of questioning2
 and this will not always be the best   
way1 but will probably be the most      
original way4 ,a form of question that  
is irreproachable the first time will be
 unendurable used six times in          
succession4 ,it is necessary1 then1 even
 for the trained questioner1 to revert  
now and then to his old lead-pencil     
drill1 in order to study variety4  ,but 
how may the uninitiated know a good     
question when they see it1 or make it8  
,as said already1 it must not be such   
that a lazy monosyllable may answer it4 
,as said already1 too1 if one is in     
doubt1 he has but to try it on the      
class1 and note results4 ,but further4  
,a good question will be likely to have 
something piquant about it1 if the      
subject admits4 ,for instance1 ,james   

was killed1 ,peter was freed2 why was   
that8 is better than saying1 ,how do you
 account for the fact that while the    
apostle ,james was beheaded1 the apostle
 ,peter was delivered from the hands of 
his persecutors8  ,furthermore1 the     
difference between a poor question and a
 good one may often be a mere matter of 
length4 ,why did the ,christians at     
,antioch keep the inferior leaders for  
work in the city1 but send away the most
 prominent men in their church to labor 
as missionaries8 ,that is abominable2 it
 should be1 ,why did the ,antioch       
,christians send away their best men8   
,a good question will contain as much as
 possible of the personal element4 ,what
 do you understand by the phrase        
'remission of sins'8 is much better than
 ,what is the significance of the phrase
 'remission of sins'8 ,because the      
personal question puts the expected     
answer in a more modest light1 the      
answer will be more unconstrained and   
full4  ,and1 by the way1 there are few  

forms of questions more zealously to be 
avoided than the form ,i have just used1
 ,what do you understand by--8 ,it is   
the unfailing resource of the poor      
questioner4 ,a verse will be read1 a    
phrase quoted1 a doctrine or a principle
 named1 and then will follow1 as the    
night the day1 the tiresome old formula1
 ,what do you understand by this1 ,miss 
,a----8 ,one would be quite safe in     
declaring1 at any particular instant    
during common ,sunday-school hours1 that
 one-fourth of the ,sunday-school       
teachers of the world were repeating1   
with united breath1 that ,methuselah of 
a query1 ,what do you understand by     
this8  ,again1 a good question must be  
swift4 ,it must come so quickly that    
there will be no time to get out of the 
way4 ,some questions that1 if written   
out1 would not be bad1 are prolonged in 
the utterance of over-deliberate        
teachers like foggy illustrations of the
 law of perspective4 ,good questions    
leap4 ,you feel their buoyancy as you   

read them or hear them4 ,it is like the 
huntsman springing into the saddle and  
shouting1 ,come on6 ,no one with an atom
 of thoughtfulness is dull to the       
exhilaration of spirited questions4     
,they have inspired all the wise        
thinking of the world4  ,and1 finally1  
good questions should be absolutely     
clear4 ,there is one thing in the world 
that must always be faultlessly         
perspicuous and distinct1 and that is a 
marching order in time of battle4 ,now1 
questions are the marching orders of our
 scholars' brain regiments1 in a battle 
of infinite moment4 ,let them ring      
clearly as ever bugle-call was sounded4 
,questions mumbled1 hesitant1 caught up 
and patched over1 confused and          
slovenly1--what wonder if these get slow
 and mumbled answers8 ,a question       
clearly put1 not only proves that the   
questioner has clear ideas1 but it      
wondrously clarifies the ideas of the   
answerer4  ,good questions1 then1 are   
thought-compelling1 varied1 short1      

personal1 piquant1 unhackneyed1 brisk1  
and clear4 ,do ,i ask too much8 ,nothing
 that all may not acquire1 if but a     
tithe of the zeal and labor claimed by  
the trivialities of a few years are     
spent upon these issues of eternity4    
,let every teacher consider what        
characteristics of a good questioner he 
may add to his pedagogical outfit4      
,chapter ,,xii  ,inspiring ,questions   
,i use this title advisedly1 because ,i 
believe that it requires more genuine   
inspiration to lead the average scholar 
to ask questions than to perform any    
other part of the teacher's difficult   
task4 ,how easy to ask our own          
questions1 to put in our own answers in 
order to draw them out again1 were that 
all of it6 ,but to transform the passive
 into the active1 the auditor into the  
investigator1 the questioned into the   
questioner1 that is the goal of the true
 teacher's endeavor4  ,shall we count a 
recitation successful when the teacher  
has been earnest and zealous in his     

inquisition1 the scholars ready and full
 in their responses8 ,a single question1
 borne1 it may be1 on a voice so timid  
that it is scarcely audible in the      
buzzing room1 yet sprung from some young
 heart just moved with the sudden desire
 of truth1 is worth all the rest4  ,if  
the teacher wishes to carry his scholars
 beyond the parasite stage1 which is    
just as dangerous intellectually as     
physically1 both to the parasite and its
 supporter1 he must learn first that    
this weaning comes not without          
thoughtfulness and design4 ,he must     
learn that1 even more carefully than he 
plans the questions he is to ask his    
scholars1 he must plan to inspire them  
to ask questions themselves4 ,he will be
 most successful if1 from the many      
matters which could be brought up in the
 lesson1 he selects two or three of     
prime importance1 and schemes to elicit 
the questioning enthusiasm of his class 
along those few lines4 ,but how to do   
it8  ,in the first place1 the teacher   

must be a questioner himself4 ,an old   
hen can hardly teach the eagle's brood  
to fly4 ,do not hesitate to tell your   
scholars of the doubts you once had1 and
 how you won certainty from them4 ,show 
them by example that doubt is never a   
thing to be afraid of or ashamed of1    
unless it be a lazy doubt1 viciously    
pleased with its own fog4  ,then there  
is a question-inspiring face and        
attitude4 ,if the teacher assumes the   
manner pontific and speaks ex cathedra1 
and has the air of one who says the     
ultimate word1 he will smother every    
question4 ,a sympathetic1 open face1 and
 the hearty spirit of good-fellowship1  
are the best invitations to inquiries4  
,nor must the teacher be in a hurry1    
hastening from verse to verse with the  
nervous dispatch of an auctioneer4 ,how 
many times must even a wise man look at 
a beetle1 and how long1 before he is    
moved to ask a wise question concerning 
it8 ,don't we sometimes make the        
recitation a mere exhibition of         

shooting-stars8  ,then1 too1 be on the  
watch for questions4 ,how far ahead can 
you see a question coming8 ,before the  
scholar has made up his mind to ask it1 
if you have seeing eyes4 ,an almost     
imperceptible quiver of the lips3       
,question1 ,thomas8 ,eyes suddenly      
wider3 ,what were you about to ask1     
,mary8 ,forehead wrinkled3 ,anything to 
say on that point1 ,edward8  ,and if the
 question is a good one1 why1 ,a capital
 question1 ,thomas6 ,i hoped that some  
one would ask that1 ,mary6 ,a good      
question is more to be praised than a   
good answer1 because it is rarer and    
more original2 but does it always       
receive our hearty commendation8        
,though the question leads you far out  
of your way1 turn aside for it as gladly
 as you would turn from the road to pick
 up a diamond4 ,though you must leave   
the climax of the lesson unreached1 see 
in this the climax4 ,though you are in  
full harangue1 eagerly showing forth    
some great truth1 stop short at once4 ,a

 question in hand is worth a whole      
system of theology in the bush4  ,and   
even if the question be trivial1 or     
pointless1 or utterly irrelevant1 in    
anticipation of other possible          
questions1 this one is not to be        
scornfully or slightingly waved aside4  
,don't kill the goose that lays golden  
eggs when she chances to lay one of     
pewter6  ,half-statements1 when shrewdly
 managed1 will often elicit questions4  
,yes1 ,god was terribly angry with the  
,jews1--terribly4 ,think how powerful   
,god is1 and how awful his anger must   
be6 ,you want to ask something1 ,billy8 
,whether it is right for ,god to be     
angry8 ,well1 ,i am glad you asked that1
 because ,i want to tell you the        
difference between his anger and ours4  
,an over-statement will often draw out  
the longed-for inquiry4 ,when ,john     
urged every one with two coats to give  
one to some person who had no coat1 what
 did he mean but this1--that1 as long as
 any one in the world is poor1 those who

 have more than they need ought to keep 
giving to those who have less than they 
need8 ,i see that you have a word for   
us1 ,lizzie4 ,what is it8 ,how about the
 lazy people and the bad men8 ,i hoped  
some one would bring up that point6     
,and when your half-statement or        
over-statement is accepted without      
remonstrance by your scholars1 a little 
jolly scolding as you make the          
correction yourself1 and a warning that 
they must do better thinking the next   
time1 will work wonders4  ,sometimes the
 best plan is a direct call4 ,what do   
you think about that statement1 now8    
,haven't you some question to ask about 
it8 ,don't you want to know something   
more about it8 ,if not a question       
follows1 at least the scholars will know
 that you are expecting them to         
originate lines of thought and inquiry2 
and that is one thing gained4  ,this    
question is sometimes asked3 ,what      
modern teacher is so successful as      
,socrates1 who made his scholars        

teachers in their turn8 ,the question   
touches a fundamental truth in          
pedagogics1--that the teacher's goal is 
the scholar's independence of the       
teacher4 ,by brave example of sturdy    
thought1 by sympathetic insight into the
 doubts and needs of the opening mind1  
by enthusiasm and winning tact1 let us  
strive in this direction1 as in all     
others1 to be worthy followers of ,him  
who made of his disciples teachers at   
whose feet the great ,greek himself     
would have been glad to sit4            
,chapter ,,xiii  ,trigger-,teaching     
,the hard-working ,sunday-school teacher
 picks up his cartridge1 proudly carries
 it to the desired destination1 and     
there explodes it4 ,the shrewd          
,sunday-school teacher uses the scholar 
as a rifle1 and simply pulls the        
trigger4 ,some teachers1 that is1       
consider themselves as big guns4 ,other 
and better teachers seek to make        
practical working guns of their         
scholars4 ,between the two styles of    

teaching there is this difference1 that 
the trigger-teaching usually hits the   
mark1 while the big-gun teacher finds   
that the mark1 if it is a live one1 has 
taken itself out of the way by the time 
he has carried the cartridge to it4  ,in
 big-gun teaching the teacher does      
everything for the scholar2 in          
trigger-teaching the teacher does       
nothing for the scholar that he can     
help4 ,in big-gun teaching the teacher  
thinks2 in trigger-teaching the teacher 
thinks how to get his scholars to think4
 ,big-gun teaching parades2             
trigger-teaching stays in the tent and  
issues orders4 ,big-gun teaching is     
amusing2 trigger-teaching is suggestive4
 ,big-gun teaching develops the teacher2
 trigger-teaching develops the scholar4 
,the teacher's true work is to educate1 
and educate means to draw out1 and not  
to carry to4  ,oh6 our scholars are not 
loaded1 ,i hear many teachers object4   
,if we should pull the trigger1 there   
would follow only a ridiculous click4   

,but your scholars are loaded1          
objectors4 ,though they may not be      
loaded with precisely the information   
you have been seeking from them1 they   
are loaded with experiences1--all their 
short lives will hold4 ,they are loaded 
with temptations and troubles and needs4
 ,they are loaded with questions and    
curiosity4 ,they have information1 too1 
any amount of it1 that may be brought   
into suggestive connection with the     
lesson1 if you know how to make shrewd  
use of their public-school history and  
geography and science4  ,to be sure1    
they probably know nothing definite     
about the time of the lesson's events1  
or the place1 or the persons1 or the    
circumstances4 ,well1 make them load    
themselves4 ,as you rehearse these facts
 concisely1 make your scholars write    
them on slips of paper4 ,send one to the
 board1 to set down what you dictate4   
,get one of their number to read aloud  
some brief and comprehensive summary of 
the lesson details4 ,in one or all of   

these ways make them load themselves1   
and then--nothing is accomplished if you
 stop here--pull the trigger6  ,more    
than on any other thing save the help of
 the ,holy ,spirit1 a teacher's success 
depends on the use he makes of the fact 
that his scholars are already loaded to 
some effective purpose2 and the wise    
teacher will always ask himself1 in the 
course of his preparation for the       
lesson1 ,what experiences of the members
 of my class will help them understand  
this lesson and its truths8 ,one has    
been sick lately4 ,one is studying      
geology4 ,one has a father who is a     
banker4 ,one has just seen the ,mammoth 
,cave4  ,if these things are to be      
likened to the bullets and shot1 what is
 the powder8 ,must the teacher depend   
for that1 too1 largely on the pupil8    
,yes4  ,to be sure1 much of the powder  
of successful teaching is the zeal and  
eagerness of the teacher himself4 ,but  
his interest is a smokeless powder like 
the fulminating powder of the cap1 whose

 value is solely to set fire to the     
powder of the scholar when the trigger  
is pulled4 ,the scholar's interest1 the 
scholar's powder1 it is that must be    
relied upon to do the work1 to carry the
 ball4  ,and so in trigger-teaching1    
much depends on the teacher's ability to
 excite curiosity and arouse interest4  
,he will study his scholars' likings1   
and appeal to them in his illustrations2
 their needs1 and refer to them in his  
applications4 ,sometimes he will state  
the matter too strongly1 sometimes too  
feebly2 in each case1 with the express  
intention to draw out their protest4 ,he
 will know how to use paradox so as to  
arouse1 but not confuse4 ,he will study 
different methods of emphasis1 and will 
not use one alone4 ,from each lesson he 
will select one truth1 and one only1    
which he will treat with all the ardor  
of a lawyer arguing a matter of life or 
death4 ,above all1 he will remember that
 the ,spirit alone quickeneth1 and will 
earnestly pray that fire from heaven may

 be added to his own little fulminating 
cap4  ,but many a teacher1 conscious of 
all that ,i have been saying1 does not  
know how to pull the trigger4 ,it is not
 so simple in the ,sunday-school as in  
the school of the battalion4 ,the artful
 teacher will find many ways of         
trigger-pulling1 suited to the diverse  
and changing needs of his class and of  
his topic4 ,sometimes he will put in the
 scholars' hands paper and pencil1 and  
set them to writing or drawing4         
,sometimes he will send them in turn to 
his blackboard4 ,sometimes he will      
elicit the entire story from one1       
sometimes from ten4 ,sometimes he will  
introduce pictures for them to talk     
about1 or maps for them to travel over1 
or objects for them to group their words
 and thoughts around4 ,always1 however1 
he will remember that his best trigger  
is the little trigger-shaped            
interrogation-point4 ,he will ask       
questions himself with the effectiveness
 born of careful preparation4 ,better   

than that1 he will get his scholars to  
ask questions4 ,in all these ways1 and  
as many more as there are ,sundays in   
the year1 the wise teacher will pull the
 trigger4  ,let no one pass from big-gun
 teaching to trigger-teaching with the  
idea that the latter will prove the     
easier4 ,it is far more difficult to    
make the cartridge than to pick up and  
carry the ball which the cartridge would
 propel2 but1 for effective and         
profitable teaching1 better ten minutes'
 work done by the class than an hour's  
work done by you in the presence of the 
class1 even though to do the latter is  
far easier than to elicit the former4   
,if--as those who have been doing it all
 themselves will doubtless find it--this
 trigger-teaching comes especially hard 
at first1 let them begin with getting   
their scholars to do something at first 
hand1 though only a little1 and let them
 work their way slowly to the           
pedagogical perfection of getting their 
scholars to do everything4  ,and does   

any one fear that this will destroy the 
personality and personal influence of   
the teacher8 ,on the contrary1 the      
trigger-teacher has to put ten times    
more of himself into every lesson than  
the big-gun teacher4 ,the scholars get  
more of his personality1 at the same    
time that they are gloriously1 though   
unconsciously1 developing their own4    
,chapter ,,xiv  ,galvanic ,teaching     
,in his exceedingly suggestive book     
entitled ,before an ,audience ,mr4      
,shepard insists strenuously on what he 
calls physical earnestness in a speaker4
 ,it is not meant by this that we are to
 go before our scholars with our nerves 
a-quiver1 with headaches coming on1 with
 our brains throbbing and our muscles   
drawn tight4 ,a speaker must be1 as ,mr4
 ,shepard insists1 an animal galvanic   
battery on two legs4 ,he must be at     
something corresponding to electric     
tension4 ,he must be in earnest with his
 body1 not lazy with it4 ,no teacher who
 is not spirited will succeed with      

children1 or with any one1 long4        
,nothing will more quickly win and      
permanently hold a child's attention    
than earnestness4 ,children's capacity  
for serious thinking is greatly         
undervalued4 ,there is more philosophy  
in them than you dream of4 ,they are    
very much in earnest themselves1 and    
they rejoice to see other people very   
much in earnest4  ,i do not mean by this
 that one should always be serious with 
them4 ,nothing will gain their attention
 more than a joke2 but joking with      
children is as dangerous as feeding them
 candy4 ,they have no more taste        
henceforth for anything else1 and to    
keep their attention you must continue  
to feed them candy and deal out jokes4  
,the most successful teachers of        
children1 judging not by the interest of
 the children so much as by permanent   
spiritual results1 are those that are   
always deeply in earnest2 and yet their 
earnestness is shot through and through 
with the sunshine4  ,the intensity ,i am

 advocating must not be the intensity of
 an auger1 that bores4 ,oh1 if teachers 
only knew enough not to teach too much6 
,if one good idea is got into the heads 
of the children as the result of the    
lesson half-hour1 then you have scored a
 victory4 ,if you try to get in eight   
good ideas1 you will not score          
one-eighth of a victory4 ,some teachers 
that ,i know want to get the whole body 
of theology and the entire system of    
ethics into each lesson4 ,they skip with
 haste from truth to mighty truth1      
crowding into a lesson twenty weighty   
points1 each one of which would be amply
 sufficient for the half-hour4 ,the     
result is an impossibility of attention1
 for not enough is given about any one  
thing to fix it and hold it down4  ,our 
,sunday-school teaching reminds me      
sometimes of a daily paper--all cut up  
into paragraphic articles2 and if there 
is any topic of universal knowledge     
omitted1 it will appear in the evening  
edition4 ,a confirmed newspaper reader  

has become incapable of following an    
extended discussion1 or of reading a    
book4 ,i have stood before              
,sunday-school classes to which their   
teacher was in the habit of propounding 
a series of disconnected questions from 
a book or paper1 and ,i have found it   
quite impossible to hold the attention  
of such classes for any length of time  
on one matter4 ,they were anxious for   
another paragraph1 for fresh head-lines1
 for a change of subject4  ,most        
,sunday-school lessons are fruitful of  
multitudinous suggestions4 ,let us not  
teach so much that we teach nothing1 or1
 worse than nothing1 instruct in mental 
dissipation instead of mental           
concentration4 ,we prepare for teaching 
with the lesson hour in view2 we should 
rather have in view the hour following  
the lesson hour4 ,what impression do we 
intend the lesson to make8 ,how are we  
going to make the lesson stand out in   
relief8  ,i must now set off against the
 law of intensity the complementary law 

of motion4 ,a mesmeric patient is sent  
into the hypnotic trance by continued   
staring at the same stationary object4  
,this looks like perfect attention1 but 
it results in sleep4 ,there is a verbal 
hypnotism that is very common when      
teachers are trying to impress an idea  
by holding it up stolidly and           
persistently before the eyes of their   
scholars4 ,that is not what ,i mean by  
intensity1 and it is one of the         
commonest ways of destroying attention4 
,if you are anxious to impress a truth  
and yet hold attention1 you must do it  
by presenting now this side of the truth
 and now that1 now with parable and now 
with allegory1 now with appeal and now  
with testimony1 experience1 quotation1  
objects4 ,arrived at the end1 do not    
press the point against the scholars and
 stick it into them1 but if they do not 
see it1 go back and pass over the matter
 in a different way4  ,moving bodies    
draw and hold the eye4 ,every one must  
look at a shooting star1 a jumping      

horse1 a running man1 a flying bird1 a  
rising kite4 ,to keep attention1 our    
lessons must have what the critics of   
novels call movement4 ,there is to be no
 still life in our pictures4 ,everything
 must be stirring1 dramatic4  ,an       
accomplished teacher must have the power
 of painting word-pictures4 ,it is not a
 difficult art4 ,hard study and zealous 
putting yourself in his place will      
accomplish it4 ,some way or other we    
must get the persons of the lesson      
clearly before our scholars' eyes1 the  
scenes as if the scholars were          
surrounded by them1 if we would maintain
 their attention4 ,and even if the      
lesson is impersonal1 we must dramatize 
it1 we must invent situations and       
persons to illustrate the abstract      
thought1 or we must draw illustrations  
from real history4 ,these must all be   
real to us1 or they will never be real  
to our scholars4 ,pictures always hold  
the attention of children4 ,let us      
remember this when we talk to them4     

,children are fond of motion4 ,let our  
teaching move briskly1 then4            
,chapter ,,xv  ,serial ,teaching        
,there are short-story writers who are  
able to hold our attention charmingly   
for an episode1 and there are other     
minds which are able to lead us         
entranced through the varied scenes of a
 long serial4 ,so also there is         
short-story ,sunday-school teaching and 
serial ,sunday-school teaching4         
,short-story teaching treats each lesson
 as a separate unit2 serial teaching    
considers each lesson a part only of a  
great1 united whole4  ,short-story      
teaching is far easier than serial      
teaching4 ,it is concerned with but one 
set of circumstances1 persons1 and      
principles4 ,for the serial teacher1 on 
the contrary1 every lesson must include 
a review and a prospectus4 ,he must     
learn to see things in their relations4 
,he must have a good memory1 and a      
better imagination1 to make his memory  
buoyant4 ,this is not easy2 and         

therefore it is that short-story        
teaching is much commoner than serial   
teaching4  ,and yet serial teaching is  
the right kind of teaching1 for the     
following reasons4 ,just as a fine      
serial story adds to the enthusiasm for 
good numbers of a periodical1 and tides 
over poor numbers1 so1 if you can get up
 a serial interest in your teaching1 it 
will increase the interest of the good  
days1 and will tide over with full seats
 and bright eyes the rainy1 or cold1 or 
hot1 or sleepy days4  ,besides1         
,christianity is a whole1 and each of   
its many parts interdependent4 ,we must 
not teach it1 therefore1 as if it were a
 patchwork1 capable of being taken apart
 and put together as men will4 ,we do   
wrong to the great system we teach1 if  
our lessons do not leave the impression 
of a vast1 coherent fabric1--too vast   
for one lesson to disclose1 too coherent
 for one lesson to stand out apart4     
,besides1 however our lessons may       
change1 our scholars are still the same2

 and this continuity of listeners should
 impart a serial interest to the        
teaching4 ,cause the scholars to feel   
that each lesson is to make definite    
contribution to their growth in         
knowledge and character4 ,it won't hurt 
them if they are as mechanical about it 
as ,peter1 and enumerate1 lesson after  
lesson1 as in the apostle's famous      
addition-table1 the virtues those       
lessons may add to their lives4  ,for   
these three reasons1 then1 our teaching 
should contain some strong element of   
serial interest4 ,many teachers err in  
using only one sort of connecting link1 
year in1 year out1 and are as likely to 
fail as the periodical which always     
prints serial stories of the same kind  
of plot1 scenes1 and characters4 ,i will
 mention several serial elements which a
 wise teacher will use in turn1 holding 
to one long enough for profit1 but not  
too long for interest4  ,in the first   
place1 it is often well to make the     
serial biographical4 ,your serial has   

then a hero4 ,moses1 ,joshua1 ,samuel1  
,saul1 ,david1 ,solomon1 ,elijah1       
,elisha1 ,daniel1 ,john1 ,peter1 ,paul1 
,mary1--what glorious groups of chapters
 these names bind together6 ,if we are  
zealous1 patient1 and imaginative1 we   
can easily1 with this magnificent       
material1 construct for our classes     
serials whose absorbing interest will   
vie with any in their pet weekly        
story-paper4 ,we can lead them to eager 
study of a man's development in         
character and in fortune4  ,at other    
times it is better to trust for the     
serial interest to history1--to study   
the evolution of a nation as before of a
 man4 ,the wondrous tale of the rise of 
the ,hebrews from ,abraham1 their       
metamorphosis under ,moses1 their       
consolidation under judges1 their       
expansion under kings1 their division1  
their downfall1 their restoration1 their
 subjugation1 their new birth in ,him   
who was before ,abraham1--this story may
 be made to have a deep and constant    

serial interest4  ,of course1 with      
either the biographical or historical   
serial plan1 great pains must be taken  
with that bugbear of the average        
teacher1--what the lesson-helps call    
intervening events1 but many a scholar  
calls intervening mystifications4 ,often
 fully half the lesson-time should be   
given to them4 ,usually the antecedents 
they contain are absolutely necessary   
for an understanding of the             
lesson1--text1 persons1 and principles4 
,with them you teach history2 without1  
episodes4 ,they mean work1 to be sure2  
but all unifying and solidifying means  
work4  ,at still other times or with    
other classes it is well to let the     
serial interest center around           
principles4 ,treat one group of lessons 
as illustrating the manly or unmanly    
qualities2 consider another group       
primarily as a commentary on truth and  
falsehood2 let your binding topic for   
another set be ,what is ,true ,religion8
 ,sin and ,salvation1 ,serving and      

,served1 ,success and ,failure1--how    
many lessons could be clustered         
naturally about these topics6 ,children 
are characteristically philosophers1 and
 a treatment of ,sunday-school lessons  
as illustrating different phases of some
 great truth is a method very attractive
 to them4 ,what does the ,bible teach   
about truth-telling1 about penalty for  
sin1 about the conditions of happiness8 
,sunday-school scholars should be ready 
to answer such questions1 not by        
haphazard impromptus1 but by a careful  
presentation of events1 characters1 and 
sayings bearing on each point1 and      
representing the whole ,bible4  ,another
 excellent way of binding lessons       
together is by the scholars themselves4 
,as ,i said1 however the lessons change1
 the scholars remain the same1 with the 
same prominent troubles1 faults1 and    
needs4 ,both they and you should know   
what these are4 ,i often have scholars  
who bring up1 ,sunday after ,sunday1 in 
connection with topics the most diverse1

 the same questions1 which are evidently
 stumbling-blocks to their minds and    
lives4 ,these are usually practical     
matters wherein the ,christian          
imperatives are strangely incongruous   
with worldly habits1 such as the choice 
of a calling1 absolute frankness of     
speech1 public testimony for ,christ1   
the careful observance of the ,sabbath1 
sharp competition in trade4 ,these are  
too big questions to be settled in a few
 minutes1 and young folks who are seized
 by them in earnest have found for      
themselves a serial interest which will 
last for some time4  ,if we cannot take 
advantage of such a linking which our   
scholars discover for themselves1 we can
 always bind lessons together by our own
 knowledge of our scholars' needs4 ,if  
you have a young man in your class to   
whom the skepticism of the times is     
alluring1 let him find something        
faith-inspiring and confirmatory of     
belief in every lesson4 ,if you have a  
young girl burdened with sick-room      

duties and home cares beyond her        
strength1 let her know that each lesson 
will bring her fresh energy and comfort4
 ,you need not tell your scholars that  
you know their struggles4 ,enough that  
you do know them1 and link lesson to    
lesson for them in sweet chains of love 
and helpfulness4  ,when1 by any of the  
four methods ,i have outlined1 you thus 
establish a bond between your lessons1  
you have gained two great advantages    
besides the serial interest which you   
have aroused4 ,in the first place1 you  
study the ,bible as a whole1 not by     
extracts4 ,you learn to interpret one   
portion by another4 ,you find out the   
fallacy of fragments4 ,you perceive that
 ,christianity is a system1 and not an  
anthology4 ,in the second place1 you    
have solved the review problem1 for     
every lesson is now a review4 ,if you   
were required to remember1 in order1    
twelve words chosen at random1 you would
 find it somewhat difficult2 but it     
would be easy enough if those twelve    

words were arranged in a sentence4      
,serial teaching is building up a       
sentence1 and the review is merely      
repeating that sentence4 ,a serial      
teacher has no fear of review day4 ,the 
short-story teacher is compelled to find
 for that day a new short story4  ,now1 
have ,i not reserved mention of the one 
great tie of all our teaching8 ,whether 
,old ,testament or ,new1 history1       
prophecy1 proverbs1 or psalms1 it is all
 one continued story1 and the hero is   
,christ4 ,by whatever unifying principle
 we group our lessons together1 ,christ 
unifies the groups4 ,year in1 year out1 
if ,christ is at the heart of our       
teaching1 that teaching is consecutive1 
serial1 solid4 ,without him1 it is      
disjointed1 fragmentary1 frail4 ,not    
retracting a word ,i have written about 
the value of these other methods of     
arousing continued interest1 yet it must
 be said that they are all worthless    
without ,christ4 ,in him each several   
building1 fitly framed together1 groweth

 into a holy temple in the ,lord4       
,chapter ,,xvi  ,teaching the ,psalms   
,the ,lesson ,committee often assigns us
 two or three lessons in a book1 and    
from these few lessons the scholars must
 get some comprehensive knowledge of the
 entire book4 ,a book study1 therefore1 
will not be out of place in this series 
of suggestions to teachers1 and ,i have 
chosen the ,psalms1 since they are      
likely to be most fruitful of hints as  
to the teaching of other books4  ,a     
systematic knowledge of the ,psalms is  
rarely sought after4 ,only one book of  
the ,bible is more loved3 the ,gospel of
 ,john2 only one is read less           
methodically3 the ,book of ,proverbs4   
,it is the fault of many teachers that  
they teach all books of the ,bible in   
the same way4 ,prophecy1 history1       
poetry1 prose1 ,ruth and ,revelation1   
,john and ,judges1--it is all one to    
them4 ,the ,psalms1 like all other books
 of the ,bible1 are unique1 and need    
their own especial mode of treatment4   

,here are some hints concerning this    
treatment4  ,get first1 from the        
,revised ,version1 a comprehensive idea 
of the five ,books of ,psalms1 with     
their similar endings4 ,note their      
length and the total number of psalms4  
,from the ,bible dictionary learn what  
you can about the time when these books 
were collected1 and the probable authors
 of the anonymous psalms4  ,study the   
psalms by types4 ,we have the ,first    
,psalm1 which contrasts the good and    
evil4 ,psalms of the ,good are #a1 #bf1 
#da1 #gb1 #id1 #aja1 #abf1 #abg1 #abh1  
#add4 ,psalms of the ,evil are #aj1 #ad1
 #cf1 #cg1 #di1 #eb1 #ec1 #eh1 #fd1 #gc1
 #hb1 #aji1 #abi1 #adj4 ,the ,second is 
a ,psalm of ,power4 ,others are #aa1    
#ba1 #bd1 #bi1 #dg1 #dh1 #fj1 #gf1 #gg1 
#hc1 #ig1 #ajh1 #aaa1 #aad1 #aci4 ,the  
,nineteenth and the ,one ,hundred and   
,third are ,psalms of ,praise4 ,with    
these study #h1 #i1 #ah1 #cj1 #cc1 #cd1 
#dd1 #fe1 #ff1 #fg1 #fh1 #ge1 #he1 #hi1 
#ij1 #ib1 #ic1 #ie1 #if1 #ih1 #ii1 #ajj1

 #ajd1 #aje1 #ajf1 #ajg1 #aab1 #aac1    
#aag1 #aah1 #acd1 #ace1 #acf1 #ach1     
#ade1 #adf1 #adg1 #adh1 #adi1 #aej4 ,the
 ,second and the ,seventy-second are    
,messianic ,psalms4 ,so also are ,psalms
 #de and #aaj4 ,the ,twenty-third is a  
,psalm of ,trust4 ,similar psalms are   
#d1 #g1 #af1 #bg1 #ca1 #ef1 #fb1 #ga1   
#ia1 #abe1 #aca4 ,the ,fifty-first is a 
,psalm of ,forgiveness4 ,such1 too1 are 
#be1 #cb1 #ci1 #dj1 #hj1 #ha4 ,with     
,psalm #hd1 a ,psalm of ,worship1 go    
#ae1 #db1 #ej1 #eg1 #fc1 #hg1 #aae1     
#abb1 #acb1 #acc4 ,besides these1 the   
following may be classified as ,psalms  
of ,help3 #c1 #ab1 #bj1 #ce1 #dc1 #df1  
#ei1 #fa1 #gj1 #gi1 #aba1 #abd2 the     
following as ,psalms of ,sorrow3 #f1    
#ac1 #bb1 #ch1 #ee1 #fi1 #gd1 #hh1 #ajb1
 #abj1 #acg1 #adc2 and the following as 
,psalms of ,prayer3 #e1 #ag1 #bh1 #ed1  
#hf1 #aaf1 #abc1 #acj1 #ada1 #adb4      
,psalms #gh and #aai are ,psalms of the 
,law4 ,of course1 this is only a rough  
classification of the psalms4 ,it will  

be a pleasant and valuable task for you 
to classify them more elaborately4      
,read again the life of ,david1 found in
 the passage from #a ,samuel #af3a to #a
 ,kings #b3aa4 ,in connection with each 
psalm you read1 think what may have been
 the king's fortunes when he wrote it1  
or what experience of his may have      
prompted it4 ,this psalm of sorrow may  
have had birth in ,absalom's revolt2    
this song of trust may have welled from 
a rock of hiding in the desert2 this    
hymn of triumphant strain may have      
celebrated some victory over ,saul or   
the ,syrians2 this pleading for         
forgiveness may have been a wail over   
,uriah4  ,the psalms are all dramatic4  
,here1 more than anywhere in the study  
of the ,bible1 you need to use          
imagination1 to put yourself in his     
place4 ,the psalms are in the first     
person4 ,fancy yourself the psalmist as 
you read his songs4 ,pray his prayers1  
exult in his praise1 beat your breast   
with his agony of shame1 be calm in his 

assurance of forgiveness and peace4  ,in
 like manner1 as you prepare to teach1  
fancy times in your scholars' lives to  
which these psalms will apply1 times    
when it would be well for them to sing  
these psalms1 and teach with these times
 in clear view4  ,be sure thus to       
translate ,david's experience into that 
of your scholars4 ,these psalms are of  
universal moment1 as they come so       
directly from ,david's heart1 and       
,god's2 and yet they need this          
translation1 because ,david's           
surroundings were not ours4 ,his foes1  
his sins1 his exiles1 his triumphs1 were
 not ours in form1 however much the same
 in reality4  ,there are frequent       
quotations of the psalms to be found in 
the later books of the ,bible4 ,these1  
especially those made by ,christ and the
 apostles1 constitute a priceless       
commentary4 ,search for them with the   
help of a concordance or a reference    
,bible4  ,aside from this1 the psalms   
are especially fit for illustrative     

quotations1 and the children may be     
inspired to gather them eagerly4 ,assign
 to each scholar a verse for            
illustration from some other part of the
 ,bible1 in some such way as this3      
,the ,lord is my shepherd4        ,i am 
the good shepherd4 ,the good shepherd   
layeth down his life        for the     
sheep 7,john #aj3aa74      ,i shall not 
want4        ,your heavenly ,father     
knoweth that ye have need of all these  
things4 ,but seek ye first his kingdom  
and his righteousness1 and        all   
these things shall be added unto you    
7,matt4 #g3cb1 #cc74      ,he maketh me 
to lie down in green pastures4          
,come unto me1 all ye that labor and are
 heavy laden1 and ,i will        give   
you rest 7,matt4 #aa3bh74      ,he      
leadeth me beside the still waters4     
,whosoever drinketh of the water that ,i
 shall give him shall never             
thirst2 but the water that ,i shall give
 him shall become in him a        well  
of water1 springing up unto eternal life

 7,john #d3ad74      ,he restoreth my   
soul4        ,i am the resurrection and 
the life 7,john #aa3be74      ,he       
leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
 for his name's sake4        ,i am the  
way1 and the truth1 and the life3 no one
 cometh unto the        ,father1 but by 
me 7,john #ad3f74      ,yea1 though ,i  
walk through the valley of the shadow of
 death1 ,i     will fear no evil4       
,whosoever liveth and believeth in me   
shall never die 7,john        #aa3bf74  
,for thou art with me4        ,lo1 ,i am
 with you alway1 even unto the end of   
the world 7,matt4        #bh3bj74       
,thy rod and thy staff1 they comfort me4
        ,i will pray the ,father1 and he
 shall give you another ,comforter1     
that he may be with you forever1 even   
the ,spirit of truth 7,john             
#ad3af1 #ag74      ,thou preparest a    
table before me in the presence of mine 
enemies4        ,i am the bread of life4
 ,he that cometh to me shall not hunger 
7,john #f3ce74      ,thou anointest my  

head with oil4        ,grace and peace  
444 from ,jesus the anointed1 444 who   
has made us        to be kings and      
priests unto his ,god and ,father 7,rev4
 #a3d-f74      ,my cup runneth over4    
,the cup of blessing which we bless1 is 
it not a participation in        the    
blood of ,christ8 7#a ,cor4 #aj3af47    
,surely goodness and mercy shall follow 
me all the days of my     life4         
,these things have ,i spoken unto you1  
that my joy may be in you1        and   
that your joy may be fulfilled 7,john   
#ae3aa74      ,and ,i will dwell in the 
house of the ,lord forever4        ,in  
my ,father's house are many             
abiding-places4444 ,i go to prepare     
a place for you 7,john #ad3b74  ,in     
preparing for this exercise the children
 will learn how to use the ,bible index 
and the concordance4  ,watch the        
paragraphs of the ,revised ,version4    
,they make useful indications of the    
passage from one thought to the other4  
,the psalms lend themselves well to the 

useful exercises of analysis1           
condensation1 and paraphrase4 ,get your 
scholars to write out for you1 one1 a   
brief tabular statement of the contents 
of the psalm2 another1 the thought of   
the psalm in words of his own2 a third1 
the substance of the psalm1 with all    
superfluous words and repetitions       
omitted4  ,it is a capital plan to      
underscore in your ,bibles1 and get your
 scholars in the course of the lesson to
 underscore in theirs1 the key-sentences
 of the psalm4 ,in the ,first ,psalm1   
for instance1 you have in bold relief   
the main thought of the six verses if   
you underscore ,blessed is the man that 
walketh not in the counsel of the       
wicked4 ,whatsoever he doeth shall      
prosper4 ,the wicked are not so4 ,there 
is your outline4  ,do not rest satisfied
 until1 for your scholars and for you1  
the psalm you are studying is a unit1   
and stands out in your minds with       
clear-cut individuality4 ,it is         
especially necessary to get through with

 the entire text when your lesson is in 
the ,psalms4 ,it is not like a series of
 disconnected proverbs3 it is a picture2
 and your understanding of it will lack 
some essential part until you have all  
the verses4  ,indeed1 ,i would go over  
each psalm with the class at least five 
times1 rapidly3 first1 to remove        
stumbling-blocks of strange customs and 
expressions2 second1 to grasp the       
general thought2 third1 to get its      
application to ,david's life2 fourth1 to
 get its lesson for our lives2 fifth1 a 
verse-by-verse study for all possible   
side-lights and instruction4  ,observe  
the parallel expressions4 ,use only the 
,revised ,version1 which correctly      
prints the psalms as poetry4 ,read them 
rhythmically2 chant them2 intone them2  
get the impression of songs4 ,come to   
feel the beauty and meaning of the      
frequent refrains4  ,go on a tour of    
discovery1 seeking for the noble        
metrical translations of these psalms   
found in our hymn-books and religious   

anthologies4 ,for ,psalm #ai read       
,addison's magnificent hymn1 ,the       
spacious firmament on high2 for ,psalm  
#ajc1 ,h4 ,f4 ,lyte's ,praise1 my soul1 
the ,king of heaven1 or ,isaac ,watts'  
,my soul1 repeat ,his praise2 for ,psalm
 #gb1 ,james ,montgomery's ,hail to the 
,lord's ,anointed1 great ,david's       
greater ,son6 or ,isaac ,watts' ,jesus  
shall reign where'er the sun does his   
successive journeys run2 for ,psalm #hd1
 ,h4 ,f4 ,lyte's ,pleasant are ,thy     
courts above1 or ,isaac ,watts' ,lord of
 the worlds above2 for ,psalm #bc1      
,addison's ,the ,lord my pasture shall  
prepare1 or others more familiar2 and   
for other psalms the same writers1 with 
,wesley1 ,john ,newton1 ,scott1 and many
 more4 ,your scholars will be interested
 in searching for these1 and bringing   
them in4  ,suppose we were studying an  
,english hymn-book4 ,what would we ask  
first about each hymn8 ,we would ask    
what sentiment it was capable of        
inspiring4 ,the same question is to be  

asked about these inspired hymns2 and   
throughout each of them we are to trace 
not so much a train of thought as a     
train of feeling4  ,the psalms are      
subjective1 and for that reason are     
particularly hard1 some of them1 for    
children to appreciate4 ,we must        
interpret them all the more thoroughly  
by objective illustrations4 ,here the   
ordinary problem is reversed4 ,in our   
ordinary lessons the example from real  
life is given1 and from it the teacher  
must draw spiritual lessons4 ,here the  
spiritual meditation is given1 to be    
applied to real life4  ,notwithstanding 
this1 the psalms are eminently          
pictorial1 and especially adapted to    
illustration4 ,see how many pictures are
 suggested by the following words from  
the most famous of the psalms3 shepherd1
 want1 lie down1 green pastures1        
leadeth1 still waters1 guideth1 paths1  
valley of the shadow1 rod and staff1 a  
table prepared1 enemies1 anointed1 cup  
runneth over4 ,all such pictures should 

be gathered1 and used to make the lesson
 vivid to the picture-loving little     
ones4  ,there is especial need in       
teaching the psalms to explain how the  
force of imagery varies with varying    
conditions of climate and modes of life2
 how much more1 for instance1 was meant 
to ,david than to us by such symbols as 
a rock1 shadow1 sun1 shield1            
water-courses6  ,children are fond of   
metaphors1 but they make comical        
blunders with them1 and deal1 unless we 
are careful1 all too literally with such
 passages as a table in the presence of 
mine enemies1 the wicked are like the   
chaff1 the congregation of the          
righteous1 break them with a rod of     
iron4 ,if the teacher is in doubt just  
how far to carry these metaphors1 ,i    
know no better example of the wise and  
beautiful use of them than ,bunyan's    
,pilgrim's ,progress4 ,the reading of   
that book will make a capital           
preparation for the teaching of the     
psalms4  ,few lessons in the seven      

years' course will be so admirable as   
these for committing to memory4 ,if you 
want to inspire your class to better    
work in that line1 now is your time4    
,note that the psalms are all           
optimistic4 ,sound their key-note of    
peace and joy4  ,here1 if anywhere in   
the ,bible1 spiritual teaching is       
needed4 ,an essential part of the       
preparation for teaching the psalms is  
devout prayer4     ,chapter ,,xvii      
,those ,temperance and ,missionary      
,lessons   ,intemperance is the church's
 greatest foe1 missions her greatest    
task4 ,around these two topics cluster  
the highest chivalry1 the most splendid 
romance1 of our modern world4 ,the shout
 of the battle is in them1 the sweep of 
the regiment4 ,no lessons are more      
important than those devoted to these   
two great themes1 and none can be made  
more interesting4  ,and yet to many a   
teacher they are bugbears4 ,to these    
eight lessons--one sixth of the         
whole--they go with dull hearts4 ,they  

do wish the ,lesson ,committee would    
leave them out of the list4  ,what is   
the trouble8 ,there is no life back of  
the lesson4 ,they have got up their     
lesson as best they can2 but a lesson is
 not got up1 it grows up4 ,they do not  
know enough about missions and the      
temperance reform to be interested in   
them4 ,no information1 no inspiration4  
,to be sure1 there are few passages in  
the ,bible suitable for use in          
temperance lessons1 and but few         
referring directly to such enterprises  
as modern missions4 ,the ,acts record   
merely the beginnings of missions1 and  
intemperance was scarcely a problem in  
,new ,testament days4 ,nevertheless1    
both temperance and missions find in the
 ,book their fundamental and sufficient 
inspiration2 and taking our             
starting-point from the lesson text1 we 
may fairly launch forth into seas as    
wide as the world of men and action4    
,indeed1 so multiform are the phases of 
these two topics that to avoid confusion

 and leave clear impressions every      
temperance or missionary lesson should  
have a specialty4 ,let me indicate a few
 of the many possible themes4  #a4 ,a   
,bible ,search4--,spend the hour hunting
 out everything the ,bible says upon    
temperance1 or all the leading passages 
bearing on missions4 ,the scholars will 
read them aloud4 ,some verses they will 
repeat from memory4 ,they will mark them
 with colored pencils in their ,bibles4 
,they will discover the central thought 
in each reference and write it on the   
blackboard1 thus building up a compact  
summary4 ,the exercise has an air of    
finality that will please the scholars4 
#b4 ,a ,biographical ,lesson4--,let     
everything cluster around some great    
leader in missions or the temperance    
reform4 ,for the latter1 select ,john   
,b4 ,gough1 ,miss ,willard1 ,lady ,henry
 ,somerset1 ,father ,mathew1 ,francis   
,murphy4 ,for the great                 
missionaries1--,india3 ,carey1 ,heber1  
,martyn2 ,burmah3 ,judson2 ,china3      

,nevius1 ,morrison1 ,gilmour2 ,japan3   
,neesima2 ,oceanica3 ,coan1 ,paton1     
,patteson2 ,america3 ,gardiner1 ,eliot1 
,whitman1 ,brainerd2 ,turkey3           
,schauffler1 ,dwight1 ,hamlin2 ,africa3 
,livingstone1 ,mackay1 ,moffat1 ,taylor1
 ,hannington4 ,there is material enough 
for a lifetime of teaching6  ,get as    
many scholars as possible to read       
beforehand in the encyclopedia a short  
account of the chosen life4 ,one of the 
class may write a five-minute essay upon
 the hero4 ,characteristic anecdotes    
concerning him may be distributed among 
the scholars for each to relate4 ,no    
better series of short missionary       
biographies was ever published than that
 sold by the publishers of this book at 
the low price of #ej or #ge cents a     
volume4 ,use them4 ,if the class during 
the hour can really make the            
acquaintance of a great missionary or   
reformer1 it will be vast gain4         
,another and most profitable kind of    
biographical meeting may be based1 not  

upon single lives1 but upon a group of  
lives4 ,study ,the ,great ,missionaries 
of the ,bible1 ,bible ,heroes of        
,temperance1 ,some ,noble ,lives        
,spoiled by ,intemperance1 ,some        
,magnificent ,missionaries of ,our      
,denomination4  #c4 ,an ,historical     
,lesson4--,the temperance reform has    
already a notable history1 with many    
chapters worth careful study4 ,spend an 
hour with the ,woman's ,crusade1--its   
origin1 its leaders1 its many thrilling 
scenes1 its notable results4 ,the       
,washingtonian movement1 the blue-ribbon
 movement1 the ,world's ,petition1      
temperance in the ,white ,house1--these 
are themes for other studies4  ,and as  
for missions1 the puzzle will be to know
 where to end1 when there are1 for      
instance1 the ,serampore ,brotherhood to
 study1 the ,lone ,star mission1 the    
,madagascar martyrs1 the ,china ,inland 
,mission1 the all-but-miracle of        
,metlakahtla1 the conquest of ,hawaii1  
the transformation of ,fiji1 the bloody 

chronicles of ,uganda4 ,with any one of 
these stories for a nucleus1 your       
missionary lesson will be certain of    
leaving a deep impression4  #d4 ,an     
,organization ,lesson4--,study one or   
more of the great temperance            
organizations1--its origin1 its noble   
leaders1 its methods and aims1 its      
practical results4 ,the ,w4 ,c4 ,t4 ,u4 
and the ,y's1 the ,good ,templars1 the  
,national ,temperance ,society1 the     
temperance work of ,christian ,endeavor 
societies1 may be studied in this way4  
,this plan is especially valuable for   
the missionary lessons1 which should    
render your scholars familiar with the  
history and triumphs of each missionary 
board of your denomination1 home and    
foreign4 ,the remarkable circumstances  
of its founding1 the heroic men and     
women it has sent forth 7exhibit        
portraits71 the places where it labors  
7show views71 the periodicals it        
publishes 7have samples to give away71 a
 few round figures to set forth the     

results of it all1--that is a scanty    
outline4 ,the larger work of the church 
would profit immensely by such use of an
 occasional missionary lesson4  #e4 ,a  
,newspaper ,lesson4--,in another chapter
 ,i discuss the use that may wisely be  
made of the newspaper in our            
,sunday-school teaching4 ,once in a     
while the specialty of a lesson may be a
 study of current events in their       
bearing on missions or on the temperance
 reform4  ,some temperance orator has   
made a noble speech which you find well 
reported4 ,the ,w4 ,c4 ,t4 ,u4 has just 
held its annual convention4 ,neal ,dow's
 birthday has been widely celebrated4   
,south ,carolina has adopted its system 
of ,state dispensaries4 ,a hot campaign 
for prohibition is in progress in       
,canada4 ,the teacher that centers his  
lesson on one of these themes is sure of
 lively interest which may be led to    
practical result4  ,or1 if it is        
missionary ,sunday1 let the teacher     
utilize the most absorbing topics of    

foreign news4 ,it may be the ,spanish   
seizure of the ,caroline ,islands1 the  
,french capture of ,madagascar1 the     
,japanese campaign in ,formosa or that  
of the ,english in ,matabeleland or the 
,soudan1 the ,italian war with          
,abyssinia1 the ,indian famine1 the     
troubles in ,crete1 the massacres in    
,armenia4 ,what scholar1 after a lesson 
shrewdly introduced by such recitals1   
will fail to see that missions are a    
topic very much alive8  #f4 ,a ,map     
,lesson4--,few things condense1 combine1
 and clarify bits of information like a 
map1 provided you can put your          
information upon it4 ,a map may be      
utilized in a temperance lesson in two  
good ways4 ,if you are in a city1 draw  
the streets of some section1 or of the  
entire city1 if possible4 ,send your    
scholars out along all streets1 dividing
 them up1 and have them count the       
saloons in each block1 locating also the
 churches and schoolhouses4 ,i suppose1 
of course1 that your scholars are of    

suitable age for this work4 ,next       
,sunday1 as they report1 put a black    
spot on the map for every saloon1 and a 
blue spot for every church and          
schoolhouse4 ,your map will point its   
own moral4  ,at another time draw a map 
of the ,united ,states1 and give a      
graphic view of the temperance laws of  
the land1 coloring the prohibition      
,states one color1 using a different    
color to designate the ,massachusetts   
plan1 the ,south ,carolina plan1 and so 
on4  ,more can be done with a map in a  
missionary lesson4 ,for instance1 you   
may select a single country1 say ,india4
 ,provide stickers of bright-colored    
paper4 ,let some be large and circular4 
,as you talk about the four or five     
great languages of that many-tongued    
empire1 get the scholars to fasten these
 stickers in the centers of the various 
language areas4 ,let other stickers be  
cut into small stars4 ,three of these1  
of one color1 fastened in the           
neighborhoods of ,bombay1 ,madura1 and  

,ceylon1 will represent the             
,congregational missions4 ,in the same  
way you will show the location of the   
,baptist1 ,methodist1 and ,presbyterian 
missions and those of other             
denominations4 ,population stickers may 
also be used1 and stickers with the     
names of great missionaries may show    
where they labored4  ,on another day you
 may take a map of the entire world1 and
 thus indicate the location of all the  
mission fields of your denomination4 ,if
 this map is kept before the class from 
that time1 every item of missionary     
information will have fresh interest and
 point4  #g4 ,a ,statistics             
,lesson4--,at this lesson distribute1   
for the scholars to read aloud1 slips of
 paper containing temperance or         
missionary statistics1--the numbers of  
saloons or missionaries1 of drunkards   
dying or converts made each day1 the    
cost of missions or of strong drink     
compared with other expenditures1 and   
the like4 ,get the class to cut strips  

of paper of various lengths to represent
 graphically the comparative costs4     
,drill the scholars in temperance or    
missionary arithmetic4 ,telling them the
 number of heathen in ,china1 ask how   
long a procession they would make1      
marching in single file one foot apart4 
,giving them the liquor expenditure for 
a year1 have them measure a pile of     
silver dollars and calculate how tall a 
pile would equal the annual cost of     
drink4 ,such books as ,the ,missionary  
,pastor1 published by the ,fleming ,h4  
,revell ,company1 and ,weapons for      
,temperance ,warfare and ,fuel for      
,missionary ,fires1 published by the    
,united ,society of ,christian          
,endeavor1 will suggest many similar    
exercises4  #h4 ,a ,quotations          
,lesson4--,the teacher holds in his hand
 a bunch of papers1 on each of which is 
written an interesting quotation bearing
 on missions or temperance4 ,the        
collection will include longer anecdotes
 as well as brisk sentences4 ,many will 

bear famous names4 ,each scholar will   
choose a quotation at random and read it
 aloud4 ,the teacher will draw out its  
meaning by questions1 will add          
illustrations and practical comments1   
will tell something about the author of 
the quotation1 or will show the         
connection of the thought or anecdote   
with the day's lesson4 ,in some classes 
the scholars themselves may be trusted  
to bring their own quotations or        
anecdotes4  ,let me mention briefly a   
few more devices out of the many that   
may add interest to these lessons4 ,get 
a trained worker along temperance or    
missionary lines to come in and address 
the class4 ,carry out a series of simple
 experiments showing the physiological  
effects of alcohol4 ,make a study of the
 best missionary hymns1 their authors1  
and the events that prompted them4 ,try 
a fifteen-minute debate on some         
missionary or temperance topic4 ,get the
 scholars now and then to write         
five-minute essays or give five-minute  

talks on appropriate themes4 ,let one   
edit a temperance or missionary         
paper1--in manuscript1 of               
course1--collecting contributions from  
each scholar1 and reading the result    
before the class as a sample number of  
the ,cold ,water ,herald or the         
,missionary ,monitor4 ,some ,sunday1    
call on every member of the class to    
sign the pledge4 ,on a mission ,sabbath 
make an appeal for tithe-giving and     
present a tithe-givers' pledge4 ,give   
the wonderful history of the ,student   
,volunteer movement1 and urge the       
scholars to consider the mission field  
as a possibility for each one of them4  
,enliven some missionary lesson with    
entertaining accounts of the strange    
customs of the country under discussion1
 and get together all the illustrative  
material you and your scholars can find4
 ,the ,sunday-school and the ,christian 
,endeavor society will do well to make a
 collection of curios for such purposes4
  ,it is an admirable plan to set each  

of your scholars to doing some steady   
work in preparation for these lessons4  
,one may watch the newspapers and       
collect temperance facts and            
illustrations of the evils of strong    
drink4 ,the various missionary societies
 of the denomination may be divided     
among the scholars1 each to gather      
interesting bits concerning the work of 
the board assigned to him4 ,in the same 
way the mission lands may be apportioned
 out1 and the gentleman from ,india or  
our representative in ,china be called  
upon to report the latest news from his 
field4 ,in this plan the children will  
cooeperate very zealously4  ,of course  
it goes without saying 7does it1        
though87 that each teacher will be a    
subscriber to the missionary magazines  
of his own denomination1 as well as to  
that common denominator of all the      
missionary magazines1 the ,missionary   
,review of the ,world4  ,he will also   
take1 if possible1 a good temperance    
paper1 such as the ,union ,signal or the

 ,national ,temperance ,advocate2 and if
 he can afford them1 he will not be     
without the temperance and missionary   
encyclopedias4  ,indeed1 the theme      
branches out into channels so many and  
so wide that1 when once the teacher is  
started upon them1 his greatest lack    
will be of time for exploration2 and so 
far from desiring the temperance and    
missionary lessons fewer than eight1 he 
will wish it were possible for them to  
come every month6     ,chapter ,,xviii  
,topical ,lessons   ,the ,bible is so   
full of suggestion that it is           
impossible1 in the brief ,sunday-school 
half-hour1 to view the many fields of   
thought opened before us with any degree
 of satisfying completeness4 ,that fact1
 indeed1 constitutes one of the greatest
 satisfactions of the ,book4  ,neither  
teacher nor scholar can go very far with
 earnestness in ,bible study without    
feeling an intense desire to collate and
 compare1 to go to the bottom1 to take  
views single in purpose1 but wide in    

reach4 ,this wish to read the           
,scriptures as a whole has ever been    
held a sign of healthful growth in      
,christian endeavor4 ,how may we        
encourage and satisfy this desire8 ,here
 is a method ,i have repeatedly found   
helpful to my class and myself4  ,i     
prepare for myself what ,i call topical 
lessons4 ,i have noticed especial       
interest in some one topic1--the use of 
,sunday1 say1 or future punishment1     
heaven1 prayer1 abuse of money1         
missions1 the nature of sin4 ,on some   
,sunday1 then1 ,i announce that one of  
these topics is to be discussed at next 
week's meeting4 ,i ask the scholars to  
think the matter over1 and look up      
texts4 ,some do1 some do not1 as is     
usual in such matters4 ,sunday come1 ,i 
have in large script1 pinned to the wall
 in view of the class1 an outline of the
 topic chosen1 with the texts to be used
 indicated in clear figures4 ,it is     
intended for a lesson in methods of     
,bible study as much as in ,bible       

contents1 and so aims to be complete and
 thorough in its range4 ,the plan is    
explained1 and the scope of the subject4
 ,we take it up by natural divisions4   
,all have ,bibles1 of course4 ,the      
references are numbered4 ,mr4 ,brown1   
please find ,no4 #a2 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,no4  
#b2 ,mr4 ,robinson1 ,no4 #c1 and so on4 
,in a few seconds we are ready for a    
discussion of the first division4 ,i    
shall trust to the scholars' memory for 
the commoner quotations1 and not trust  
in vain1 if ,i have done my duty        
previously4 ,this division disposed of1 
more or less to our satisfaction1 we    
pass to another point1 then to another1 
rapidly or leisurely1 as the time       
permits1 being careful that in the      
half-hour the general scope of ,bible   
thought in the matter1 its largeness and
 depth1 its insight and minuteness of   
detail1 be adequately exhibited4  ,may  
,i show you a sample outline8   ,,faith4
     #a4 ,what is it8 7,heb4 #aa3a2     
,john #bj3bi47     #b4 ,whence comes it8

          7a7 ,from ,god 7,rom4 #ab3c2  
#a ,cor4 #b3d1 #e2                #ab3d1
 #h1 #i2 #a ,pet4 #a3d1 #e74            
7b7 ,from ,christ 7,heb4 #ab3b74        
7c7 ,from the ,bible 7,john #ag3bj2     
#bj3ca2 ,rom4                #ae3d2 #b  
,tim4 #c3ae74          7d7 ,from        
preaching 7,rom4 #aj3ad2 #a ,cor4 #c3e74
          7e7 ,but all one 7,eph4 #d3e2 
#d3ac2 ,jude #c74          7f7 ,not from
 works 7,eph4 #b3h1 #i2 ,rom4 #c3bg1    
#bh2 ,gal4 #c3aa1 #ab2 #b3af74     #c4  
,what does it do8        7#a7 ,the works
 of faith3          7a7 ,it is a work   
7,john #f3bh1 #bi2 ,rom4 #d3e74         
7b7 ,which draws us to ,god 7,rom4 #e3a1
 #b2                ,eph4 #c3ab2 #c3ag2 
,jas4 #a3e1 #f74          7c7 ,thus     
pleasing him 7,heb4 #aa3f74          7d7
 ,which frees us from sin 7#b ,pet4     
#a3e2 ,acts                #ac3ch1 #ci2 
,rom4 #c3ba1 #bf2 ,acts #ae3i74         
7e7 ,leads us into salvation 7,mark     
#af3af2 ,john                #a3ab1     
#ac74          7f7 ,conquers this world 

7#a ,john #e3d1 #e74          7g7 ,gives
 us peace therein 7,eph4 #f3af2 ,rom4   
#e3a74          7h7 ,and finally eternal
 life 7,rom4 #a3ag2 ,john               
#c3af2 #c3cf74        7#b7 ,the works   
from faith3          7a7 ,faith alone is
 dead 7,eph4 #b3aj2 ,jas4 #b3ad-bf74    
7b7 ,faith a beginning 7,jude #bj2 ,col4
 #b3f1 #g74          7c7 ,of wondrous   
power 7,mark #i3bc2 #aa3bb-bd2          
,luke #ag3e1 #f74          7d7 ,working 
out through love 7#a ,thess4 #e3h2      
#a ,cor4 #ac3b2 #ac3ac2 ,gal4 #e3f2 #a  
,john                #c3bc74            
7e7 ,in miracle 7,matt4 #i3bb2 #i3bi2   
,luke #h3ej2                ,acts       
#c3af74          7f7 ,in history 7,heb4 
#aa3 #cb-cd2 ,matt4 #af3af2             
,john #a3di2 #aa3be1 #bg2 ,acts #f3e2   
#h3cg2                #aa3bd74     #d4  
,have ,i it8          7a7 ,there is     
false faith 7#a ,tim4 #a3e74            
7b7 ,the testing 7#b ,cor4 #ac3e2 ,jas4 
#a3c2 #a ,pet4                #a3f1 #g74
          7c7 ,the seeking 7,phil4      

#a3bg2 ,jude #c74          7d7 ,the     
keeping 7#a ,cor4 #af3ac2 ,heb4 #aj3ch2 
,col4 #a3bc2 #a ,tim4 #a3ah1 #ai2 #f3ab2
                #a ,pet4 #e3h1 #i74     
#e4 ,now and hereafter 7#b ,cor4 #e3g2  
#a ,cor4 #ac3ab74  ,manifestly1 when    
this plan is carried out1 there will be 
scant time for the regular lesson2      
probably no time at all4 ,the next      
,sunday two lessons must be recited4    
,but your topical study has grown out of
 the regular lessons1 and in its turn   
will excite in them fresh interest4  ,it
 is obvious that each teacher must      
choose his own topics and make his own  
outlines1 suited to his own methods of  
thought1 and to the age and intelligence
 of his class4 ,the above was used in a 
class of young men1 college students in 
part4 ,themes of an entirely different  
nature might well be chosen1--a view of 
,christ's miracles or parables or       
sermons1 of ,old ,testament miracles1 or
 of sacred history in some one line4 ,it
 might even be found profitable1 as it  

surely would be interesting1 to collate1
 arrange1 and discuss ,scripture        
references to the eye1 the ear1 birds1  
flowers1 trumpets4 ,to my mind1 some    
such occasional excursion as this seems 
to lead the scholars1 especially those  
approaching manhood and womanhood1 to a 
more comprehensive and methodical       
knowledge of the riches of the best     
,book1 and to one of the most resultful 
methods of studying it4     ,chapter    
,,xix  ,introducing ,thoughts   ,a      
little child once declared that she     
liked a certain sermon because there    
were so many likes in it4 ,for the same 
reason1 that same child would have liked
 ,christ as a ,sunday-school teacher4   
,and we teachers will gain ,christ's    
success in the same measure as we gain  
his power of putting the whole universe 
back of our thought4  ,for a thought    
comes forcibly from our minds in        
proportion as we see its relatedness4   
,if we have put it into connection with 
a score of things1 that score get behind

 it and push4 ,an unrelated thought     
comes as tamely from the mind as a ,jack
 from its box when the spring is broken4
 ,and so when a ,sunday-school teacher  
would present a truth energetically1 he 
must look all around the truth1 crowd   
his mind with applications of the truth1
 fall in love with its beauty from many 
points of view2 in brief1 become        
thoroughly acquainted with the truth1   
and its enthusiastic friend4  ,how1 now1
 shall we introduce the truth to the    
child8 ,it is the manner of some to take
 the truth and the child1 and bump heads
 together1--a process which very        
naturally develops a mutual shyness4    
,the true teacher1 on the contrary1 is a
 skilled master of ceremonies4 ,from the
 crowd of likenesses1 illustrations1 and
 applications which have made him and   
the truth acquainted1 he chooses one to 
go with it and act as mutual friend1 to 
introduce the stranger thought to the   
child's mind1 and put the two on easy   
terms together4  ,he does not make the  

common mistake of sending along the     
entire crowd1 so that the introduced is 
lost in the throng of masters of        
ceremonies1 so that the truth is        
confused1 and acquaintanceship          
embarrassed by the parade of            
illustration4 ,he knows that where one  
parable makes1 two mar1 and three ruin4 
,nor will the shrewd teacher ever       
attempt introduction by something other 
than a mutual friend of both            
parties1--the truth and the child's     
mind4 ,the myth of ,alcestis may be     
connected with your own thought of the  
resurrection1 but it is itself a        
stranger to the child's mind4 ,the true 
mutual friend would be the metamorphosis
 of the butterfly4  ,is that comparison 
stale8 ,in seeking for fresh and        
brilliant illustrations1 we are apt to  
forget that the longer the mutual friend
 has known both parties1 the more apt   
will he be at furthering their          
acquaintance4 ,the butterfly is truly to
 us a trite illustration of the         

resurrection1 but not to the child4  ,do
 not push forward the thought first1 and
 after a ten minutes' awkward1          
floundering parley between it and the   
child's mind1 proceed to introduce them 
by your illustration4 ,after two people 
have talked together for ten minutes1   
they either need no introduction by that
 time1 or have destroyed the possibility
 of acquaintanceship4 ,illustration     
first4  ,and after the introduction two 
mistakes may be made4 ,the introducing  
illustration may keep on chattering1 not
 allowing the truth and the mind of the 
child to say a word to each other4 ,a   
master of ceremonies1 who knows his     
business1 knows when to draw quietly    
back1 and leave the new acquaintanceship
 room to grow4 ,the illustration is not 
the end1 but the means4  ,the other     
mistake is in allowing the mutual friend
 to withdraw abruptly1 before the two1  
the stranger thought and the child's    
mind1 have broken the ice4 ,let him stay
 and put in a clever word now and then1 

until the acquaintanceship can stand by 
itself4  ,nor is there any reason why1  
with every fresh truth1 a fresh         
illustration should strut forward4      
,those social assemblies are best       
managed which are planned by one wise   
woman1 and permeated throughout by her  
thoughtfulness1 words of tact1 and      
shrewd bits of engineering4 ,one        
mistress to a party1 as one cook to the 
broth4 ,and so if you can find one      
illustration which is on good terms with
 all the truths in the lesson1 and      
familiar also to the child's mind1 by   
all means let that one illustration hold
 sway1 as a genial host1 throughout the 
entire half-hour1 and associate the     
whole together4  ,but when the          
illustration ceases to illustrate1 part 
with it1 regretfully but promptly2 as   
,i1 following my own advice1 must here  
part with the illustration which has    
done duty hitherto4  ,in this whole     
matter1 as in all others1 only          
painstaking deserves or gains success4  

,a genius for parable is rare4 ,gift    
here means the poet's power1 his breadth
 of vision1 his depth of sympathy1 his  
tact and sense of fitness4 ,but though  
it is a poet's gift1 it need not be born
 in one4 ,how may we gain skill in      
illustration8  ,in the first place1 by  
gaining knowledge4 ,how can we expect   
,jewish history to seem real1 isolated1 
as it so often is1 from all other       
history8 ,we1 too1 have a ,father       
,abraham4 ,caesar crossed a river once1 
as1 and yet not as1 did ,joshua4        
,compare ,washington's farewell address 
with ,samuel's4 ,and1 too1 without      
science1 such sciences as geology and   
astronomy1 a ,sunday-school teacher is  
but half armed4 ,how wonderfully and    
inspiringly ,god's two books supplement 
each other1 no one can guess who has not
 put the two together4 ,in brief1 for   
the theme is infinite1 almost any fact1 
once learned1 has constant surprises of 
usefulness1 and in no ways more         
frequently than this of illustration4   

,in the next place1 by gaining sympathy4
 ,no one can well use illustrations who 
is out of touch with his fellows4 ,the  
best possible illumination of life      
questions is the story of the lives     
around you1--their trials and triumphs4 
,do you know a child who has done a     
heroic deed1 though quietly1 for the    
,master8 ,have you a friend who has     
conquered some sore temptation8 ,have   
you met a good man struggling against   
some inherited evil tendency8 ,have you 
knowledge of the disastrous results of  
some single life8 ,life comes closest to
 life1 and experience furnishes the best
 similes4  ,and then we may study books1
 and learn how effective writers have   
used illustrations4 ,a note-book        
collection of these will be helpful1    
even though the making of it is the end 
of it2 for this study will help us      
toward the teacher's chief goal1--the   
power of putting things in the best way4
  ,the newspapers should be one of the  
most fruitful fields for the gleaning of

 illustrations2 and so they will be1    
when they learn to chronicle the good as
 thoroughly and brilliantly as they now 
chronicle the bad4  ,of course1--though 
an of course seldom practically         
accepted1--a ,bible character is the    
very best illustration of a ,bible      
character1 the ,old ,testament of the   
,new1 the last lesson of this1 ,moses of
 ,paul1 and ,sinai of ,hermon4  ,and of 
course1 too1--though again a belied of  
course1--the less the illustration given
 by the teacher1 and the more given by  
the scholar in answer to questions1 the 
more vivid the impression4 ,too often we
 teachers smack our lips at the coming  
of the similes1 and launch out into     
harangue4  ,let us see in all this much 
more than a scheme of indirections4 ,it 
is no easy task to find the best way    
into a child's mind1 nor quite without  
pains and difficulty is the imitation of
 the ,teacher who spoke many things in  
parables4     ,chapter ,,xx             
,illustrations and ,applications        

,sunday-school teachers often make the  
mistake of confounding lesson           
illustrations with practical            
applications4 ,a lesson illustration is 
a picture of the truth you are studying 
as exemplified in spheres of life       
foreign to your scholars2 practical     
application pictures the truth in their 
own lives4 ,in other words1 a practical 
application is an illustration that the 
scholars can practice4 ,the point ,i    
want to make is1 that the practical     
application should be used1 in our own  
precious half-hour1 not to the exclusion
 of the lesson illustration1 but largely
 predominating over it4  ,for instance1 
if you were discussing the great cloud  
of invisible witnesses that compass us  
about1 you might illustrate the truth by
 the famous story of ,napoleon's speech 
to the troops in ,egypt1 ,from yonder   
pyramids1 my men1 forty centuries look  
down upon us2 but1 if you have not time 
for both1 a practical application would 
be far better3 ,john1 who is one of this

 great cloud of witnesses that is most  
tenderly and anxiously watching your    
life8 ,my father4 ,and who1 ,harry1 is  
among your invisible guardians8 ,my     
mother4 ,that is more forcible than     
forty centuries4  ,again1 one of the    
finest illustrations of devotion to     
principle is afforded by the conversion 
to the ,baptist faith of one of our     
first ,american foreign missionaries1   
the immortal ,judson1 who1 at the       
bidding of conscience and conviction1   
cast loose in mid-ocean from the only   
missionary society in ,america1 and his 
only assured support4 ,that is          
magnificent1 but it is only an          
illustration1 one needing to be         
translated into terms of child life     
thus3 ,suppose you are in a school      
examination1 and your neighbor on one   
side hands you a bit of folded paper to 
pass to your neighbor on the other side1
 and you are pretty sure it is to help  
him cheat in the examination1 and       
suppose the whole school will think you 

mean and stuck up if you refuse to pass 
the paper1 what are you going to do8    
,that is a test of devotion to principle
 such as the child is likely to meet4   
,to be sure1 there are illustrations    
which come so close to average          
circumstances that they are also        
applications4 ,for instance1 to take    
another great missionary1 ,william      
,carey1 his boyish fall from the tree he
 was climbing1 with the result of       
breaking his leg1 and1 on recovery1 his 
immediate set-to at the same tree again2
 his saying that his business was       
preaching the gospel1 but that he       
cobbled shoes to pay expenses2 his      
bidding the ,christians left at home to 
hold the ropes while he went down1--all 
these are very practical illustrations1 
quite within the children's sphere1     
since it is well for them also to have  
grit even about tree-climbing1 since    
they are to hold their ordinary duties  
subordinate to their spiritual life1 and
 since they have missionary money to    

spend and missionary prayers to make4   
,if1 however1 ,i were teaching the      
passage in the ,acts that relates how   
the disciples had all things in common1 
though ,i might tell about the splendid 
carrying out of that principle in       
,carey's ,serampore brotherhood1 yet1 if
 ,i had time for only the one1 ,i should
 certainly prefer a practical           
application of the text to the sharing  
of apples and the lending of bicycles4  
,it is helpful to a boy1 of course1 if  
he would cultivate patience1 to have    
before his eyes the picture of that cave
 looking out over ,scottish hills and   
heather1 and of the spider at the cave's
 mouth teaching its beautiful lesson to 
the ,bruce within2 but the picture      
remains only a picture unless the spider
 of the boy's imagination is taught to  
run lines connecting every point of the 
picture with his geography lesson and   
his garden weeding4 ,far too many war   
stories are told in our ,sunday-schools4
 ,they do not build up very rapidly the 

,christian soldier4 ,far too many       
illustrations are drawn from what is    
wrongly called the distinctive heroic   
age of the world4 ,not thus is the      
,christian hero furnished for his       
nineteenth-century toils4  ,a similar   
remark is to be made regarding          
illustrations from science4 ,they must  
not be permitted to detract from or     
exclude the practical application4 ,if  
we are teaching our boys and girls how  
all things work together for good to    
those that love ,god1 we may use the    
illustration of the rainbow1 explaining 
that it is on the very raindrops of the 
storm itself that ,god paints his       
wonderful symbol of hope and trust4     
,that is poetical and true1 but the     
lesson remains as misty as the rainbow  
itself unless you go on to show your    
scholars how the lame boy among them    
gets more time for study on account of  
his lameness1 how the boy who has been  
sick has learned far more than he knew  
before about the love of his dear ones  

and about the great ,physician1 how the 
boy who has had to leave school and go  
to work is none the less getting a      
priceless schooling in patience and     
determination and energy and            
faithfulness4  ,many of these practical 
illustrations you may by questions draw 
out from the boys themselves4 ,blessed  
are the peacemakers4 ,call for stories  
of boyish quarrels settled by some boy  
,solon4 ,that is better than telling    
about the ,massachusetts boards of      
arbitration in strikes4 ,my cup runneth 
over4 ,draw out a list of their own     
boyish blessings1 which are more to them
 than those of any saint or psalmist4   
,but especially this practical          
application1 to be successful1 must be  
the work of a consecrated imagination4  
,a ,sunday-school teacher must think    
himself into the lives of others4 ,bear 
ye one another's burdens4 ,now don't    
rake up from your encyclopedias the     
story of ,st4 ,christopher1 beautiful as
 it is1 and try to twist it into an     

illustration of the text4 ,no4 ,ask the 
bright scholar what he does to help his 
duller friends understand the knotty    
problems at school4 ,ask the merry boys 
what they do when mother is tired       
amusing the baby4 ,ask the selfish boy  
what a lad that greatly wanted a new    
sled could do to help his father bear   
his burden of poverty4  ,to get these   
applications you have had to put        
yourself in his place1 to picture to    
your mind your scholars' joys and       
sorrows1 desires and disappointments1   
hopes and fears1 labor and play4 ,and in
 the process1 and as its result1 have   
come two rewards that no thumbing of    
dictionaries of biography1 and manuals  
of mythology1 and encyclopedias of      
illustrations1 could ever give4 ,you    
have come closer to the lives of your   
scholars1 and you have drawn those lives
 closer to the present1 practical       
,christ4     ,chapter ,,xxi  ,righteous 
,padding   ,it is marvelous how rich in 
suggestion all passages of the ,bible   

are to the thoughtful1 studious mind4   
,it is no less marvelous how bare and   
barren the wealthiest portions become   
when filtered through a bare and barren 
mind4  ,truth is valuable only as it is 
extended into life4 ,blessed are the    
pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god2 
that means to the child very little1    
packed into this condensed form4 ,but   
let the teacher set about extending that
 blessed truth4 ,let him picture a man1 
cross1 ugly1 besotted1 selfish1 greedy1 
his heart all rotten with passion and   
pride4 ,go through a day with him1 from 
the sullen greetings in the morning and 
his breakfast-table quarrels1 through   
his business hours all stern and        
crabbed1 to his morose and unlovely     
evening4 ,ask the children how much he  
sees and enjoys of the beautiful world1 
how much he gets from noble books1 what 
perception he has of the character of   
his charming wife and children4 ,he is  
blind to all these things4 ,why8        
,because of his impure heart4  ,show how

 this baseness follows him to church1   
holds him down from praying1 weights his
 songs1 dulls his vision of spiritual   
things4 ,ask them how it will be at     
death1 when he goes out of this world   
with a soul taught to see only money and
 self4 ,how can he see ,god8  ,then go  
on to tell them of their loving1        
gentle-hearted mothers1 and how much    
good they can see in this world1 in     
their friends1 in their children1       
because their hearts are unselfish and  
pure4 ,how easily they pray4 ,how       
cheerily they sing4 ,how near ,god is to
 them4 ,will there be any difficulty in 
their seeing ,god in the next world1    
when they can see so much of him in     
this8  ,you have made quite a sermon out
 of that text4 ,it has been extended    
largely1 and yet the meaning of it has  
merely begun to dawn on those childish  
minds4  ,suppose you had taught it in   
this way3 ,verse eight4 ,read it1       
,tommy4 ,now1 who are blessed1 ,mary8   
,and why are they blessed1 ,willie8 ,now

 don't forget that1 children4 ,pay      
attention4 ,always remember it4 ,the    
pure in heart see ,god4 ,why should we  
be pure in heart1 ,lucy8 ,and how can we
 see ,god1 ,susy8 ,now don't forget it1 
children4 ,pay attention4 ,always       
remember it4 ,the pure in heart see     
,god4 ,what have we learned in this     
verse1 ,lizzie8 ,yes1 that's right4 ,you
 all want to be pure in heart1 children1
 now don't you8 ,why8 ,yes1 that's      
right4 ,i see you have paid attention4  
,but they haven't1 as any such teacher  
may find out by a question next ,sunday4
  ,a teacher of children must learn the 
art of righteous padding4 ,he must learn
 how to fill in outlines1 how to expand 
texts4 ,he must illustrate with imagery1
 parable1 allegory1 personal experience1
 use of material objects1 pictures1     
action of the children4  ,especially    
valuable is the last1 when it can be    
used4 ,the teacher's cry for attention  
might well be translated into the       
highwayman's1 ,hold up your hands4 ,at  

any rate1 if you can manage to keep them
 busy with their hands1 you have their  
eyes1 tongues1 and brains4  ,set them to
 hunting up verses in their ,bibles4    
,you will have the experience of a      
friend of mine who came to me once after
 trying it1 and despairingly said that  
the children now wanted to do nothing   
else4 ,nearly every verse can be        
illustrated by a stanza from some common
 song4 ,get the children to sing it     
softly1 first making them see how the   
song fits the ,bible4 ,make liberal use 
of concert repetition of ,bible verses4 
,there is nothing better than this good 
old device for unifying and freshening  
the attention of a class4  ,and         
pictures4 ,teachers do not yet know     
one-tenth of the teaching power of      
pictures4 ,take the ,twenty-third ,psalm
 for a familiar example4 ,the shepherd1 
want1 green pastures1 lie down1 leadeth 
me1 still waters1 the paths of          
righteousness1 the valley of the shadow1
 thy rod and staff1 a table prepared1   

mine enemies1 anointing1 cup runneth    
over1 the house of the ,lord--as you    
read that list did not fourteen pictures
 rise at once in your mind8 ,find them1 
and show them to the children4 ,they    
will pay even better attention to your  
printed pictures than to your           
word-pictures4  ,experience will soon   
teach the teacher1 if his eyes are open1
 the need of copious illustration4      
,astronomers tell us that it is very    
difficult to see the smallest objects   
visible to us in the sky1 if they are in
 the form of little dots4 ,they may have
 dimensions very much smaller and still 
be visible easily1 if they are extended 
into lines of light4 ,so with the points
 of our lessons4 ,they will miss        
attention entirely or gain it with      
difficulty1 while they remain merely    
points4 ,we must extend them1 by the use
 of consecrated wits4     ,chapter      
,,xxii  ,the ,sunday-,school and the    
,newspaper   ,on several pages of this  
book ,i have hinted at the use of the   

newspaper in our teaching2 but the theme
 deserves a chapter to itself4 ,an      
up-to-date teacher is respected1 and it 
is largely the newspaper that brings one
 up to date4 ,we must put our lessons   
into touch with life1 and the newspaper 
is our modern compendium of life--very  
faulty1 but all we have4 ,the best      
illustration of the lesson is one your  
scholars find2 the next best1 one you   
find yourself2 and only the third best1 
one found for you by the skilful writers
 of your lesson helps4 ,the newspapers  
are mines of original illustrations4    
,they constitute1 for example1 a        
magazine of warnings4 ,hardly a number  
but tells of a defalcation sprung from  
gambling1 of the ruin accomplished by   
the theater and dance-hall1 of the      
mischief caused by sensational          
literature1 and everywhere and always of
 the rum-fiend's devilish work4 ,why    
,saul fell1 and ,david1 and             
,solomon1--your scholars must know that2
 but their sense of the reality of sin  

and its fearful power will be deepened  
by noting the fall of men and women in  
this present world1 and learning what   
brought shipwreck to their souls4 ,a    
misplaced switch last week threw a train
 from the track and killed a man4 ,what 
a warning against carelessness6 ,early  
,wednesday morning a drunken woman was  
found asleep on an ash-pile1 her little 
girl sobbing by her side4 ,what a lesson
 on the evil wrought by rum6 ,of all the
 sins and faults against which the      
,bible utters its great warnings1 there 
is none we may not illustrate freshly   
and vividly from the newspaper4  ,but   
that is only half1 and the lower half4  
,by sharp search we may find in our     
papers many a thrilling example of      
heroism and noble service4 ,would that  
our reporters more frequently chronicled
 the good6 ,yet here is a fire at which 
a fireman risked his life to save a     
little child4 ,and here is a cashier    
that braved death rather than open the  
safe for the robbers4 ,and here is a lad

 whose shoulder was dislocated by       
stopping a runaway horse4 ,and here is a
 heroic rescue of men and women from a  
shipwreck4 ,we do not get from the      
newspaper the daily acts of devotion and
 faithfulness so honored in the eye of  
heaven2 but we do get the splendid      
deeds1 the stirring1 romantic victories1
 that will move the girls and boys to   
knightly action4  ,newspapers1 too1 give
 an outlook over the world4 ,the        
confining walls melt away1 and your     
lesson takes wide sweeps under a broad  
sky4 ,every session of ,congress        
considers many matters of the highest   
import for the kingdom of ,god4 ,our    
great offices are filled with men of    
strong character1 acting out upon a     
grand scale lives potent for good or    
evil4 ,in the lands across the seas     
great events are occurring1 each        
exhibiting some phase of godliness or   
sin4 ,you will exalt the gospel mightily
 in the minds of your scholars if you   
can show them how its principles solve  

the problems of our government1 and     
underlie all wise action of the nations 
of the world4  ,it has already been     
indicated how the temperance lesson1    
that quarterly bugbear of some teachers1
 may be illuminated by the newspaper4   
,thus also may the missionary lesson4   
,so profoundly do missions affect any   
nation they touch1 and so closely are   
they interwoven with its life1 that     
whatever of importance befalls any      
people has its missionary bearings4 ,the
 ,sultan cannot massacre the ,armenians1
 or ,france seize ,madagascar1 or ,japan
 fight ,china1 or ,hawaii depose its    
queen1 or a revolution occur in ,south  
,america1 without entanglement with the 
omnipresent missionaries of the cross4  
,to make the scholars feel this through 
wise references to current events is    
immensely to broaden their conception of
 the church and its work4  ,even beyond 
all this1 our newspapers afford the     
teacher a vast supply of illustrative   
material4 ,there are the carefully      

prepared biographies of the great men   
and women that pass away1 printed with  
their portraits4 ,there are sketches of 
the lives of living celebrities1 with   
pictures of their faces and their homes4
 ,there are lectures and sermons1       
sometimes admirably reported1 giving in 
a few bright paragraphs the gist of an  
hour's discourse4 ,there are thousands  
of poems by the best modern authors4    
,there are appropriate editorial        
comments on all the holidays1 ,christmas
 and ,new ,year's1 ,easter and ,memorial
 ,day1 ,thanksgiving and the ,fourth of 
,july4 ,there are accounts of the latest
 wonderful inventions1 each a pointed   
parable to one with eyes and a brain4   
,and1 with all its pictorial enormities1
 the newspaper often contains a portrait
 or a sketch worth using in our lesson  
half-hour4  ,in all this ,i am taking   
for granted1 of course1 that you        
subscribe to no sensational abomination1
 but to the best of our standard sheets1
 even if you must get it from some other

 city than your own4 ,it must be a paper
 so clean that you can occasionally hand
 a copy to your scholars1 and fearlessly
 set them to reading up on some theme   
helpful to the lesson4 ,besides1 it must
 not be forgotten that our best         
religious weeklies are now genuine      
newspapers as well1 and furnish         
admirable comments upon all important   
current events4  ,to use the newspaper  
to the best advantage in your teaching1 
you must have well in mind all the      
lesson themes for months in advance1    
since a striking event of to-day might  
not illustrate this week's lesson1 but  
the lesson of five weeks ahead4 ,your   
best plan is to cut out each day the    
paragraphs and articles that seem likely
 to be of use1 and preserve them in a   
series of envelopes4 ,mark one set of   
envelopes with the topics and dates of a
 year's lessons4 ,let another set       
contain the clippings arranged by       
subjects1 as3 ,love1 ,faith1            
,temperance1 ,missions1 ,theater1       

,heroism1 ,inventions4 ,these will      
contain poems as well as prose4 ,some1  
rather than classify the bits of        
biography under the characteristics     
especially prominent in each case1 will 
prefer to arrange them alphabetically1  
in a separate set of twenty-six         
envelopes4 ,as the envelope for each    
week's lesson is used1 distribute its   
contents through your permanent file4   
,frequently glance over your clippings  
to refresh your memory concerning them2 
otherwise they will become so much dead 
wood4  ,not an unimportant result of all
 this is that it will teach your        
scholars to read the newspaper as a     
,christian should4 ,in this great       
,american university our scholars should
 be taught to skip the courses in evil  
and elect those in goodness4  ,and a    
final word1--which1 indeed1 no teacher  
is likely to need1 though it must be    
said3 keep the whole matter subordinate4
 ,it is not proposed to turn our        
,sunday-schools into classes for the    

study of current events4 ,we have to do 
with one ,life1 and with that alone4 ,we
 are teaching not all kinds of truth1   
but him who is the ,truth4 ,whatever we 
admit into our teaching that does not   
exalt him and throw light on his life   
and doctrine is a harmful impertinence4 
,we are not to study the lamp1 but the  
,book that lies beneath it4     ,chapter
 ,,xxiii  ,on ,taking ,things for       
,granted   ,the cliff-scaler1 who lowers
 his comrade down the precipice1 does   
not take for granted the fastening      
around the tree or the stoutness of the 
rope2 but the ,sunday-school teacher too
 often throws his young people into the 
treacherous depths of thought and life  
with little care for their life-rope's  
integrity or moorings4 ,more than once  
or twice or thrice in my own experience1
 after weeks and months of supposedly   
thorough intercourse with my scholars1  
an awkward question1 better aimed by    
,heaven than by myself1 has disclosed   
some fatal doubt1 some fundamental      

misconception4 ,i had been taking for   
granted that my boy really believed     
,christ to be divine1 or that he had at 
least the beginnings of a conception of 
the ,saviour's mission to the earth1 or 
that he knew by experience the meaning  
of prayer1 or that he actually had      
confidence in a future life4  ,i have in
 mind a fine1 thoughtful fellow1        
graduate of a famous college and a      
church-member1 whose very               
thoughtfulness1 and the knowledge of his
 religious activity in former years1 led
 me1 when he entered my class1 to take  
for granted his ,christianity4 ,after   
weeks of teaching1 it was only a chance 
question1 in private conversation1 that 
led him to the frank admission that     
skeptical college friends had absolutely
 destroyed his faith in ,christ and the 
,bible1 leaving him with only a sad and 
bewildered hold on the ,god of nature4  
,what ,sunday-school teacher has not    
been startled thus with disclosures of  
his own carelessness in taking things   

for granted8  ,it is a mistake          
constantly to advertise skepticism by   
warning our scholars against it1 but it 
is no mistake to arm them against it4   
,no teacher has mastered his lesson     
until he has mastered every doubt       
regarding it that any of his scholars is
 likely to entertain4 ,will this        
punishment seem unjust8 this event      
fabulous8 this person mythical8 this    
doctrine unreasonable8 this miracle     
unreal8 this author apocryphal8 these   
men and women mere creatures of         
imagination8 ,such questions as these   
are important for the teacher to        
consider1--to consider1 not ask in the  
class4 ,because to the teacher the      
account is more true and vivid than an  
extract from yesterday's newspaper1 he  
takes it for granted that his scholars  
so regard it4 ,they may put the lesson  
story in the same category as ,baron    
,munchausen or ,the ,ancient ,mariner1  
and such a teacher would be none the    
wiser4  ,i know of nothing in the way of

 study that is so capable of firing a   
,sunday-school teacher and class as     
,christian evidences4 ,remember that    
this also is a study of the ,bible4 ,why
 is it ordinarily thought so dull8 ,it  
is full of snap and point4 ,professor   
,fisher's short ,manual of ,christian   
,evidences1 published by ,charles       
,scribner's ,sons at seventy-five cents1
 stands next to my ,bible as an aid and 
inspiration in teaching that ,bible4 ,i 
keep several copies1 and all of them are
 usually in the hands of earnest        
scholars4 ,often when they are returned 
the compliment is1 ,that book helped me 
so much that ,i have bought a copy of my
 own4 ,that means the conversion of a   
doubting ,thomas4 ,why6 exclaimed one   
such reader1 ,i never knew before that  
there was anything to prove             
,christianity but the ,bible1 or        
anything but the ,bible to prove the    
,bible4  ,a teacher that is not in the  
habit of questioning persistently and   
searchingly can have no idea of the     

depth and at the same time the          
shallowness of the religious thinking of
 the average scholar4 ,far too many     
teachers prove everything by quoting the
 inspired ,bible1 taking it for granted 
that their scholars accept the ,bible as
 inspired2 or by referring to our divine
 ,saviour1 taking it for granted that   
their scholars believe ,christ to be a  
divine ,saviour4 ,our scholars are more 
shrewd than that4 ,their answers will be
 proper1 but skepticism often lurks     
beneath1 ready to spring up in open     
infidelity1 secret scorn1 or fruitless1 
formal morality4  ,skepticism should    
never be anticipated1 but it should     
never be neglected4 ,it should never be 
dealt with before the class1 if it can  
be dealt with in private4 ,but it is a  
teacher's first duty to know the great  
truths of ,christianity1 and know why he
 knows them4 ,it is his second duty to  
make certain that each of his scholars  
knows them1 and can prove them4  ,but we
 cannot cover the ground without taking 

things for granted4 ,cover the ground6  
,superficial area1 and superficial      
teaching6     ,chapter ,,xxiv           
,utilizing the ,late ,scholar   ,the    
late scholar is no blessing1 and yet he 
is far from an unmixed evil4 ,the wise  
teacher will get all the good he can out
 of him4  ,of course1 he is to be       
transformed into the early scholar1 care
 being taken lest by mistake he be      
transformed into the scholar absent     
altogether4 ,and during this process of 
transformation there is a small harvest 
of advantage to be tended4  ,let his    
entrance be a danger signal4 ,don't act 
mad4 ,of course1 the electric current of
 interest is flowing by this time1 or   
never1 and the late scholar rudely      
breaks it4 ,but never mind4 ,better the 
total loss of your scholars' interest in
 the lesson than the loss of their      
respect for you4  ,remember1 too1 that  
there may be a good excuse1--even late  
coming may mean earnest endeavor1--and  
premature impatience in such case will  

cause you dismayed repentance4  ,the    
late scholar cannot be ignored2 don't   
try it4 ,sometimes we fiercely attempt  
to finish our sentences1 or get answers 
to our last questions4 ,the late scholar
 is a potent and aggressive fact1 and   
cannot be got rid of in that way4  ,no4 
,accept the situation promptly and      
sensibly4 ,stop short at once1 and greet
 the late comer heartily4 ,don't let him
 sneak into a back seat1 but set him in 
the midst4 ,see that he has a ,bible or 
a lesson paper4 ,incorporate him4 ,then 
proceed thriftily to utilize him4 ,he is
 your opportunity for a review4 ,you    
probably need one at this stage of the  
lesson1 anyway4 ,here is your chance for
 gathering up loose ends and binding all
 the truths thus far taught in a compact
 whole4  ,you may do it in this way3    
,before you came in1 ,charley1 we were  
talking about ,christ's command to lay  
up treasures1 not on earth1 but in      
heaven4 ,we've been deciding what some  
of the earth-treasures are4 ,we've      

agreed that they include money and      
clothes and houses and studies and      
friends1 and that we mustn't win any of 
these in such a way that they will      
belong merely to earth4 ,you see8 ,and  
now1 class1 can any one think of another
 earth-treasure8  ,or you may do it in  
this way3 ,here's ,charley4 ,john1 will 
you please tell him what we talked about
 at the beginning of the lesson8 ,that's
 good4 ,and ,bess1 tell him1 please1    
what conclusion we have come to thus    
far4 ,that's right4 ,and now let us go  
on4  ,similarly1 all through the lesson1
 the late scholar may be your excuse for
 bringing up points mentioned at the    
opening of the hour1 and needing        
repetition4 ,something was said at the  
start which bears on that matter1 and   
,charley wasn't here4 ,ned1 please tell 
him what that was4  ,bring him into the 
electric circle by a question as soon as
 you can4 ,but remember that it takes   
time for him to become charged with     
interest and understanding as fully as  

the rest1 and ask him easy questions at 
first1 or1 perhaps better1 call on him  
to read a verse or two4  ,the late      
scholar's exit is fraught with as much  
danger as his entrance4 ,you must       
utilize that also4 ,let your questioning
 be jolly and indirect3 ,too much sleep 
this morning1 ,billy8 ,sorry1 ,ellen1   
that you couldn't start in with us2     
,some good points you missed at the     
opening1 ,fred4  ,if rightly used1 this 
is an opportunity for learning of some  
need or temptation that besets your     
scholar4 ,she may be lazy4 ,he may be   
too fond of sleep4 ,she may keep too    
late hours4 ,he may be led astray by the
 ,sunday morning papers4 ,they may fail 
to see the value of the opening prayer  
and songs4 ,you get fresh insight into  
their characters4  ,when ,nature heals a
 broken bone1 she makes it the stronger 
for the break4 ,and so1 though the late 
scholar seem to fracture sadly the      
interest of the lesson1 the wise teacher
 will know how to mend the matter in    

such shrewd fashion as to knit the whole
 class more firmly together4            
,chapter ,,xxv  ,side-,tracking the     
,teacher   ,even the poorest teacher has
 a right to the course he has marked out
 for himself2 even the smartest scholar 
has no right to side-track him4  ,some  
scholars side-track their teacher merely
 to show that they understand how to use
 the switch2 others do it by simply     
fooling with the switch1 in pure        
carelessness and thoughtlessness2 others
 really wish to bring the teacher nearer
 some private interest of their own4    
,their motive must determine your       
treatment of them1--whether it is to be 
the bruskness that rebukes conceit1 the 
firm patience that resists carelessness1
 or the considerate postponement of     
questions that are prompted by a need4  
,but so far as its effect on the lesson 
is concerned1 it makes no difference    
whether the teacher is side-tracked by a
 switch of gold or one of brass1--the   
lesson is held up1 and often            

permanently4  ,it is not always easy to 
tell when these question-switches are   
open1 and when they are closed1--when   
they will side-track you1 and when they 
will merely salute you with a friendly  
rattle and let you pass2 the tokens are 
not so definite as on the red and white 
faces of the switch indicator4 ,and yet 
you cannot engineer your class far      
without wrecking it1 if you do not learn
 to read these question indicators1 and 
tell at a glance whither they will send 
you4  ,but what is the use of reading   
them1 if you are to be at their mercy   
anyway8 ,how shall we circumvent these  
mischief-making switchers8  ,some would 
abruptly take away their switch-keys1   
and practically dismiss them from the   
force2 that is1 they would prohibit     
questioning altogether4 ,but this is    
capitulating to the problem4 ,some would
 swing smilingly off upon the           
side-track1 as if they had intended to  
go there4 ,but that is surrendering     
their preparation4 ,some would rush     

precipitately into the side-track and   
through it1 expecting to find at the    
other end a switch back to the main     
track4 ,but thus the lesson is usually  
derailed4  ,on the railroad1 of course1 
there is authority2 but in the          
,sunday-school the less appeal to       
authority the better4 ,no1 the likeness1
 to a large extent1 stops here2 for in  
the ,sunday-school the only way to deal 
with a scholar who side-tracks the train
 is to win him by friendly arts to      
become your helper rather than your     
hinderer4  ,in the first place1 many a  
lesson is side-tracked because the main 
track is not made sufficiently plain to 
the scholars' apprehension4 ,when the   
lesson winds like a snake1 with a       
purpose known only to the teacher 7if to
 him71 small blame to the scholars if   
they switch it off the wrong way by a   
question4 ,strike out in a bee-line at  
the start1 and stick to it4 ,no one will
 then ignorantly side-track you4  ,in   
the second place1 many a lesson is      

side-tracked because the teacher does   
not act as if he cared whether he ever  
arrived anywhere or not4 ,lackadaisical 
in manner and matter1 his carelessness  
provokes equal carelessness in his      
scholars4 ,let him1 on the other hand1  
appear to be eagerly on the scent of    
some truth1 on the track of some fact1  
following the path of some event or     
demonstration1 and his scholars will1 in
 the main1 be forth and right on with   
him4  ,in the third place1 many a lesson
 is side-tracked because the scholars   
are not on the side of the teacher4 ,of 
course1 when the two parties are at     
cross-purposes1 things run no more      
evenly than they would if the engineer  
of a train were out of touch with his   
crew4 ,the teacher must get up an esprit
 de corps1 a class spirit1 or his class 
will be perpetually flying off from him 
on a tangent4 ,his scholars must be     
interested in him1 if they are to be    
interested with him4 ,he must draw them 
to himself1 or they will never pull     

together4 ,friendship in his crew must  
take the place of authority in the      
railroad crew2 and the more friendship1 
the less side-tracking4  ,in the fourth 
place1 there must be frankness of       
speech4 ,a misplaced switch on a        
railway1 if it provoked no further      
collision1 would at least provoke a     
clash of words4 ,there is no reason why1
 if a question is too far aside from the
 main purpose of the lesson1 the teacher
 should not frankly say so4 ,he may lay 
it away in his mind for later           
discussion2 he may promise to talk it   
over after the session2 but no fear of  
being thought incompetent1 or           
unsympathetic1 or arbitrary1 should     
induce him to turn aside from his one   
purpose4 ,the wise teacher will make    
many exceptions1 of course1 to every    
rule2 but nevertheless1 a rule of the   
wise teacher it must be1 to say to every
 irrelevant question1 kindly and        
tactfully1 yet firmly1 ,get thee behind 
me4 ,for the half-hour is all too short4

 ,the impressions made are all too      
confused4 ,the instruction given is all 
too fragmentary4 ,however wise and      
earnest the individual moments may be1  
there is danger that the half-hour may  
pass into oblivion at once1 unless these
 individual moments have been wise and  
earnest to some single1 distinct end4   
,there is a place for switches in our   
,sunday-school lesson4 ,the train must  
be made up4 ,side excursions must often 
be made4 ,there are sundry connecting   
lines whose cars must be switched in4   
,but in genuine ,sunday-school          
railroading there must be no delay upon 
side-tracks4 ,let all teachers1 as far  
as possible1 run express4     ,chapter  
,,xxvi  ,the ,problem of the ,visitor   
,the analogy for the class-building of  
some teachers is the arch4 ,every       
scholar is needed in his place1 or the  
class-work collapses2 and of course     
there is no room for a visitor4 ,the    
analogy for the true class is the       
electric circle4 ,join hands all around1

 and ever room and electricity for one  
more4  ,i do not mean to imply that the 
visitor is not a problem4 ,he is an     
intrusion on your familiar little group4
 ,he is a foreign and constraining      
element4 ,he is a problem1 however1 that
 you cannot get rid of1 but must solve4 
,utilize the visitor4 ,go to work in    
such way as to transform him into a     
scholar2 or if circumstances forbid     
that1 at any rate win from his visit    
fresh interest and inspiration for the  
class4 ,every visitor is an angel of    
opportunity1 entertained--how           
often6--unawares4  ,let your reception  
of the visitor be to your class an      
object-lesson in ,christian courtesy4   
,if he comes in alone1 and awkwardly    
drops into a distant seat1 do not wait  
for the busy superintendent to get      
around to him4 ,if he is of fit age for 
your class1 drop everything1--the most  
valuable lesson you could be teaching is
 not so valuable as this practical      
example1--and go to the stranger4       

,introduce yourself cordially to him1   
and him to the rest of the class1 or1 at
 any rate1 to his neighbors4  ,sometimes
 resign the pleasure of seeking the     
visitor yourself1 and send some         
persuasive scholar1 thus letting him    
have a taste of the joy of giving       
invitations4 ,possibly it will help him 
into the habit of giving invitations    
outside4  ,get your scholars to hand the
 visitor a lesson leaf or a ,bible4     
,show them that he is their visitor as  
well as yours4 ,they will soon learn to 
be delightfully courteous4 ,but an      
iceberg teacher makes an iceberg class4 
,and now you are on trial before your   
class4 ,they will judge you by the      
interest or the apathy of the visitor4  
,they are watching him1 ready to be     
ashamed or proud of you4  ,yet do not   
fear your visitor4 ,he may come from a  
better school and a better teacher4 ,he 
may be critical and sneering and        
skeptical4 ,nevertheless1 he is your    
opportunity4 ,rejoice in it4  ,if he is 

a better scholar than any in your class1
 what a valuable and inspiring example  
he may be made to them6 ,if a poorer    
scholar1 what an opportunity to make    
your class feel the joy and power of    
teaching some one6  ,if he is sneering  
and critical1 the indignation of the    
class will bind them more               
enthusiastically to you4 ,if he is      
skeptical1 what a chance for examining  
and strengthening foundations6  ,the    
visitor is a mine of new ideas and      
experiences4 ,old thoughts take on novel
 forms when fitted to him4 ,his         
questions and answers exhibit needs in  
your own class1 unobserved because      
unfamiliar4 ,his ways and words freshen 
the stagnant class atmosphere4  ,and so 
he is your chance to get out of ruts and
 into new ways and moods4 ,bless        
,providence for him1 and question him   
vigorously1 making use of him to the    
utmost4  ,two cautions1 however4 ,let   
your questioning be very clear4 ,he is  
unused1 remember1 to your little        

mannerisms1 and must not be confused by 
idiosyncrasies4 ,and in your exultation 
over him do not neglect the others1 nor 
seem to change your plans for the       
visitor1 or to be striving to show off  
before him4  ,final advantage of the    
visitor3 ,teach your scholars to ask him
 heartily to come again1 not forgetting 
to do so cordially yourself4 ,committees
 on church extension1 remember1 are     
trained in the ,sunday-school4  ,thus   
you see that the value of the visitor   
does not depend upon the visitor so much
 as might be imagined4 ,yet just a word 
on how to visit well4  ,go to give good4
 ,take hearty interest in the lesson1   
and have some thought to add to the     
discussion4 ,better yet1 have some      
earnest question to ask4 ,and ask it4   
,if you come from another school1       
consider yourself a ,christian          
ambassador bearing greetings of         
brotherly good will and common endeavor4
  ,go to get good4 ,be unobtrusive and  
teachable4 ,and especially1 show that   

you have received good4 ,express        
appreciation1 after the lesson1 to      
teacher and scholars4 ,then will you be 
blessed1 and1 changing the meaning of   
the word visitation1 these words from   
the ,wisdom of ,solomon may be applied  
to you3 ,in the time of their visitation
 they shall shine1 and run to and fro   
like sparks among the stubble4          
,chapter ,,xxvii  ,under ,petticoat     
,government   ,one of the brightest     
women in the ,united ,states1 a woman   
well known to the ,protestant churches  
of the world1 was groaning to me the    
other day3 ,what shall ,i do with those 
boys in my ,sunday-school class8 ,they  
are just at the age when they think they
 know a little more than any woman4     
,they need a man4 ,don't you think the  
superintendent ought to remove them from
 under petticoat government8  ,this cry1
 that came so strangely from a woman of 
her ability and fame1 comes also from a 
throng of baffled ,sunday-school        
teachers4 ,the answer would be easy1 if 

there were anything like as many good   
,sunday-school teachers among the men as
 among the women4 ,as it is1 however1   
most boy classes must be assigned either
 to a distasteful petticoat government1 
or to an incompetent pantaloon          
government1 or--cast adrift until1 long 
years afterward1 they drop anchor in the
 haven of matrimony1 and happily1       
perchance1 appear once more in the      
,sunday-school1 in the ,bible class4    
,the remedy1 however1 though not easy1  
is manifest4 ,the boys do not need a    
man1 but they do need in their teacher  
certain manly qualities that could be   
incorporated in a woman's teaching4     
,these qualities all women whom the     
,lord of the ,sunday-school has set over
 a class of his boys1 should seek to    
get4  ,the most obvious of them1 ,i     
think1 is a certain dignity and reserve 
that show themselves as well in         
refraining from scolding as in declining
 to pat on the head or hold by the hand4
 ,boys of the undefinable age we are    

talking about highly appreciate the     
title ,mr4 ,their greatest horror is    
petting2 their greatest aversion is     
nagging4 ,a young man1 set to teach a   
class of boys1 will approach them with a
 sense of comradeship2 will at once make
 himself1 if he is a teacher at all1    
hail fellow well met among them2 and    
yet1 as the boys say1 there is no       
nonsense about him4  ,it is far         
better--bad as that is--to talk over the
 heads of boys than to talk down to     
them4 ,it is far better to use too few  
words than too many4 ,if a teacher would
 hold boys1 she must be concise1        
straightforward1 businesslike4 ,indeed1 
the latter adjective comes near to being
 the key to the situation4 ,boys dislike
 fussiness1 and wordiness1 and beating  
about the bush4 ,woman teachers that are
 eager for boys' souls will take a long 
step toward their astonished approbation
 if they school themselves to brevity1  
dignity1 and business4  ,set the boys to
 work4 ,imitate common-school methods4  

,in the public school woman teachers    
hold the boys1 and win their honest     
hearts4 ,it is largely because here     
there are definiteness of purpose and   
firm continuity of aim4 ,boys are easily
 mastered by a taskmaster who is master 
of her task4 ,boys that cannot be won by
 ,sunday-school preaching are readily   
won by ,sunday-school teaching4 ,lay    
down a distinct course of work1 with a  
goal in fair view1 and they will gird up
 the loins of their minds2 but they     
refuse to follow you in aimless         
wanderings through a thicket4 ,to learn 
in chronological order the seventy-five 
prominent events in ,christ's life2 to  
trace through the ,bible the doctrine of
 the atonement2 to commit to memory     
every ,scripture passage bearing on the 
temperance problem2 to write a          
six-hundred-word abstract of the ,book  
of ,genesis2 to make a classification of
 the ,psalms by topics2 to compile the  
,bible proverbs that have to do with    
money and wealth-getting2 to make a     

diagram graphically depicting the       
history of the ,old ,testament ,hebrews2
 to write out the ,ten ,commandments1   
and place in parallel columns the ,new  
,testament enlargements and             
interpretations thereof1--these are     
samples of the work boys would like to  
do4 ,they would give high praise to a   
teacher who conducted them through such 
tasks4 ,they would say that she meant   
business4  ,and that leads me to mention
 another point in which woman teachers  
are more likely than men to fail1 though
 both are far too weak1--the use of     
evidence1 of proof4 ,this is a hobby of 
mine1 but it is the boys themselves1 and
 recollections of my own boyhood1 that  
have set me on the hobby4 ,wherever a   
thing is susceptible of proof1 boys want
 it proved to them4 ,if it is not       
susceptible of proof1 they want that    
proved to them1 also4 ,woman's          
traditional because does not commend    
itself to the lawyerlike boys4 ,fresh   
from their botany in the public schools1

 they refuse to take on faith the ,cana 
miracle4 ,ready for their physiology or 
physics the next day1 they want more    
proof than a say so that a leper was    
ever healed by a word or that ,peter    
really walked on the waves4 ,it is in   
the ,bible is not enough2 they must know
 why they must believe the ,bible4  ,now
 ,i am not so foolish as to advise any  
one to suggest skepticism to a boy1 and 
,i know that there is a way of handling 
,scripture evidences that serves rather 
to raise doubt than to confirm faith2   
but ,i have enough of the boy in me to  
be sure that in no way can a teacher    
more highly exalt both herself and      
,christianity in the eyes of the boys   
than by insisting on the reasonableness 
of both4 ,i had the best of             
,sunday-school teachers1 quite a score  
of them1 women and men2 yet until full  
manhood ,i wrestled all alone with a    
concealed and absolute skepticism that  
would not down until ,i had hunted out  
for myself the many overwhelming proofs 

of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,if any 
of my twenty teachers had set those     
proofs with lawyerlike force and        
directness before my boyish mind1 ,i    
should have been saved some very dark   
years that came near making an infidel  
of me altogether4 ,because ,i think that
 boys feel this need of proof and       
evidence more than girls1 and that women
 are less ready to meet the need than   
men1 ,i have ventured to add this       
suggestion to my list4  ,and that list  
may close with only one point further4  
,boys like to be taught by men1 because 
through men they get a telescope-view   
into the life-work that lies before     
them4 ,men teachers draw their          
illustrations from mannish things1 from 
business life1 from inventions1 from    
politics1 from commerce1 from the law4  
,where a woman might illustrate         
dishonesty by apple-stealing1 thereby   
causing every urchin before her to      
exclaim ,chestnut6 under his breath1 a  
man would be more likely to make some   

discussion about watering stock or      
falsifying entries4 ,a man is more      
likely than a woman to render ,scripture
 vivid and practical by reference to    
current events1 dropping a word here and
 there about the war between ,china and 
,japan1 about ,gladstone's retirement1  
about the ,manitoba school question1    
about the ,honduras lottery1--just a    
word1 but the boys prick up their ears4 
,a woman might compare ,gideon with     
,david1 but a man would be far more     
likely to compare him with ,parkhurst4  
,and now my point is that the boy needs 
both1--both ,david and ,parkhurst4      
,there is no reason why the woman       
teacher cannot give the boy everything  
he could get from a man teacher1 and    
more4 ,it is easy to appear to a boy    
quite a ,solon regarding current events4
 ,it is not so very hard1 by the        
exercise of a consecrated imagination1  
to place yourself by the boy's side on  
the outskirts of the great1 wide world  
of busy activities he is soon to enter1 

and feel his impatience to be there and 
his hunger for any tidings from that    
charmed country4 ,show him how          
,christianity untangles the skeins of   
business1 is the master-key to all true 
politics1 the foundation of law1 the    
compass of commerce1 the force of       
civilization4 ,read the newspapers      
wisely1 and find out what is going on in
 the world4 ,read wisely the hearts of  
your boys1 and find out what is going on
 in that world4 ,lift manfully over both
 worlds the banner of ,christ4  ,one    
point at a time1 with cheerful          
persistence1 the teacher that means     
business will win for her teaching these
 adaptations to the needs of her boys4  
,and in the process1 losing nothing of  
womanliness1 she will have nobly        
broadened her own life1 while as its    
result she will have won a double hold1 
both a woman's hold and a man's hold1 on
 the hearts of the boys4     ,chapter   
,,xxviii  ,the ,teacher's ,three ,graces
   ,the teacher's manner must be        

heart-born4 ,it must not become         
mannerism1 which is head-born1 and never
 reaches hearts4 ,manner maketh the man1
 and also the teacher1--half-way1 at    
least4 ,if we suspect1 however1 that our
 manner is defective1 the manner itself 
is the last thing to look at2 we must   
look at our heart4 ,that is the place to
 get the change4  ,three heart qualities
 produce the ideal teacher's manner4    
,one of these is earnestness4 ,if you   
would make on your scholars an          
impression that will last beyond the    
hour1 you yourself must be deeply       
impressed with the eternal years4 ,to   
move their life1 keep before you their  
death4 ,that is hard to do1 when        
confronted by such abounding youthful   
vigor and vitality4 ,become an advocate1
 a pleader1 with eternal life as the    
stake4 ,learn to know deeply the great  
central truths of sin1 atonement1       
sanctification4 ,aim at radical and     
positive results in confession1         
testimony1 spirituality1 character1 and 

conduct1 and press toward these as the  
genuine verdict on your teaching4  ,the 
second quality is cheeriness4 ,we are   
prophets of awful alternatives1 but we  
are also ministers of the most blessed  
joy4 ,happiness is the best             
recommendation of ,christianity4 ,in it 
center all the ,christian evidences4    
,learn by heart all the promises2 they  
are better teaching weapons than the    
prohibitions and warnings4 ,keep a smile
 very close to the surface1 and improve 
every fair chance to laugh4 ,the teacher
 that is in earnest1 need never be      
afraid to be merry4 ,permit no          
exaggeration of the facts of wickedness1
 either in them or in others4 ,the more 
stormy the day and the fewer in         
attendance1 the cheerier be you4  ,the  
third quality is sympathy4 ,the true    
teacher has1 or gets1 the poet's ability
 to project himself into the lives of   
others4 ,he keeps invisible1 tactful    
antennae playing in all directions1     
feeling this one's coming embarrassment 

before it arrives1 conscious of that    
one's eager assent before it lights his 
eyes1 exploring homes and occupations   
and character in order to adapt question
 to scholar4 ,without argument or plan1 
but by instinctive appreciation of      
differing personality1 the true teacher 
assumes dignity with this pupil1        
bonhomie with that4 ,so far is he from  
treating all alike1 that he never treats
 even the same person in the same way   
two days in succession1 knowing1 by     
feeling rather than theory1 that no     
one--especially no child--is the same   
person two days in succession4  ,these  
are the teacher's three graces3         
earnestness1 born of faith and          
unsatisfied until it has inspired an    
equal faith2 cheeriness1 born of hope1  
and hope-creating2 and sympathy1 born of
 love1 which is the greatest of all4    
,these in the heart blossom outwardly   
into the perfect teaching               
manner1--earnestness to arrest1         
cheeriness to attract1 and sympathy to  

hold4 ,covet earnestly the best gifts4  
,chapter ,,xxix  ,something to ,belong  
to   ,i believe in the organization of  
,sunday-school classes1 because it      
fosters class spirit4 ,if it is a good  
thing to have a class1 it is a good     
thing for the class to have a spirit4   
,this class spirit should promote the   
school spirit1 just as the esprit de    
corps of a company enhances the loyalty 
of soldiers to their regiment4  ,when a 
scholar has signed a constitution1 he   
feels that he belongs to the school4    
,lacking this feeling1 he will not be   
long with the school or with anything   
else4  ,in the simple constitution of my
 class 7which is a class of young men7  
are provisions for a porch1 a lookout1  
and a social committee4  ,the porch     
committee watches the morning           
congregation for strange young men1 and 
invites them to come to ,sunday-school4 
,the lookout committee seeks throughout 
town and church for permanent additions 
to the class1 whom1 through its         

chairman1 it proposes for membership4   
,this is a great gain4 ,when a teacher  
urges people to join his class he is    
inviting them to the gospel1 certainly1 
but he is also inviting them to himself4
 ,in the first cause he is as bold as a 
lion1 but in the second many a modest   
soul is naturally1 even though          
foolishly1 bashful4 ,happy the teacher  
whose scholars are zealous in this vital
 service1 for him so delicate and for   
them so blessed6  ,the voting in of new 
members1 with the subsequent producing  
of the constitution for signatures1 is a
 little ceremony as useful for the old  
scholars in reminding them of their     
class autonomy as it is inspiring to the
 new scholars4 ,a hearty word of welcome
 from the teacher to the new-comers     
gives them a formal and public          
installation4 ,they have indeed taken on
 themselves a new function4  ,the social
 committee will greatly add to the      
efficiency of any class4 ,monthly class 
socials are genuine means of grace4 ,our

 socials are thus managed3 ,each social 
has a solid backbone1 consisting of a   
paper or talk by some member of the     
class1 detailing little-known points in 
his own business4 ,of a neighboring     
class similarly organized1 one is a     
young architect1 another works in a     
rope-walk1 a third holds an important   
position in a newspaper office1 a fourth
 is in the leather business1 the teacher
 of the class is a judge4 ,utilizing the
 experiences of their own members and   
friends1 this class has held quite      
remarkable socials4 ,it has found the   
contribution of the clerk in a furniture
 store as interesting as that of the    
young banker4 ,the class have been      
wonderfully knit together by the bonds  
of a common and a widening interest4    
,after these papers or talks 7which are 
often appropriately illustrated71 come  
discussion and questions1 followed by   
games or light refreshments4 ,by        
occasional joint socials of this kind we
 hope to draw together this class and my

 own4 ,of course1 this is only one out  
of a myriad schemes of entertainment    
that could be devised for these class   
socials4 ,the point the shrewd teacher  
will notice is that it is the scholars  
themselves who plan these socials1 and  
who thus take into their own hands the  
creation of a warm1 helpful class       
atmosphere4 ,every teacher should know  
that in making new scholars feel at home
 it is hardly his own sociability1 but  
that of his scholars1 that counts4  ,if 
the class is thus organized1 the teacher
 must guard the authority of his class  
president as jealously as his own4 ,if  
you want your class officers to feel    
genuine responsibility1 it must be      
genuine responsibility that you put upon
 them4 ,give up to the president1 during
 the conduct of business1 your place in 
front of the class4 ,wait to be         
recognized by him before you speak4     
,make few motions4 ,inspire others to   
take the initiative4  ,the election of  
officers should come every six months1  

and it is best to bring about a thorough
 rotation in office4 ,improve every     
chance to emphasize the class           
organization4 ,if your school           
arrangements permit1 vote every month on
 the disposal of the class collections4 
,if you must be absent a ,sunday1 ask   
the class to elect a substitute teacher1
 and ask the president to inform the    
substitute of his election4 ,an         
alternate should be chosen also1 to make
 the thing sure4 ,this little device    
serves to make the scholars as loyal to 
the substitute teacher as to their own1 
for they have made him their own4 ,in   
the course of the lessons1 also1 a      
wide-awake teacher will frequently      
mention and emphasize the class         
organization4  ,of course the whole plan
 will fall flat if the teacher wholly   
delegates to his scholars any or all of 
these lines of work4 ,he also must      
invite the strangers1 if he expects his 
scholars to do so4 ,he also must seek   
for new members1 if he would inspire    

them to do the same4 ,without his       
sociableness they will soon become      
frigid4 ,the teacher alone has the      
dipper of water that starts the pump4   
,any contrivance that lessens his       
responsibility lessens his success4     
,but the plan ,i have outlined has      
value1 not because it permits the       
teacher to do less1 but because it      
incites the scholars to do vastly more4 
,an ounce drawn out is better than a ton
 put in4 ,one thing you get them to do  
is a greater triumph than a dozen things
 you do much better for them4           
,chapter ,,xxx  ,through ,eye-,gate     
,before his listless and restless       
audience the lecturer took in his hand a
 piece of chalk1 turned to the          
blackboard1 and touched it4 ,instantly  
he had the eager attention of all4 ,he  
did nothing with the chalk2 had not     
intended to do anything2 he carried his 
point with it1 nevertheless4  ,a        
teacher1 plus a bit of chalk1 is two    
teachers4 ,and any one may double       

himself thus1 if he choose to take a    
little pains4  ,surely there need be no 
hesitation as to the materials4 ,if you 
can have a blackboard1 that is fine4 ,i 
myself like best a board fastened to the
 wall1 and a second board hinged to this
 after the fashion of a double slate4   
,the outside may be used for standing   
matter1 and the inside opened up for the
 surprises4  ,but this is a great       
luxury4 ,a portable1 flexible blackboard
 will answer1 if your class is away from
 the wall4 ,you can roll it up and carry
 it home to practise there4 ,you can use
 both sides of it4 ,such blackboards may
 be obtained now for two dollars4  ,not 
even a flexible blackboard1 however1 is 
essential4 ,a slate will serve you      
admirably1 and some of the best         
chalk-talkers use simple sheets of      
manilla paper tacked to ordinary pine   
boards4  ,then1 as to the chalk1 by all 
means use colored crayons4 ,it is easy  
to learn effective contrasts of colors1 
and bright hues will increase many fold 

the attractiveness of your pictures and 
diagrams4 ,but these crayons need not be
 of the square variety1 sold especially 
for such work at thirty-five cents a    
box4 ,they produce beautiful results1   
but the ordinary schoolroom box of      
assorted colors will serve your turn    
admirably and cost much less4  ,and if  
the materials are readily obtained1 so  
is the artistic skill4 ,trust to the    
active imaginations of the children4    
,remember in their own drawings how     
vivid to them are the straight lines    
that stand for men1 the squares that    
represent houses1 the circles with three
 dots that set forth faces with eyes and
 mouth4 ,i once saw ,mrs4 ,crafts teach 
the parable of the ,good ,samaritan in a
 most fascinating way to some little    
tots1 and her blackboard work was merely
 some rough ovals1 each drawn half      
through its neighbor1 to represent a    
chain of love1--love to papa1 love to   
mamma1 to sister1 brother1 friend1      
teacher1--neighbor4 ,and as circle after

 circle was briskly added1 every child  
was filled with delight4 ,that same     
parable of the ,good ,samaritan ,i once 
saw perfectly illustrated--for all      
practical purposes--by four squares1    
each with two parallel lines curving    
from one upper corner to the opposite   
lower one1 to represent the descent of  
the ,jericho road1 while the various    
scenes were depicted with the aid of    
short1 straight lines1 the man fallen   
among thieves being a horizontal line1  
the priest and ,levite being stiffly    
upright and placed on appropriate points
 in the road1 while the line for the    
,samaritan was leaning over as if       
helping his fallen brother rise6 ,surely
 that series of drawings was not beyond 
the artistic skill of any teacher4  ,one
 of the beauties of such simple work is 
that it may be dashed off in the        
presence of the scholars1 while more    
elaborate pictures must be prepared     
beforehand2 and half the value of       
blackboard work is in the attention     

excited by the moving chalk4 ,i use the 
expression dashed off1 but ,i do not    
want to imply careless work4 ,the       
straight lines should be as straight as 
you can make them without a ruler1 the  
circles as true circles as can be drawn 
without a string1 and the stars should  
have equal points4 ,the simpler the     
drawing1 the more need that every mark  
should have its mission and fulfill it  
well4 ,a confused scrawl will only make 
mental confusion worse confounded4      
,don't be satisfied with rough work1 or 
it will constantly become rougher4 ,try 
to do better all the time4  ,of course1 
this means home practice1 even for the  
simplest of exercises1 like ,mrs4       
,crafts' links of the love-chain4 ,the  
nearer the links are to perfect ovals1  
the better4 ,the more nicely they are   
shaded on one side1 the more distinct   
will be the impression of a chain4 ,and 
the more rapidly they can be drawn1 the 
more tense will be the children's       
interest4 ,a few easy lessons in        

drawing1 from some public-school teacher
 or some text-book1 will prove of       
inestimable value1--lessons enough to   
give you at least an idea of            
perspective1 so that you can make a     
house or a box stand out from the board1
 and know which sides to shade of the   
inside of a door4 ,make such simple     
beginnings as ,i have indicated1 and    
determine to advance1 however slowly4   
,it is hard to draw a man1 but not so   
difficult if you are willing to begin   
with a little circle for the head1 an   
oval for the body1 and two straight     
lines for legs4  ,but even if you do not
 draw at all1 it is well worth while to 
use chalk4 ,almost magical effects may  
be produced by a single sentence1       
sometimes a single word1 written on the 
board4 ,if your lesson is the last      
chapter of the ,bible1 the one word     
,come6 will be blackboard work enough4  
,add to it1 if you will1 at the close of
 the recitation1 this earnest question3 
,why not to-day8 ,every lesson has its  

key-word or its key-sentence4 ,write it 
large on your scholars' hearts by       
writing it large upon the blackboard4   
,in such work1 as in drawing1 you may   
begin with simple writing 7your best    
script1 however67 and go on to as high a
 degree of elaborateness as you fancy4  
,a printer's book of samples will       
introduce you to fascinating and varied 
forms of letters4 ,your colored chalks  
may be used in exquisite illumination4  
,you may learn from penmen their most   
bewitching scrolls4 ,and all of this    
will be enjoyed by the children1 and    
will contribute to the impressiveness of
 the truth1 provided you are jealous to 
keep it subordinate to the truth4       
,otherwise1 plain longhand is to be     
preferred to the end of the chapter4    
,another easy way to use the            
blackboard--still without venturing on  
drawing--is by constructing diagrams4   
,what a key to ,scripture chronology1   
for instance1 is furnished your scholars
 when you draw a horizontal line to     

represent the four thousand years from  
,adam to ,christ1 bisect it for         
,abraham1 bisect the last half for      
,solomon1 bisect the third quarter for  
,moses1 and continue to bisect as long  
as a famous man stands at the           
bisecting-point6 ,how it clears up the  
life of ,christ to draw two circles1 the
 inner one for ,jerusalem1 the outer for
 ,nazareth1 dividing them into          
thirty-three parts for the years of our 
,saviour's life1 and running a curved   
line in and out according as his        
journeys took him to ,nazareth and      
beyond its circle1 or back to ,jerusalem
 at the feast-times6 ,such circles will 
also serve to depict graphically ,paul's
 missionary journeys1 the outer circle  
representing ,antioch4 ,any series of   
historical events may well be strung    
along a vertical line divided into      
decades1 and parallel series1 as in the 
history of the northern and southern    
kingdoms1 along two parallel verticals4 
,an outline map1 such as the teacher may

 draw from memory1 will furnish an      
excellent basis for another kind of     
diagram1 the progress of persons or of  
series of events being traced from place
 to place by dotted lines1 a different  
color for each person or journey or     
group of incidents4  ,acrostics furnish 
still another use for the blackboard4   
,for example1 draw out from the class by
 questions a list of the prominent      
characteristics of ,david4 ,he was      
,daring   ,active   ,vigilant           
,inspired   ,dutiful  ,not until the    
list is completed does the class see    
that its initial letters spell ,david's 
name4 ,you have attained the element of 
surprise1 so valuable in work of this   
sort4 ,again1 in a lesson on the rich   
young man1 or on ,dives and ,lazarus1 or
 on ,zaccheus1 write in a vertical      
column the letters of ,christ's name1   
and draw straight lines to the right in 
various directions1 as shown in the     
following diagram4 ,transferring the    
letters1 or getting some scholar to     

transfer them1 to the points indicated1 
you quickly insert an ,e1 and it reads3 
,christ--richest4  ,illustration  ,the  
application is obvious1 and will never  
be forgotten4  ,often1 in seeking for   
such an effective presentation of a     
lesson's truth1 we hit upon             
alliteration1 and then our blackboard   
work is easy4 ,three ,p's3    ,p      ,p
      ,p  ,fill them out1 as the lesson 
proceeds1 thus3     harisee             
ompously   ,p          ,prayed    ,p    
ublican              enitently  ,and    
often1 again1 our form will be based    
upon similar terminations or beginnings 
of words1 such as3                      
choosing       ,solomon   reigning      
sinning  ,suggestions and examples of   
such work might be indefinitely         
multiplied4 ,it is one of the easiest1  
yet one of the most effective1 methods  
of fixing the points of a lesson4  ,the 
earnest teacher will be drawn           
irresistibly from the use of the chalk  
in diagrams1 acrostics1 and the like1 to

 simple drawings2 and by this time he   
will realize the importance of          
simplicity4 ,a set of steps1 for        
instance1 is easy to draw2 we may use   
only the profile2 but the drawing will  
fix forever in your scholars' minds the 
events in ,solomon's life4 ,to a certain
 point the steps are all upward4 ,yellow
 chalk shows them to be golden4 ,a word 
written over each step gives the event  
it symbolizes4 ,on a sudden the steps   
turn downward1 become a dirty brown1    
each representing a sin1 and break short
 off as ,solomon takes his terrible     
fall4  ,who cannot draw a number of     
rough circles8 ,they will stand for the 
stones thrown at ,stephen4 ,a word or   
initial written in each will represent  
the different kinds of persecutions that
 assail faithful ,christians in our     
modern days4 ,who cannot draw a         
shepherd's crook1 and write alongside it
 the points of the ,twenty-third ,psalm1
 or the ways in which ,christ is the    
,good ,shepherd8 ,who cannot draw a     

large wineglass1 and write inside it    
some of the evils that come out of it8  
,who cannot draw a rectangle for a      
letter1 and write upon it a direction1  
to make more vivid some of the epistles8
 or a trumpet inside seven circles1 to  
brighten up the lesson on the fall of   
,jericho8 ,as a rule1 the very best     
chalk-talks are the simplest1 and       
require the least skill in drawing4     
,but how to get the ideas8 ,where to    
find the pictures8  ,of course1 in the  
first place1 from the books of          
first-rate chalk-talkers1 such as       
,pierce's ,pictured ,truth1 ,frank      
,beard's ,the ,blackboard in the        
,sunday-school1 and ,belsey's ,the      
,bible and the ,blackboard 7an ,english 
book74 ,of course1 also1 from the many  
admirable periodicals that publish      
blackboard hints1 such as the ,lesson   
,illustrator1 the ,sunday-school ,times1
 and the teachers' magazines of the     
various denominations4 ,get hints also  
from the blackboard work of the public  

school and the kindergarten1 as to      
manner1 if not as to matter4  ,but as   
for the design1 your own is the best for
 you1 and not another's4 ,study all the 
blackboard work you can find1 and retain
 whatever gravitates to you2 but your   
own original design is the one you will 
best understand1 and in presenting it   
you will have more of that enthusiasm   
which makes success4  ,learn to find    
pictures all through the ,bible4 ,i have
 just been searching my mind for a      
,bible text that promised nothing in the
 way of a picture4 ,at last ,i thought  
that ,all have sinned and come short of 
the glory of ,god would do4 ,but in     
another second two pictures popped into 
my mind4 ,i saw a river whose further   
bank was beautiful with flowers and     
trees1 the paradise of the glory of     
,god1 and across the river a            
bridge--lacking its final portion4 ,i   
saw a ladder reaching up into some      
golden clouds back of which shone       
heaven1 the city of the glory of ,god2  

but all the top rounds of the ladder    
were missing4 ,bridge and ladder had    
come short4 ,god's hand was needed1     
reaching across1 reaching down1 to help 
us over the sin-gap into the glory of   
,god4 ,i do not believe it possible to  
find any ,bible texts1 still less any   
twelve consecutive verses of the ,bible1
 that do not hide somewhere a capital   
picture4  ,read your ,bible pictorially4
 ,make sketches everywhere upon the     
margin4 ,for practice1 often take some  
passage sure to come up in the          
,international ,lessons1 such as ,psalm 
#a1 ,isaiah #ec1 ,proverbs #c1 ,matthew 
#e1 ,luke #b1 ,john #ad1 ,acts #i1      
,romans #ab1 #a ,corinthians #ac1       
,hebrew #aa1 ,james #c4 ,delve into the 
passage1 meditate long over it1 and see 
how many pictures you can get out of it4
  ,of the greatest assistance will be a 
book1--indexed as to texts1 and also as 
to subjects1 such as temperance1        
missionary1 resurrection1 courage1--in  
which you will preserve every drawing   

you make1 and all the most suggestive   
blackboard hints you clip from the      
teachers' magazines1 together with      
simple outlines of all sorts of common  
subjects4 ,these last will be           
particularly useful4 ,there will be a   
ladder1 an anvil1 a horse1 a lily1 a    
broom1 a fountain1--anything likely to  
be of use for a symbol4 ,you will clip  
these from advertisements1 catalogues1  
the illustrated papers and magazines1   
and you will find your collection useful
 in many ways4  ,i have spoken as if the
 teacher should do all the blackboard   
work4 ,on the contrary1 he should do    
none that he can get his scholars to do 
for him4 ,no matter if they do not do it
 as well as he4 ,get them to practise   
beforehand4 ,let them begin with only   
the simplest work2 they will soon       
astonish you with their proficiency4    
,and the class will take far more       
interest in a poor drawing by one of    
their own number than in a good drawing 
by you4  ,yes1 and even when you preside

 at the blackboard yourself1 give the   
class pencils and paper occasionally1   
and let them copy what you draw4 ,their 
attention will be assuredly fixed1 and  
an ineffaceable impression made on their
 memory4 ,the drawings they complete1   
however crude1 they will be glad to     
carry home to show their parents1 and   
treasure as souvenirs of the lesson1 or 
keep1 if you choose1 against the coming 
review day4 ,if you use this method1 you
 will soon come to cherish a deeper     
liking for that prime pedagogical       
virtue1 simplicity4  ,for a final word3 
,take pains that your word-pictures keep
 pace with your chalk4 ,don't ask your  
class what you have drawn--that might   
lead to embarrassing results6 ,tell     
them4 ,put in all sorts of graphic      
little touches1 even though you cannot  
draw a tenth of what you are talking    
about4 ,the man on the ,jericho         
road--how full of fear he was as he     
walked2 how he whistled to keep up his  
courage2 how one robber peeped from     

behind a rock1 and another whispered1   
,he's coming6 how they sprang out1 and  
he ran1 and a third rascal sprang out in
 front and knocked him down2 how he     
shouted1 ,help6 ,thieves6 ,help6 and how
 only the echo answered him in that     
lonely place--all this must have        
happened many a time on that ,jericho   
road1 and you have a perfect right to   
stimulate with such natural and         
inevitable details the imagination of   
the children4  ,that is what they are   
for--both our word-picturing and our    
chalk-picturing3 not to exhibit our     
nimbleness of wit or of finger1 but to  
quicken the minds of the children1--that
 alone1--and make them more eager in the
 pursuit of truth4     ,chapter ,,xxxi  
,foundation ,work   ,the work of the    
primary department lies at the          
foundation of all ,sunday-school work4  
,this does not mean that there is no    
chance of a child's becoming a good     
,bible scholar and a noble ,christian if
 he misses the primary training1 but it 

does mean that without a flourishing    
primary department a school can scarcely
 be called successful1 while with it    
half the success of the school is       
assured4 ,the primary teacher molds the 
soft clay2 her successor with the child 
must cut the hard marble4  ,teaching    
that thus lies at the foundation must   
deal with fundamental matters1 with the 
greatest lives of the ,bible1 the great 
outlines of history1 the great          
essentials of doctrine1 the root        
principles of morality4 ,details are to 
be filled in later4 ,the danger is that 
the teacher will attempt to teach too   
much1 will expect the little ones to    
know about ,hagar when it is enough for 
them to know about ,isaac2 or about     
,jeremiah1 when ,daniel would be        
sufficient2 or about the order in which 
,paul wrote his letters1 when it might  
well suffice for them to know that ,paul
 wrote them4  ,but though many questions
 are too hard to ask1 no question is too
 easy1 and no point is so simple that in

 these first days you may safely take it
 for granted4 ,laugh if you please1 but 
,i do not think that even these days of 
sand-maps and pricked cards have        
produced a method much more helpful for 
the primary teacher than the old        
questioning of my boyhood1 over and over
 repeated3 ,who was the first man8 ,who 
was the strongest man8 ,who was the     
oldest man8 and the like4  ,the primary 
teacher's right-hand man is named       
,drill1--,ernest ,drill4 ,no mnemonic   
help--that is a help--is to be despised4
 ,rhymes giving in order the books of   
the ,bible1 the ,commandments1          
,beatitudes1 list of the twelve         
apostles1 may wisely be used4 ,no memory
 verse or golden text1 once learned1    
should be allowed to lapse into that    
easy pit1 a child's quick forgetfulness4
 ,better one thing remembered than a    
hundred things forgotten4               
,foundation-stones are few and simple1  
but they must be firm4  ,now the first  
essential1 if one would do this         

foundation work successfully1 is to get 
a room to work in4 ,a room that lets in 
floods of sunshine and fresh air4 ,a    
room with pretty pictures and bright    
mottoes on the wall1 with canary songs  
and blooming plants4 ,a room with little
 chairs1 graded to the scholars' little 
heights4 ,a room with a visitors'       
gallery for the mothers4 ,or1 if your   
church was not blessed with a           
,sunday-school architect1 then such a   
room in a house next door or across the 
street1 to which your class may withdraw
 after the opening exercises4 ,or1 if   
your work must be done in the church1 as
 so much primary work must be1 then a   
temporary room1 shut off by drawn       
curtains1 or even by a blackboard and a 
screen1 is far better than the          
distractions of the open school4  ,the  
blackboard just mentioned1 at any rate1 
the room should contain2 the shrewd use 
of it will create an intense interest   
that will almost cause oblivion of the  
most distracting surroundings4 ,a padded

 board gives the best effects1--such a  
board as you yourself may easily and    
cheaply make with a pine backing1 a few 
layers of cheap soft cloth1 and a       
covering of blackboard cloth nailed     
firmly over all4 ,in the chapter on     
blackboard work ,i have tried to show   
how easily possible1 and at the same    
time how valuable1 is the use of the    
blackboard4 ,if the children are too    
small to read1 they may at least know   
their letters1 and recognize ,s for     
,saul and ,p for ,peter1 and a cross for
 ,christ1 while the immense resources of
 simple drawings are always open to you4
  ,the primary teacher is fortunate1    
nowadays1 in being able to buy1 at      
slight cost1 series of pictures         
illustrating each quarter's lessons4    
,these pictures are either colored      
brightly or simple black and white1 and 
vary in size from four or five square   
feet to the little engravings in the    
,sunday-school paper4 ,whatever picture 
is used should be hidden until it is    

time to exhibit it1 and produced with a 
pretty show of mystery and triumph4     
,some teachers hang these pictures1     
after use1 in a picture-gallery1 where  
the children may become familiar with   
them1 and to this gallery they may be   
sent for frequent reference against the 
coming review day4  ,after all1 the     
primary teacher's chief reliance for    
purposes of illustration must be natural
 objects4 ,in this reliance we merely   
imitate the example of the great        
,teacher4 ,the objects to be used will  
most often be suggested by the lesson   
text itself4 ,a lily1 a vine1 seed1     
leaven1 a door1 a sickle1 a cake1 a cup1
 grass1--are not each of these objects  
at once associated in your mind with    
passages of ,scripture8 ,hunt out the   
suggested objects1 and simply hold them 
before the children as you talk about   
the lesson1 and you will find them a    
wonderful assistance4  ,a more difficult
 process is to discover illustrative    
objects when none are directly suggested

 in the text4 ,in a temperance lesson1  
for instance1 there may be no mention of
 the wine-cup1 yet you will bring a     
glass1 fill it with wine-colored water1 
and place in it slips of paper cut to   
resemble snakes4 ,on each is written    
some fearful result of drinking         
alcoholic liquors2 and after the        
children have drawn forth1 with pincers1
 one after the other1 and read what is  
written upon it1 they will not soon     
forget how many evils come out of the   
wine-cup4  ,you may be talking about the
 imprisonment of ,john the ,baptist4    
,produce a pasteboard chain1 painted    
black on one side4 ,each link tells in  
red letters one of the horrors of his   
imprisonment1--loneliness1 fear1        
despair1 and the like4 ,turn over the   
chain and show the underside gilded1 the
 links reading1 ,more faith1 ,near to   
,god1 ,god's favor1 ,courage1 ,eternal  
reward4 ,there was a bright side1 after 
all4  ,you are on the stumbling-block   
lesson1 and you bring in some awkward1  

rough wooden blocks1 on which you tack  
labels as the lesson proceeds3 ,a       
spiteful temper1 ,a gossiping tongue1   
,envy1 ,suspicion1 ,swearing1 ,treating 
to strong drink1 ,playing marbles for   
'keeps4'  ,you are teaching about the   
paralytic let down through the roof4 ,it
 has not required many minutes1 with    
pasteboard1 scissors1 and glue1 to      
construct a dainty little model of an   
old-time ,jewish house1 outside stairs1 
inner court1 overhanging court roof1 and
 all4 ,and how the little model         
illuminates the story6 ,the jail in     
which ,peter was imprisoned1 the table  
around which the ,last ,supper was      
celebrated1 the ,tabernacle1 the        
,temple1--from the many excellent       
pictures and descriptions obtainable1   
even quite ambitious models are possible
 of manufacture4 ,and once made1 they   
are aids and joys forever4  ,the        
sand-map has become justly popular4 ,it 
is easily formed1 requiring only a      
shallow tray1 some sharp1 clean sand1   

pieces of looking-glass for lakes and   
seas1 blue yarn for rivers1 some rocks  
for mountains1 wooden blocks for houses1
 dried moss for trees1 little toy men1  
boats1 horses1 and such readily found   
apparatus4  ,in turn you can build up1  
with its accommodating materials1 the   
,sea of ,galilee and the scene of the   
feeding of the five thousand1 all       
,palestine with the courses of ,christ's
 journeys1 ,asia ,minor and ,macedonia  
with the route of ,paul on his second   
great missionary journey4 ,much of this 
the children themselves will help you   
prepare1 and will learn a great deal by 
so doing4 ,indeed1 the wise teacher will
 do as little as possible herself even  
in getting ready to teach1 and will make
 her scholars themselves her assistant  
teachers4  ,that is one of the beauties 
of such kindergarten devices as pricking
 paper and weaving bright yarn back and 
forth to fill up the picture outlined by
 the holes4 ,it is the scholars' work1  
and not your own1 and they do not forget

 their own work4 ,simple designs        
illustrating the lessons can thus be    
pricked into the children's memories at 
the point of a pin4  ,it is best not to 
confuse the class with a multiplicity of
 objects1 but to fix on a single symbol 
for each lesson1 that will stand        
distinctly for the lesson in the weekly 
and quarterly reviews4 ,the kind of     
object should constantly vary4 ,if this 
week it is cut out of pasteboard1 next  
week let it be modeled in clay1 and the 
following week let it be a picture in   
black and white4 ,the simpler1 the      
better3 a cup for the lesson at ,sychar2
 a dried leaf for the parable of the    
fig-tree2 a square of white cloth for   
,peter's vision on the housetop4 ,do not
 produce the object till you want it in 
your teaching1 or the children's        
interest will be dissipated before you  
have need of it4 ,get a little cabinet  
in which to store all your teaching     
apparatus4 ,do not keep the object in   
sight after you are through with it1 or 

you will lose attention from your next  
point4 ,remember1 in all                
object-teaching1 how inferior is any    
symbol to the truth symbolized1--its    
shadow only1 a mere hint of it1--and    
learn to drop the interest-exciting     
object and use the interest for the     
truth you want to teach4  ,in this      
branch of your work a knowledge of      
common science will prove invaluable4   
,botany and geology1 chemistry1         
zooelogy1 and astronomy open one's eyes 
to the beauties and marvels of ,god's   
handiwork1 and disclose analogies       
abounding and true4 ,there is much also 
to learn from the books of              
models1--models for suggestion1 of      
course1 and not for slavish             
imitation1--such as ,tyndall's          
,object-lessons for ,children1 ,roads'  
,little ,children in the ,church of     
,christ1 and ,stall's ,five-minute      
,object-sermons to ,children1 or his    
,talks to the ,king's ,children4  ,the  
most valuable objects are the children  

themselves1 when you can carry out an   
illustration with their own active      
bodies4 ,for instance1 in teaching the  
lesson on the first council at          
,jerusalem1 arrange the chairs in two   
groups1 distant as far as possible from 
each other4 ,one is ,antioch1 the other 
is ,jerusalem4 ,two picked scholars1    
,paul and ,barnabas1 set out from the   
,antioch corner toward ,jerusalem       
corner4 ,some of their comrades         
accompany them part way4 ,the scholars  
at the other side of the room receive   
them with interest4 ,paul and           
,barnabas--or the teacher for them--tell
 their story4 ,a ,pharisee rises1 and   
the teacher puts words in his mouth4    
,peter rises and tells about ,cornelius4
 ,james1 the most dignified boy present1
 gives his decision4 ,judas and ,silas  
are selected to escort ,paul and        
,barnabas back again1 bearing a letter4 
,the visit of the ,queen of ,sheba1 the 
taking of ,joseph to ,egypt1 ,paul's    
vision in ,troas and passage to         

,macedonia1 the parallel history of the 
northern and southern kingdoms1--indeed1
 countless events1--may be illustrated  
in this way4 ,the only danger is that   
the whole may seem too much like play2  
but this danger is easily avoided by an 
earnest teacher1 and the gains in       
interest and remembrance will prove rich
 justification4  ,an illustration still 
simpler1 and very effective1 may be     
obtained from the children merely by the
 motion of their hands4 ,went down from 
,jerusalem to ,jericho--all hands raised
 high and rapidly lowered4 ,and great   
was the fall thereof--the same movement4
 ,the ,queen of ,sheba wondered--hands  
raised in astonishment4 ,a sower went   
out to sow--hands sweep to the right and
 left4 ,these concert movements not     
merely fix the attention of the class1  
but serve as outlet to their            
restlessness4 ,some teachers advise a   
halt midway in the lesson for the       
introduction of some light gymnastics to
 rest the class4 ,that is well2 but if  

the same result can be gained in        
immediate connection with the lesson1 so
 much the better4  ,after all has been  
said1 however1 the primary teacher's    
great art is the art of story-telling4  
,learn to start right in4 ,preliminary  
preachment will spoil it all4 ,use short
 and simple words4 ,keep clear and      
distinct the order of events1 and do not
 confuse the children by going back to  
take up omitted points4                 
,nevertheless1--and this is not a       
contradiction1--repeat and repeat and   
repeat1 telling each section of the     
story over and over1 in different ways  
and with ever-fresh particulars1 till   
the children's slippery memories have   
laid hold upon it4  ,introduce a myriad 
natural details1 for which you must draw
 on a consecrated imagination4 ,you     
should hear ,mr4 ,moody tell a ,bible   
story6 ,it is not enough to say that    
,abraham determined to offer up ,isaac  
as a sacrifice4 ,the great1 loving soul 
of the evangelist has brooded too long  

over the ,bible for a statement so cold 
as that4 ,he must tell about the        
patriarch's sleepless nights2 about his 
getting up and going over to the bed of 
the boy so peacefully sleeping2 about   
his weeping when no one was watching    
him2 how he couldn't eat his breakfast2 
how his heart beat whenever he looked at
 the lad4 ,and long before ,mr4 ,moody  
is through1 the great sacrifice is so   
vivid to him and to us that we all weep 
together1 and no moralizing is needed4  
,you are not ,moodys8 ,no2 but hundreds 
of primary teachers are doing just this 
work1 telling to their children the     
,bible stories as they must have        
happened1 reading with the heart and    
telling them to the life4 ,long         
meditation is needed1 persistent putting
 yourself in his place1 and it is even  
well to write out the story in full     
before you attempt to tell it4 ,when you
 receive the reward1 you will count the 
trouble as nothing4  ,music is a great  
aid in the primary room4 ,if you cannot 

afford a piano1 learn how cheap are the 
baby organs1 and how effectively they   
will lead the children's singing4 ,even 
though you work in an extemporized      
class-room1 shut off by screens or a    
curtain from the rest of the school1 you
 can at least use whisper songs4 ,yes1  
and these whisper songs may often be    
motion songs1 and serve to illustrate   
the lesson4  ,at least one song of the  
hour should bear directly on the central
 thought of the hour1 and before it is  
sung you should explain why you call for
 it4 ,most of the best songs for this   
purpose will prove to be standard hymns1
 and there is every reason why the      
simplest of these should be taught to   
the children1 that they may find as many
 points of contact as possible with the 
services of the older church4 ,the aid  
of the parents may well be invoked to   
teach these hymns at home to the        
children1--a helpful task1 for more than
 the children's sake1 at which to set   
the parents4  ,the primary song-books   

contain bright little hymns appropriate 
to introduce prayer1 to open and close  
the school1 to be sung before           
,bible-reading and while the collection 
is taken4 ,a clear-voiced assistant1    
sitting and singing among the children1 
will train them insensibly1 and draw    
their childish voices into harmony with 
her own4 ,just as the children will     
enjoy a class name1 motto1 colors1 so   
they will be delighted to select a class
 song2 and this device may be tried1    
together with many others mentioned in  
the chapter on ,a ,singing              
,sunday-school4  ,our foundation work   
will surely fall if it is not itself    
founded firmly on the ,bible4 ,be sure  
that each scholar has his own           
,bible--and a large-type copy4 ,why is  
it that the smaller the child1 the      
tinier the type8 ,it is not so with the 
children's other books4 ,how can we     
expect them to take any interest in     
pages that look so black and            
uninteresting1 and that1 moreover1 would

 ruin their eyes for life if they did   
read them8  ,the ,bible must not be so  
expensive that it cannot be marked      
freely4 ,the children will learn much by
 this exercise4 ,a little set of colored
 pencils may be given to each child1 for
 class use only4 ,the golden texts and  
other verses1 and the places where the  
lesson story may be read1 should all be 
marked with pencils of appropriate      
symbolic color4 ,the children can easily
 find the place1 and the folks at home  
will know just what passages to read to 
the children and to help them learn4    
,make much of memory verses4 ,we are    
filling the little heads nowadays far   
more with sand-map puppets and          
blackboard rebuses than with the ,word  
of ,god4 ,drill often and thoroughly on 
these verses4 ,prepare a ,bible roll by 
fastening a long strip of manilla paper 
on a spring window-shade roller4 ,let   
the lower line contain a few initial    
letters hinting at the memory verse     
concealed just above it4 ,after         

recitation1 pull this down for the      
scholars to compare2 and so proceed     
through the roll4 ,an alphabet of ,bible
 verses may thus be learned1 or an      
alphabet of ,bible men and women4  ,one 
point needs especial emphasis4 ,no      
matter how thoroughly you have told the 
story1 or how fascinated the children   
have been held by your recital1 never   
consider the hour well spent till you   
have read from the ,bible itself the    
story you have been telling4 ,the more  
delightful and satisfactory your own    
account has been1 the more necessary is 
it to show the children that within the 
covers of the ,book are to be found all 
these beautiful stories4  ,part of your 
foundation work is certainly to teach   
the children to pray4 ,there are many   
appropriate prayer poems1 such as1 for  
the beginning of the lesson3        ,a  
prayer we lift to thee1 dear ,lord1     
,ere we shall listen to thy word4       
,the truth thy ,spirit brings from thee 
,help us to study patiently4            

,for ,jesus' sake4 ,amen4  ,or this1 for
 the close of the lesson3        ,our   
,father1 through each coming day        
,watch o'er our every step1 we pray2    
,and may thy ,spirit hide the word      
,deep in our willing hearts1 ,o ,lord4  
,for ,jesus' sake4 ,amen4  ,these the   
class may be taught to repeat in        
concert1 with bowed heads4  ,one of the 
best methods is this4 ,let the teacher  
offer a simple prayer1 sentence by      
sentence or clause by clause1 the       
children reverently repeating it after  
her1 all heads being bowed4 ,best of    
all1 of course1 are the ,bible prayers1 
the prayer psalms1 and the many noble   
prayer verses scattered here and there4 
,store the children's memories with     
these1 and in coming years there will be
 no stammering or hesitancy when1 in    
public or in private1 they talk with    
their ,father in heaven4  ,one of the   
primary teacher's chief allies is a     
happy temper4 ,if you have it not1 get  
it4 ,an ounce of sunshine is better than

 an iron mountain of scolding4 ,the     
voice alone may make or mar the lesson4 
,is it good-cheery1 or goody-goody8 ,how
 joyous ,christ must have been6 ,how his
 little children love fun6 ,and how much
 easier it will be for you to get them  
to love him if you also love fun6       
,indeed1 we cannot know too thoroughly  
the child nature4 ,the scientists' study
 of it is in its infancy1 but a         
sympathetic heart will carry you farther
 in ten minutes than all their          
psychology in a lifetime4 ,as you teach1
 have in mind1 not your trials1 joys1   
and hopes1 but theirs4 ,don't talk about
 ambition1 but about getting more praise
 than another girl2 or about            
covetousness1 but about wishing you1 and
 not ,tom1 had his new bicycle4 ,don't  
allegorize2 that is a grown-up delight4 
,don't talk about the hill ,difficulty1 
the bog of ,despond4 ,do you tell me the
 children enjoy ,the ,pilgrim's         
,progress8 ,yes2 but not as allegory4   
,vanity ,fair is a real town to them1   

and ,mr4 ,pliable a real man4 ,avoid    
what ,i call fanciful teaching1 and the 
rather build your lessons upon actual   
men and women1 so that the children may 
come to know ,eli and ,gideon1 ,ruth and
 ,martha1 as vividly as they know the   
men and women around them4 ,that is     
better than to know ,lily ,lazy and     
,matt ,mischievous and the ,sea of      
,sorrow4  ,review often4 ,when you have 
reached the point where you think the   
children cannot possibly forget1        
then--review again6 ,frequently say1    
,now1 after ,i have finished telling    
about the lesson1 ,i am going to ask    
,fred to tell me about it2 and after    
,fred is through1 ,i shall ask some one 
else to tell the same story4 ,often ask 
questions that can be answered in       
concert1 and insist that all shall join 
in the reply4 ,this will usually lead to
 a repetition that will prove helpful4  
,in such concert work1 if you do not    
watch1 the more forward will be the only
 ones that will respond1 and you will be

 obliged to draw out the timid and      
repress the pert by many a special      
question addressed to the former4       
,sometimes it is hard to keep order2    
always hard1 if the teacher has not by  
nature or attainment the face and voice 
and bearing that command order because  
they lovingly and firmly expect it4 ,the
 teacher should be in the room before   
any scholar arrives4 ,much disorder has 
its source in those irresponsible ten   
minutes before the school opens4 ,then1 
while she is teaching1 an assistant     
should sit with the children1 ready to  
check their mischievousness1 attend     
quickly to their needs and desires1 care
 for the late comers1 help them find the
 place in ,bibles and song-books1 and   
perform many other little offices4 ,some
 heads of large primary departments     
establish hospitals1 where are sent the 
children with sick hands or feet or     
tongues1--a special class where the most
 uncontrollable are treated till they   
are reported cured4 ,in general1        

however1 if the children are interested1
 they will be orderly2 and if the       
teacher is interested1 so are likely to 
be the scholars4 ,put into the work your
 whole soul1 and you are reasonably sure
 of getting the whole minds of the      
children4  ,love them6 ,i cannot better 
sum up the entire matter than in those  
two words4 ,love them1 and they will    
love you and gladly obey you4 ,love     
them1 and you will work hard for them1  
and will not mind the hardness4 ,love   
them1 and your love will teach you how  
to teach them wisely4 ,and the ,god of  
love1 who loves little children1 will   
give you1 week by week1 the fullness of 
his joy4     ,chapter ,,xxxii  ,the     
,trial ,balance   ,some teachers omit   
the review1 or pass over it in a        
perfunctory way4 ,this is as if a       
merchant should never balance his books1
 or1 taking a trial balance1 should be  
heedless of the result4 ,if we are to   
prosper in this our ,father's business1 
we must be careful as any merchant to   

discover just where we stand with our   
scholars2 we must test their progress   
often and thoroughly1 and never rest    
satisfied or let them rest satisfied    
until they and we are assured that the  
balance is comfortably on the right side
 of the ledger4  ,one reason for the    
common shrinking from review day is     
because we have not manfully met it at  
the very beginning of the quarter4 ,it  
is the preview that gives success to the
 review4 ,when the teacher looks        
carefully through the twelve lessons    
ahead of him1 grasps the underlying     
thread that binds them together1 and    
forms his plan for a review at the      
outset1 review day has lost all its     
terrors4 ,then every lesson becomes part
 of a consistent series4 ,then the      
weekly reviews1 which alone make        
possible a successful quarterly review1 
lay each a course of a steadily rising  
edifice4  ,no clearness of knowledge may
 be expected unless the teacher knows   
clearly at the start just what it is    

that he expects the scholars to know2   
and the building grows with double      
certainty if the little workmen         
themselves are given glimpses of the    
architect's plans1--at least of a front 
elevation4 ,for these three months1 the 
teacher may say1 we are to study        
,christ's life as ,mark records it4 ,my 
plan is for you to vote each ,sunday on 
the most important facts we have        
studied1--either in the lesson text or  
in the 'intervening events4' ,sometimes 
it will be one fact2 it will never be   
more than three4 ,all together there are
 thirty facts we shall learn1 and they  
will make an outline history of         
,christ's entire life4  ,how such a     
scheme1 clearly and often stated1 will  
clarify and systematize the quarter's   
work6 ,three or four times during the   
three months the teacher will propound  
brisk questions covering the points of  
all the previous lessons of the quarter1
 following this by a written test4 ,let 
him prepare for each lesson a card1 on  

which he prints questions answerable by 
the facts to be learned4 ,fastening     
twelve hooks on a board1 he hangs these 
cards on the hooks week by week1 and    
uses them in these reviews and in the   
final review of the quarter4 ,if the    
class is one of little tots1 a symbol   
for each lesson1 cut out of pasteboard  
or consisting of some object1 may be    
hung up in place of the card1--such a   
symbol as a needle stuck in a piece of  
cloth1 answering to the story of        
,dorcas4  ,some such preparation will   
make thoroughly successful a written    
examination on review day4 ,the         
questions should be simple and clear1   
and such as can be answered fully in a  
very few words4 ,they should take up    
only the points on which emphasis has   
been laid throughout the quarter4 ,if   
the teacher presents the plan in a jolly
 way1 the class will enter into it      
heartily1 as good fun4  ,for a change1  
now and then invite the scholars to     
bring in1 on review day1 lists of what  

each considers the ten principal events 
of the quarter4 ,a comparison is to be  
made1 and the events that receive the   
most votes will constitute a model list4
 ,this exercise in itself will make a   
pretty good review4  ,an excellent      
review may be based upon the six natural
 divisions of all lessons1--times1      
persons1 places1 events1 sayings1       
teachings4 ,the sayings are the short   
sentences best worth memorizing4 ,a     
review quiz may take up these six points
 one after the other1 carrying each over
 the entire range of lessons1 sometimes 
chronologically1 but more often at      
haphazard4  ,a more elaborate plan is to
 assign each of these categories to some
 scholar the week before1 telling him1  
for instance1 that you will depend upon 
him alone to fix the location of all the
 events in the twelve lessons4 ,carrying
 out the comparison indicated in the    
title to this chapter1 you may do very  
thorough work by getting each scholar to
 keep a ,sunday-school ledger4 ,he will 

open up a page to the account of        
persons1 another to the account of      
events1 and so on1 and will make weekly 
entries on each page4 ,the quarterly    
review will then be indeed his trial    
balance4  ,i am very fond of a map      
review4 ,using a large outline map1     
sometimes one drawn before the class on 
the blackboard by a scholar who has     
practised the feat1 ,i call for the     
first event of the quarter's lessons1   
and one of the class places a figure #a 
at the scene of the event2 thus with all
 the events in order4 ,then1 reviewing  
again1 ,i ask1 pointing to the map1     
,what was event ,no4 #g1 here at        
,sychar8 or1 ,four events at            
,jerusalem--what were they1 in order8   
,another good way to use the map--a map1
 this time1 drawn in outline on a large 
sheet of manilla paper--is to employ    
stickers1 bright bits of gummed paper1  
cut to various shapes4 ,blue stars1 for 
instance1 stuck here and there over the 
map1 will indicate the points where     

,abraham is found in a series of        
lessons4 ,they may be numbered1 or not4 
,gold stars may show where ,christ      
worked the miracles studied during the  
quarter4 ,all the events in one year of 
,christ's ministry may be represented by
 green stars1 in another year by scarlet
 stars1 or purple stars4 ,the method    
branches out into many fascinating      
applications4  ,some teachers make large
 use of the golden texts4 ,if these have
 been emphasized1 they may wisely be    
introduced in the review4 ,write each   
upon a card4 ,if you have artistic      
talent1 you may make each card a thing  
of beauty1 to be kept as a souvenir by  
the scholar4 ,these cards will be       
distributed at random1 and each scholar 
will be expected to answer the          
questions1 first of the class and then  
of the teacher1 on the lesson whose     
golden text he holds4 ,i would not urge 
the recalling of lessons by titles1 for 
the titles are not constituent parts of 
the lesson2 but the golden text usually 

goes to the heart of the matter4        
,neither would ,i favor such a plan as  
the one last mentioned1 that assigns one
 lesson to each scholar1 unless the     
entire class is drawn into active       
participation by such a questioning from
 the scholars as ,i have indicated4  ,a 
pleasant and profitable review for some 
classes is based on the quotable        
passages in the quarter's ,scripture4   
,these memorable sentences are written  
on cards1 which are distributed evenly4 
,every scholar is expected to tell when1
 where1 and by whom his quotation was   
first spoken1 and at the close of the   
exercise each scholar will be called    
upon to repeat all his quotations from  
memory4 ,then the teacher will gather   
the cards1 mix them up1 present the pile
 now to this scholar and now to that1   
and ask him to give the facts about     
whatever quotation he may draw4 ,the    
success of this method of review1 as of 
all others1 will largely depend upon its
 previous announcement1 the scholars    

having gone over the quarter's lessons  
at home with this coming test in mind4  
,the review may sometimes take the form 
of a contest2 you may call it a question
 tournament4 ,appoint leaders1 and let  
them choose sides4 ,each side in turn   
has the privilege of asking a question  
of the other side4 ,the question must be
 passed upon as fair by the teacher4    
,the scholars on each side take turns in
 answering1 and when the scholar whose  
turn it is cannot answer1 his entire    
company has a chance4 ,if no one on that
 side knows the answer1 the other side  
gives the correct reply1 and thereby    
scores one point4 ,the side with the    
highest score wins the tournament4      
,methods less brisk than this employ pen
 and ink4 ,you may ask the scholars to  
bring to the class tabular outlines of  
the quarter's history4 ,a little book1  
connected with the quarter's study in   
some way1 may be offered as a reward for
 the best outline1 if the teacher thinks
 it wise2 some teachers would not4 ,at  

another time ask each scholar to write a
 five-minute essay on some topic that   
will require study of all the lessons1  
the topics all being different4 ,these  
essays are to be read before the class1 
and their themes should be as bright as 
the teacher and her shrewdest friends   
can make them4 ,a variation of this plan
 is to propound to the class a series of
 questions1 all requiring search through
 the twelve lessons1 and allow each     
scholar to choose a question upon which 
he will speak for two1 three1 or four   
minutes before the class on review day4 
,whatever your review gives or fails to 
give1 be sure it leaves with your class 
a clear-cut outline or summary of the   
three months' study4 ,omit the          
consideration of lessons not closely    
connected with the story1 like some of  
the temperance1 ,easter1 and ,christmas 
lessons4 ,center upon some graphical    
scheme whenever possible1 if it is only 
a vertical line divided into decades    
along which events may be strung1 or a  

circle so divided as to represent       
,moses' life or ,christ's4 ,if you can1 
group the lessons around some great     
personality prominent in them4 ,never   
fail to bind them together with the     
golden thread of their relation to      
,christ4 ,trace through them the        
progress of some thought or event1 such 
as ,god's leadings that developed the   
,israelites1 the growth of the          
,christian church1 the unfolding of     
,christ's life1 or ,david's1 or         
,joseph's4 ,discover what unity the     
lessons have1 and bring it out in the   
review4  ,if these matters have been    
discussed in the quarter's lessons1 set 
them in fresh lights4 ,it must be a new 
view as well as a review4  ,if you have 
succeeded well with one form of review1 
thank ,god1 and--change the form next   
time4 ,the methods suggested in this    
chapter are not equally valuable in all 
reviews4 ,make out a programme in       
,january for the four reviews ahead of  
you1 and plan them all differently4     

,and finally1 review your reviews4      
,review them on the review day1 going   
over the same ground at least twice1 in 
varying mode2 and in your weekly reviews
 thereafter take occasion now and then  
to revert to the work of the preceding  
quarter4 ,a matter is not learned to-day
 unless it is learned for all days4  ,if
 the review discloses weak spots1       
strengthen them4 ,if it discloses       
excellences1 praise them4 ,with steady  
and honest purpose1 take on review day  
the trial balance of your work1 and may 
,god grant you a balance on the         
heavenward side of the ledger6          
,chapter ,,xxxiii  ,at the ,helm   ,the 
superintendent of a ,sunday-school is   
not the steam of the boat1 for all true 
power comes from the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he 
does not even tend the fires2 that work 
the teachers must do4 ,neither does he  
make the chart by which the boat is     
steered2 that is the work of the        
,international ,lesson ,committee4 ,no2 
the superintendent stands at the helm4  

,he takes orders from the one ,captain1 
and transmits them4 ,now he turns a     
wheel1 now he pulls a bell-rope1 now he 
shouts through a speaking-tube4 ,in     
spite of the multiplied details1 his    
work is simple4 ,he has to know his     
ship1 the waters1 and the weather3 that 
is1 he has to know ,god1 what he wants  
him to do2 and his scholars1 what they  
are capable of doing2 and his teachers1 
what they are capable of getting the    
scholars to do4 ,knowing these three    
things1 he will not fret himself with   
attempting impossibilities1 tasks beyond
 the power of teachers and scholars and 
so aside from ,god's will for them1 but 
he will know he has succeeded if his    
teachers work as hard as they can in    
getting their scholars to work as hard  
as they can to learn and do ,god's will4
  ,the superintendent's work begins with
 himself1 then goes on to his officers1 
then to his teachers1 then to his       
scholars1 then to other schools4        
,first1 looking to himself1 he must gain

 what some one lays down as the four    
essentials of success in ,christian     
work3 consecration1 concentration1 tact1
 and contact4 ,that is1 his whole soul  
must be in his work2 he must say1 with  
,paul1 ,this one thing ,i do2 he must   
come in touch with his forces1 and he   
must know how to handle them after he   
touches them4  ,there are some men that 
should never be superintendents4 ,one of
 these is ,mr4 ,long1 who has to say    
everything in four different ways1 each 
way being ,broadway4 ,another is ,mr4   
,twitchall1 who jerks out his words     
between the jerks of his nervous body1  
who darts here and there like the       
snapper of a whip1 and infects the      
entire school with the contagion of his 
restlessness4 ,mr4 ,black is another1   
that man of gloomy face and sepulchral  
voice4 ,mr4 ,daggart is another1 for his
 tongue is dipped in the venom of       
sarcasm and knows only to scold4  ,my   
favorite superintendent is ,mr4 ,short1 
the son of ,mr4 ,bright4 ,he has all his

 father's good cheer4 ,his face is full 
of a sunshine that doesn't need to be   
put into words4 ,he is cordial even more
 plainly than he is spiritual1 but      
because he is spiritual4 ,he is         
businesslike4 ,he is modest4 ,he        
remembers that he is only one1 and the  
school two hundred1 and he divides time 
on about that basis4 ,he knows--oh1 he  
knows the value of five minutes6  ,he   
has the grit of a bulldog1 this         
,superintendent ,short1 son of ,mr4     
,bright4 ,when he is sure he has hold of
 a good thing1 he does not dream of     
letting go1 any more than those         
well-persuaded jaws4 ,and he has the    
bulldog's independence and thick skin1  
but with more than bulldog reason2 for  
is he not responsible to ,god alone8 ,if
 ,god says1 ,good6 what matters the     
sneer of a man8 ,so he does the best he 
knows how1 and keeps serene4  ,with all 
his independence he is modest and       
teachable1 is ,superintendent ,short1   
son of ,mr4 ,bright4 ,he visits other   

,sunday-schools1 and gets hints there4  
,he visits the public schools1 and gets 
many valuable hints from their          
superintendents4 ,he reads everything   
that has ,sunday-school methods in it1  
and from all this he gets hints4 ,he    
goes around asking everybody1 ,how can  
,i do better work8 ,how can the school  
be improved8 and he receives into a     
teachable mind the hints he gets4 ,when 
he has to find fault1 he first praises  
what he can4 ,indeed1 praise--for a     
wonder6--is his favorite form of        
criticism1 and a stimulating form it is4
  ,withal1 ,superintendent ,short is    
enterprising4 ,he sets apart from his   
busy week regular times for his         
,sunday-school work1 and makes a        
business of it4 ,he is ready to spend   
money as well as time4 ,he keeps a      
notebook crowded with new ideas1 and    
carries them out one after the other in 
the order of their importance1 as       
systematically as a great general       
conducts a campaign4 ,he does not       

foolishly despise what is old and       
tested1 but he knows how to freshen up  
old principles by new applications4 ,he 
is broad-minded1 too1 with no fads or   
favoritisms1 keeping equal interest in  
all departments of school work4 ,and he 
does not stop with the mechanics of the 
,sunday-school4 ,all his enterprise sets
 before it the one great goal of        
soul-saving4  ,thus far the             
superintendent by himself2 now a word   
about his relation to his officers4     
,just as the failure of a school on the 
spiritual side is quite often due to    
lack of a good teachers' meeting1 so a  
failure on the administrative side is   
probably due to the lack of a cabinet   
meeting1 where the superintendent       
consults with all his officers and      
committees1 and where each gets         
inspiration and counsel from the other4 
,the teachers' meeting should be        
occupied with entirely different        
matters4 ,it cannot take the place of a 
gathering of the executive1 and ought to

 come on a different night4  ,this      
cabinet meeting must be set for a       
regular time1 and nothing short of an   
earthquake must be allowed to break it  
up4 ,every officer should make a report 
to the cabinet1 and the report should be
 in writing4 ,the latter requirement    
saves time1 adds dignity1 and provides  
the meeting with definite statements as 
a basis for discussion4  ,a wise        
superintendent will utilize all his     
officers to the utmost4 ,he will make   
the assistant superintendent assist4    
,the theory is that the assistant shall 
be able1 in the superintendent's        
absence1 to do everything the           
superintendent would do4 ,how can he    
learn1 except by doing everything1 now  
and then1 when the superintendent is    
present8 ,many a superintendent has worn
 himself out doing five men's work      
rather than train four men to help him4 
,elijah trained ,elisha to be prophet in
 his stead4 ,if he had not done so1 ,i  
hardly think ,elijah would have been    

carried to heaven in a chariot of fire4 
,every worker should prepare his        
successor1 should make himself          
unnecessary4  ,let it be the            
superintendent's ambition1 then1 to     
create an automatic ,sunday-school1 one 
he can leave to run itself4 ,he must    
keep himself in the background4 ,he must
 test the matter by occasional absences1
 on foray for ideas in other schools4   
,he must do as little as possible       
himself1--no danger but it will be      
enough6--and he must get as much as     
possible done by others4 ,so he will    
create1 not a machine1 but an organism4 
,in the third place1--the superintendent
 and the teachers4 ,he must             
individualize them4 ,as ,garfield1 the  
young school-teacher1 was wont to lie   
awake nights1 tracing out on his sheet  
in the dark a plan of the schoolroom1   
locating each scholar's desk and        
planning for that scholar's growth as he
 did so1 thus the superintendent should 
consider separately and regularly each  

teacher's task and abilities1 trials and
 successes4  ,it is his joyous work to  
encourage them1 to note improvement in  
their scholars1 to repeat to them the   
kind words of parents1 to give them a   
cheer in their arduous and difficult    
and1 for the time1 thankless tasks4     
,when a superintendent has praised      
discreetly1 half his work is done4  ,of 
course1 the superintendent will study   
his lesson as thoroughly as any teacher2
 and this is not by any means an        
unnecessary remark1 though some may     
think so4 ,indeed1 there are even many  
occasions when he may teach a class1    
though usually he is best left free     
during the lesson hour to greet the     
strangers1 or1 watching from some       
central post like a general in battle1  
to fly to the rescue of some teacher    
whose class may be getting mischievous1 
restless1 or careless4  ,for the        
superintendent should feel at perfect   
liberty to sit quietly down with any    
class in his school1 and should do this 

so often and easily that his coming     
ceases to be a disturbance to teacher or
 scholars4 ,if the superintendent is not
 welcome1 it will be because he does not
 know how to help unobtrusively1 and he 
would better stay away4  ,the best      
relations are not possible unless the   
superintendent visits the teachers in   
their homes1 and gets them to come to   
his for frequent private consultations  
or for an occasional social hour all    
together4 ,the teachers' meeting for the
 study of the lesson will not take the  
place of these heart-to-heart talks1 in 
which sympathy and appreciation1        
friendly counsel and united prayers1    
draw the teachers very close to their   
leader4  ,in the fourth place1 the      
superintendent must know his scholars4  
,if he has time to visit them1 each     
visit will count2 but that is in most   
cases too much to expect4 ,sunday-school
 socials and picnics will give him a    
chance to push a little further the     
knowledge of them that he will gain by  

his visits to their classes2 but1 after 
all1 his best chance is in the passing  
salutation on the street4 ,often speak  
of the matter before the school1 asking 
the scholars to greet you when they meet
 you2 and then hail every urchin you run
 across as if he were your very own6 ,if
 you make it a habit to tarry for ten   
minutes after the ,sunday-school hour   
7tired8--never mind671 both teachers and
 scholars will besiege you              
then1--provided you have made yourself  
worth besieging6 ,that you are to be in 
every way the children's hero goes      
without saying1--the glorious big boy to
 whom all the boys look up proudly1 the 
chivalrous knight whose colors all the  
girls are glad to wear1--it goes without
 saying1 that is1 if you deserve to be  
superintendent at all6  ,fifthly and    
finally1 the superintendent and other   
schools4 ,he has been getting from them 
all he can1 if he is enterprising2 he   
should give to them all he can4 ,the    
large cities have their superintendents'

 unions1 composed of those that hold    
now1 or have held1 this post of honor   
and responsibility1--and few            
associations are as delightful4 ,nearly 
everywhere1 ,sunday-school conventions  
are available2 and to these1 as         
gathering up in his own experience      
whatever his school has learned and     
accomplished1 the superintendent should 
carry his freshest inspiration and his  
wisest plans4 ,no superintendent can    
live--can be a live superintendent--to  
himself4  ,one thing should be said1 to 
close this hasty sketch4 ,if the        
superintendent is all this1 or even part
 of all this1 in his personal motives1  
and in his relations to officers1       
teachers1 scholars1 and other schools1  
he will always be a paid superintendent4
 ,he may have no salary2 on the         
contrary1 he may be decidedly out of    
pocket2 but the rewards of his labor    
will be so abundant1 so joyful1 that not
 all the silver and gold in all the     
mines of earth could measure them4      

,chapter ,,xxxiv  ,the ,superintendent's
 ,chance   ,at the opening of the school
 the superintendent hasn't half a       
chance2 at the close he has a large     
chance--as large1 in fact1 as he is4 ,at
 the opening the superintendent is      
merely a master of ceremonies to usher  
in the work as buoyantly as possible2 at
 the close he is a teacher1 the high    
priest of all the teachers4 ,his work of
 introduction is important1 but far more
 important is his work of peroration4   
,the last five minutes furnish his      
chance to gather all the teachings of   
the hour into one point and press it    
home4  #a4 ,it is his chance4 ,now or   
never let him be original4 ,let him     
study his talents2 some can work best   
with chalk1 some with anecdotes1 some   
with questions1 some with exegesis1 some
 with exhortation4 ,let him get up a    
specialty for those five minutes and    
burnish it till it shines4 ,whatever    
method he chooses should be filled with 
his personality and serve to impress his

 personality upon the school4 ,it is    
life that tells on life1 and the more of
 himself the superintendent puts into   
these five minutes the more will this1  
his chance1 prove his success4  #b4 ,it 
is his chance to gather all the         
teachings of the hour4 ,not that he will
 try to cover the ground of the entire  
lesson4 ,in that case his chance would  
turn out his mischance4 ,he will not    
try1 either1 to give something for each 
class of scholars1 for all that he gives
 must be for all classes4 ,among all the
 thoughts of all the departments1       
primary1 intermediate1 and senior1 there
 is a single golden thought like a      
golden thread4 ,these strands he must   
seize and weave them1 in his five       
minutes1 into a golden cord4  #c4 ,it is
 his chance to gather all the teachings 
of the hour into one point4 ,probably   
every teacher in the school has been    
trying to teach too much4 ,the lesson   
was intended for a wedge1 but they have 
been using the blunt end4 ,turn it      

around4 ,illustrate the matchless might 
of simplicity4 ,do not think that1      
because the lesson was on the envy of   
,joseph's brethren1 the theme of envy   
has become hackneyed1 and you must talk 
about ,jacob and ,reuben and the        
,midianites and ,god's overruling       
providence4 ,if the teachers have worked
 well1 the scholars will be eager for   
further words on envy2 if they have     
worked poorly1 all the more need of a   
forcible presentation of the main theme4
  #d4 ,it is his chance to gather all   
the teachings of the hour into one point
 and press it home4 ,his will be a      
lively school in proportion as it       
influences life4 ,when the moral truths 
of our lessons are fixed in the life1   
the facts connected with them will be   
fixed in the mind4 ,let the             
superintendent ask himself1 for as many 
scholars of varied age and character as 
he can1 ,how might this lesson change   
his life1 her life1 for the coming      
week--forever8 ,put the snapper on the  

hour4 ,let it be seen that you expect   
definite results in spirit and conduct4 
,some urge that the superintendent      
should be mute at the close of the      
lesson hour1 lest his words destroy the 
effect of the teachers' exhortations4   
,to be sure1 he may emphasize what they 
have not emphasized1 though even this   
danger is very slight if the            
superintendent is careful to seize on   
the lesson's central thought2 but if the
 impression made by the teacher is      
endangered by a few earnest words from  
the superintendent1 what will be left of
 it by the close of the conversation    
around the dinner-table8  ,a closing    
word regarding the superintendent's     
questions4 ,in no better way than by    
questions can he win and hold the       
school's attention4 ,those given in the 
various lesson helps are intended to be 
simply suggestive of possible matter and
 manner4 ,five things are essential3    
7#a7 that the questions be simple enough
 to be understood by the youngest2 7#b7 

that they lead up to a point valuable   
enough to interest the oldest2 7#c7 that
 they can be answered by a few words1   
preferably by one2 7#d7 that they be    
presented in a brisk and businesslike   
way2 7#e7 that prompt answers from all  
parts of the school together be insisted
 on1 the answer being called for again  
and again till all have connected       
themselves with it4 ,half a dozen such  
questions should lead up skilfully to   
the main lesson of the hour1 which      
should receive brief but pointed        
application by anecdote1 blackboard1 or 
exhortation4  ,all this is a high ideal4
 ,to attain it will require1 you say1   
much more than five minutes4 ,you are   
right1 ,brother ,superintendent3 five   
minutes before the school1 but one hour 
or even two hours of prayerful          
preparation at home4 ,however1 it is    
your chance4 ,do not ignobly lose it4   
,chapter ,,xxxv  ,the ,sunday-,school   
and the ,weather   ,a rainy day is the  
best test of a ,sunday-school1 and its  

best opportunity4  ,for the scholars it 
is a sieve1 separating the zealous      
workers from the careless ones4  ,for   
the general school it is an index1 since
 if ,christ is not in the midst of the  
few on rainy days1 surely the many on   
sunny days are not wont to gather in his
 name4  ,for the teacher it is a        
revealing question3 ,do you teach for   
the excitement and praise of crowded    
benches1 or is a single soul1 with its  
issues of life and death1 inspiration   
enough8  ,it is the superintendent's    
chance1 because then he learns his      
staff1 the pick1 the enthusiastic       
nucleus1 of his school4 ,it is a good   
day for setting balls to rolling4  ,it  
is the scholar's chance1--his chance to 
show appreciation of the school by      
attendance2 his chance for help on      
questions that try his soul4  ,it is the
 teacher's chance4 ,he will never draw  
close to his scholars if not now2 never 
see their nobility or their faults if   
not through the troubled lens of a rainy

 day4  ,it is the opportunity of the    
general school4 ,prayer-meeting workers 
often observe that the meetings held on 
stormy evenings are always the best1    
because every attendant feels it his    
duty to take active part4 ,for the same 
reason a rainy day brings out the mettle
 of a ,sunday-school4 ,the bashful are  
impelled to greater boldness1 the       
careless to stricter attention4         
,responsibilities are thrown upon       
unwonted shoulders4 ,many a             
,sunday-school worker has been developed
 by rainy days4  ,teachers must do their
 scolding for poor attendance1 if ever1 
on the days of crowded seats1 because   
then only are the truants present4 ,have
 nothing but words of good cheer for the
 few who come on stormy days4  ,we are  
often told about preachers who1 as a    
reward and an incentive1 wisely preach  
their best 7if they can7 on rainy days1 
to the faithful few4 ,for such days the 
teacher also must make his highest      
preparation1 because then his work will 

produce best results2 because then he   
will need to bring most inspiration with
 him1 as he gets none from well-filled  
seats2 because his scholars then not    
only deserve his best1 but1 lacking the 
zest of numbers1 need his best to hold  
their attention2 because they will      
appreciate better what they have come   
through difficulties to get4  ,on rainy 
days there are many late comers1 and    
therefore many fine chances for         
practical ,christianity4 ,greet them    
cheerfully1 if you must stop your finest
 exhortation to do it4 ,such a close    
will be its most eloquent period4  ,if  
you investigate tactfully the absences  
of rainy days1 you will often come upon 
a truer knowledge of the home life and  
needs of your scholars than any sunshiny
 observations could give you4  ,on rainy
 days1 if ever1 scholars should be sure 
of finding their own teacher2 yet1 as   
human nature is1 on rainy days there is 
always necessary some fusion of classes4
 ,the teachers of joined classes may do 

much good or infinite harm4 ,criticism1 
expressed or implied1 of the plans or   
precepts of the other teacher1 is a     
poison which has few antidotes4 ,if he  
has been teaching false doctrine1 he1   
not his scholars1 is to be told that    
fact4 ,and1 on the contrary1 a word of  
wise praise for whatever of solid       
acquirement you may see in his scholars1
 as it comes from an outsider1 will     
discover marvelously their teacher to   
them1 and their possibilities to        
themselves4  ,as we need to emphasize   
the advantages of bad weather1 so we    
need to remember the dangers of fine    
weather4 ,now1 the teacher must be      
mindful not to lose the individuals in  
the crowd1 or his teaching sense in the 
temptation to harangue4 ,now1 the       
superintendent must remember that his   
unifying and organizing skill is        
especially needed4 ,if rainy days are   
best for study and personal work1 fair  
days1 and1 above all1 hot days1 are best
 for singing and concert drill in       

reading and questioning4  ,as our days1 
so shall our strength be1 if we are     
,christ's1 dear ,sunday-school workers2 
but different kinds of days need        
different kinds of strength4            
,chapter ,,xxxvi  ,a ,profitable ,picnic
   ,a large number of ,sunday-schools   
are in the habit of holding a picnic    
every summer4 ,in spite of the countless
 jests at the expense of the            
,sunday-school picnic1 the custom is in 
every way commendable4 ,where can       
teacher and scholars1 superintendent and
 teachers1 better come into that        
familiar1 every-day contact that tells  
so much of character and for character1 
than out under the open sky and in the  
merry meadows8 ,and yet why is it that  
the very word picnic makes most         
,sunday-school teachers groan1 and      
presents to the superintendent's mind a 
picture no more delectable than of hot1 
dusty cars1 pushing1 quarreling         
children1 red-faced teachers1 and       
lunches seized on by ants8  ,of course1 

in moving so large a body of people1    
especially of youngsters1 many untoward 
events are to be expected2 but          
nevertheless1 when the picnic is not a  
conspicuous success1 there is usually   
one reason3 it was not well planned for4
 ,so many managers of picnics are       
nothing but transportation managers6    
,getting a reduction of railroad fare1  
packing and unpacking the lunches1      
filing the children in and out of the   
cars1--such details sum up their plans4 
,as for entertainment on the picnic     
grounds1--why1 turn the children loose1 
and they will take care of that part of 
it6  ,on the contrary1 he is a wise man 
that can entertain himself well and     
profitably for a day without aid from   
outside4 ,the feat is impossible for    
most children4 ,how well ,i remember my 
own childish miseries on holidays       
because ,i couldn't think of anything ,i
 wanted to do6 ,on the haphazard plan   
your picnic will go uproariously for a  
time1 but it will soon fray out into a  

tangle of ennui and quarrels4  ,in this 
brief chapter1 then1 ,i want to suggest 
merely one out of many schemes for a    
profitable picnic4 ,it will include in  
the day's plans all ages and classes1   
and afford pleasure for mind and spirit 
as well as body4  ,in the first place1  
arrange with great care a programme of  
contests4 ,if it is a joint picnic1 some
 of the contests will be between        
representatives of the ,sunday-schools  
that take part2 otherwise1 between      
classes and individuals of the one      
,sunday-school4 ,bring in the girls as  
well as the boys1 and the men and women 
as well as the children4 ,running1      
sack-races1 three-legged races1 pole and
 rope climbing1 boat-races1 croquet and 
tennis matches1 base-ball 7a game among 
the old men will cause much amusement71 
the marching of competing companies1    
broom or flag drills for the girls1     
leaping1 slow races on the bicycle1     
throwing the hammer1 soap-bubble        
contests--why1 the number of these      

sports is legion4  ,just a few hints3-- 
,give no prizes1 but honorable mention4 
,let the contests be well planned and   
advertised beforehand1 and set the      
scholars to training for them4  ,give   
every one a printed programme 7which may
 be worked off on a manifolder71 and so 
arrange it that the entire company1 if  
possible1 may be spectators of each     
contest4  ,make everything as short and 
snappy as you can4  ,throughout the     
programme1 work in all classes and ages 
as best you may4 ,don't1 for instance1  
put all the contests in which the little
 ones engage in the same part of the    
day4  ,in the second place1 arrange a   
literary and religious programme that   
shall give a spiritual application to   
all these physical contests4 ,organize a
 ,sunday-school choir1 which1 after     
careful previous practice1 will sing    
some of the many songs that treat the   
,christian life as a race1 or a         
wrestling1 or a battle4 ,some of the    
,bible passages of similar tenor should 

be recited4 ,poems may be repeated      
bearing the same lesson4 ,and the       
brightest of the scholars and teachers1 
of course not omitting your pastor1 will
 give some very brief little essays or  
talks along this same line4 ,this part  
of the day's programme may fitly be     
placed just after lunch1 when in the    
heat of the day the athletes will wish  
to rest1 and when all will be ready to  
sit down and listen4  ,much will depend 
on the master of ceremonies for the day4
 ,let him be the jolliest man you can   
find1 but withal a man of deep          
consecration1 who can make all feel     
that1 whether they eat or drink1 or play
 games1 or whatever they do1 they must  
do all for the glory of ,god4 ,in this  
spirit alone can you hope to have a     
profitable picnic4     ,chapter ,,xxxvii
  ,a ,singing ,sunday-,school           
,lifeless singing means1 usually1 a dead
 ,sunday-school4 ,many a superintendent 
might greatly increase the vigor of his 
school by getting a little snap into the

 music4 ,different ways of singing will 
not of themselves solve the problem1 but
 they will go far toward it4 ,here are a
 few methods which will add to the      
singing the variety that is the spice of
 it as well as of nearly everything     
else4  ,try reading the song in concert 
before it is sung4 ,it would puzzle most
 even of us older folks to tell1 after  
we have sung a hymn1 what is in it4     
,concert reading brings out unsuspected 
beauties of thought1 and the hymn will  
be sung afterward with fresh zest and   
with fuller intelligence4 ,the          
superintendent may vary this plan by    
reading the stanzas alternately with the
 school1 or the girls may alternate with
 the boys4 ,occasionally get a single   
scholar to read the hymn before the     
school1 or1 what is far better1 to      
commit it to memory and recite it4      
,indeed1 memory hymns1 to be committed  
to memory by the entire school1 and sung
 without the book1 will prove very      
popular4 ,select songs that are worth   

learning for their words as well as for 
their music1--a thing which1 alas6      
cannot be said of all our ,sunday-school
 songs4 ,one memory hymn a month might  
possibly be achieved1 and your children 
will rapidly grow independent of        
hymn-books1 as their grandsires were4   
,they may like to vote upon a school    
hymn for the entire year1 and learn it  
in this way1--one that shall serve as a 
sort of rallying song throughout the    
twelvemonth4 ,the various classes1 too1 
may be encouraged to select their own   
class songs1 and to practise them at    
their class socials4 ,then1 once in a   
while1 the entire school may listen     
while one or two classes sing their     
class hymns4  ,it would do no harm1     
either1 for the superintendent          
occasionally to bind the children's     
interest to the singing by asking them  
to call for their favorites1 that the   
school may sing them4 ,this privilege   
may be granted to the classes or        
scholars that have the best record in   

attendance4  ,it will add interest to   
the singing if bits of pleasant         
information are sometimes given about   
the authors of our familiar songs4 ,at  
the opening of the session1 for         
instance1 tell something about the blind
 hymn-writer1 ,fanny ,crosby1 and then  
let all the songs sung that day be by   
her2 or tell a little about ,miss       
,havergal's beautiful life1 or give a   
few bright anecdotes about ,dr4 ,s4 ,f4 
,smith1 and then use nothing but their  
hymns4 ,some such book as ,hezekiah     
,butterworth's ,story of the ,hymns     
7,new ,york3 ,the ,american ,tract      
,society4 #a4ge71 or ,duffield's        
,english ,hymns3 ,their ,authors and    
,history 7,new ,york3 ,the ,funk        
,wagnalls ,co4 #c71 will afford a       
plentiful supply of biographical        
material4 ,once in a while get one of   
the scholars to read one of these hymn  
anecdotes1 or to tell it in his own     
words4  ,prayer songs--there are many   
most beautiful ones--may be used as     

prayers1 all heads being bowed while    
they are sung softly2 or they may be    
read in the same way4  ,antiphonal songs
 are easily arranged4 ,choose two       
classes of good singers in distant parts
 of the room1 and let one sing the      
verses and the other the chorus of some 
suitable song4 ,a hymn arranged in the  
form of question and answer1 such as    
,watchman1 tell us of the night1 or ,art
 thou weary1 art thou languid8 is very  
effective when sung in this way1 or when
 read in dialogue1 the superintendent   
taking the questions and the school the 
answers4  ,other dispositions may be    
made1 for the sake of variety4 ,get the 
girls to sing the stanzas1 and the boys 
the choruses1 or the girls to sing one  
verse1 and the boys the next1 all       
uniting on the choruses2 or1 let the    
school to the right of the center       
alternate in singing with the school to 
the left4 ,send a company of singers    
into another room1 with closed doors1   
and have them sing the chorus as an     

echo1 very softly4 ,get the teachers to 
sing the stanzas of some song1 while the
 whole school sings the refrain4  ,solos
 are good once in a while1 especially if
 you make the school the chorus for     
them4 ,a quartette of picked singers may
 be introduced very delightfully on     
occasion1 especially if their selection 
is germane to the lesson topic1 and1    
best of all1 if the quartette is chosen 
from the scholars themselves4 ,the      
primary department will hugely enjoy    
singing one of their songs to the main  
school1 and the older scholars will     
enjoy it quite as heartily4  ,possibly a
 ,sunday-school choir might be organized
 to advantage1 the strong singers from  
among the more mature scholars being    
banded together to practice new music   
and lead the singing4 ,school orchestras
 have been very useful in many churches1
 the boys being proud to serve the      
school with violin and cornet4  ,most   
useful1 however1 in adding zest to the  
singing1 are the simple changes and     

variations that shrewdly call attention 
to the old by putting it in a new place1
 or putting it in a new way4 ,for       
instance1 you might call fresh attention
 to a beautiful song by bidding all sing
 it without their books1 while you line 
it out earnestly and brightly4 ,you     
might preface a hymn with a sentence or 
two telling why you think it just the   
hymn to sing in connection with the     
day's lesson4 ,you might piece together 
several verses from different songs1 and
 ask the school to sing them in         
immediate succession1 without prelude or
 interlude1 noting the connection and   
progress of the thought4 ,you might     
stimulate the scholars in this and that 
corner by asking now one class and now  
another to consider themselves the      
leaders in the song next to be sung4    
,you might have occasional new-hymn     
days1 in which will be sung no song ever
 tried by the school4 ,you might even   
steal ten minutes1 on very rare         
occasions1 for song services1 carefully 

planned so as to bear effectively on the
 lesson for the day4 ,the ways are      
almost endless whereby a music-loving1  
child-loving superintendent can         
introduce his two loves to each other4  
,a few more general suggestions4 ,first1
 to the organist or pianist4 ,why do you
 think it necessary to hammer out an    
entire piece of music before you let the
 fidgety children sing it8 ,they already
 know every note of it1 and are not     
interested in your performance2 nor is  
any one else4 ,they can find the place  
quite as quickly as you can4 ,except in 
the case of new songs1 do let us off    
with the chord1 and we'll canonize you  
as a model of self-restraint and good   
sense4  ,then to the precentor1 or      
whoever is responsible for the time you 
keep4 ,why is it so slow8 ,i never could
 see why hymns should be sung so        
drawlingly as to make it quite          
impossible to grasp their thought4 ,time
 yourself in singing your next hymn1    
then read aloud the same hymn1 forcing  

yourself to occupy the same time1 and   
you will see why it is that our singing 
leaves our minds quite absolute blanks4 
,this grievous fault must be remedied   
with the children if the singing of     
hymns is ever to be1 to the average     
grown-up1 an intellectual and spiritual 
as well as a physical occupation4  ,and1
 to the same end1 why is it that your   
school can sing readily1 even without   
the book1 the first two or three stanzas
 of so many songs1 while every stanza   
beyond is an unknown land to them8 ,it  
is because1 owing chiefly to the        
slowness of our ordinary singing1 we    
seldom compass the whole of a hymn4 ,at 
the close of a well-written hymn is the 
climax1 the thought up to which the     
whole has led1 which binds it all       
together4 ,our songs1 if they are to get
 hold upon our minds and lives1 must be 
sung beyond their prelude1 sung straight
 through4  ,to get hold of minds and    
lives1--that must be the end sought by  
all our singing4     ,chapter ,,xxxviii 

,a ,praying ,sunday-,school   ,in no way
 can more ,christianity be taught in    
less time than by a good prayer4 ,a     
,sunday-school that is not opened with  
the right kind of prayer remains tight  
shut until the teachers get hold of it1 
while the right kind of prayer at the   
close of the lesson hour rivets the     
lesson on the week to come4  ,yet ,i    
know of no point in ,sunday-school      
management regarding which              
superintendents are more careless4 ,the 
children must listen to ,magellan       
prayers that circumnavigate the globe2  
to mechanical prayers1 cast in          
stereotyped forms2 to officious prayers 
that volunteer to teach the coming      
lesson2 to peacock prayers that flaunt  
big words and fine phrases2 to wrinkled 
prayers1 dealing with experiences into  
which the children will not grow for    
three decades4 ,in some schools the     
superintendent always makes the prayer  
himself1 praying in the same terms and  
tones and order for the same things4    

,elsewhere the superintendent invites   
others to perform this service1 but1    
with pitiless impartiality1 calls upon  
all that will1 heedless whether they are
 capable or totally unfit for the       
difficult duty4  ,for it is not easy to 
guide the devotions of these varied ages
 and characters4 ,the words must be so  
simple that the youngest can understand 
them4 ,the thoughts must be so noble as 
to furnish an uplift to the oldest4 ,the
 expressions must be direct1 as in the  
realized presence of ,christ4 ,the      
prayer must be brief1 and bright1 and   
deeply in earnest1 sincere as a child4  
,to perform this task1 therefore1 no one
 should be invited merely for policy's  
sake1 merely because he is a visiting   
clergyman1 a church officer1 or a       
good-hearted layman4 ,ask no one that   
does not know the glorious language of a
 child's prayer4 ,give notice           
beforehand1 since this prayer1 if any1  
should be thought over and prayed over4 
,and if you fear the prayer will lack a 

certain quality1 shrewdly incorporate   
its name in your invitation1 asking for 
a brief prayer1 or a simple prayer1 or a
 prayer about few things4  ,i wonder    
that this exercise is so seldom fixed   
upon the children's attention and       
interest by their own vocal             
participation in it4 ,indeed1 it is not 
always that the school is able to repeat
 the ,lord's ,prayer together with the  
freedom and force born of long custom4  
,the school may easily be taught to     
chant the ,lord's ,prayer1 and that may 
be made most genuine praying4 ,there are
 many suitable short ,bible prayers that
 children might learn to say together1  
such as ,let the words of my mouth1 and 
the meditation of my heart1 be          
acceptable in thy sight1 ,o ,lord1 my   
strength and my redeemer4 ,indeed1 there
 are many prayer psalms that could be   
learned entire1 the concert repetition  
of which would greatly enrich the       
,sunday-school hour4 ,if yours is a     
model school1 every scholar has his     

,bible1 and ,scripture prayers1 not     
committed to memory1 may be read in     
concert4 ,and1 besides1 what more       
impressive conclusion to the session    
than the ,mizpah benediction1 in which  
all voices join1 or1 perhaps better1 the
 beautiful benediction in ,numbers      
#f3bd-bf1 ,the ,lord bless thee1 and    
keep thee1 etc48  ,then there is the    
hymn-book4 ,if it is a good one1 it     
contains many beautiful prayer hymns4   
,let the scholars all bow their heads1  
and sing softly ,miss ,havergal's tender
 consecration hymn1 or ,nearer1 my ,god1
 to thee1 and you will find all hearts  
indeed drawn nearer heaven4             
,occasionally let the school read       
together one of these same hymns1 also  
with their heads bowed4  ,and1 by the   
way1--though it deserves more than a by 
the way1--insist on the bowing of the   
head1--not that the attitude is         
important in itself1 but the reverence  
that the attitude arouses is of the     
highest importance4 ,wait till all heads

 are bowed before you begin the prayer  
or permit another to begin it4 ,the     
half-minute of quiet or semi-quiet      
needed to gain this end is not          
ill-bestowed4 ,moreover1 ,i should      
strongly advise you to go one step      
farther1 and once in a while have the   
entire school go down on their knees4   
,this1 the normal attitude of prayer1   
the children should be taught to assume 
in public1 at least so often that it    
will not seem to them forced or         
unnatural4  ,have you tried silent      
prayer8 ,a blessed exercise it is1 and  
one the children will love4 ,ask them to
 bend their heads or kneel1 and then in 
perfect silence to pray for their       
teachers1 or their pastor1 or their dear
 ones at home1 or some sick scholar4    
,after a minute the superintendent will 
tenderly add a few closing sentences of 
vocal prayer4  ,and have you tried a    
chain prayer1--a prayer started by a    
leader1 who will also close it1 to which
 ten or twenty of the scholars          

contribute sentences of praise or       
petition8 ,you will be astonished to see
 how many of the scholars will join in  
these prayers1--you will be astonished1 
that is1 unless you are familiar with   
the training along this line so nobly   
accomplished in our modern young        
people's religious societies4  ,still   
another way to obtain the scholars'     
careful heed to the prayer is to        
establish a form with which the         
superintendent will always begin his    
prayer1 and which the entire school will
 repeat with him4 ,the opening sentences
 of the ,lord's ,prayer may be used for 
such a purpose4 ,then1 at the close of  
the prayer1 after for ,jesus' sake1 let 
all the scholars say ,amen4  ,an        
occasional ,sunday-school               
prayer-meeting1 held for ten minutes at 
the close of the lesson hour1 will do   
much to inspire in the school a deeper  
spirit of worship2 that is1 if the      
scholars themselves take part1 and not  
the teachers only4 ,and these           

,sunday-school prayer-meetings are      
magnificent opportunities for drawing   
the net4 ,hold them in a small room1    
that nearness may warm the coals of     
devotion to a glow4 ,do not hold them   
too frequently to be burdensome4 ,keep  
them brief and earnest4 ,let the        
teachers work for them in their classes1
 and use them as tests for their        
teaching4 ,above all1 expect conversions
 in them1 and1 if you are faithful and  
faith-filled1 you will get them4  ,this 
use of the scholar in the devotions of  
the school should be extended to his    
home4 ,the superintendent may ask the   
scholars to pray every day during the   
coming week for the school1 or for their
 teacher1 or for their next lesson1 that
 it may bring some one nearer ,christ4  
,for several weeks there may stand in   
bold letters on the blackboard a list of
 things that should be prayed for at    
home4 ,the teacher1 of course1 must     
enforce these recommendations4 ,if he   
will courageously hold once in a while a

 little prayer-meeting with his         
scholars1 in the class-room1 about the  
class-table1 or1 best of all1 at his own
 home or at one of theirs1 he will      
thereby teach them as much ,christianity
 as otherwise he might in a year4       
,indeed1 the teacher has much to do in  
making yours a praying ,sunday-school4  
,to say nothing about the teacher's     
prayers for his scholars1 which will be 
like steam to his pedagogic engine1 and 
to say nothing about the united prayers 
of the teachers in the teachers'        
meetings1 the teacher's conduct during  
the prayer in the school is in itself   
half the scholars' attention1 the       
knowledge on the part of the scholars   
that their teacher is praying for them  
will spur their home devotions1 and the 
teacher's simple1 ready participation in
 the school prayers will prompt their   
own4 ,an excellent occasional method of 
opening the school is by a succession of
 very brief--almost sentence--prayers   
from six or eight of the teachers4 ,a   

frequent topic for discussion in the    
teachers' meeting should be how best to 
inculcate in the school the spirit of   
devotion1 since this great result is to 
be won only by the co-operation of all  
the working forces of the school4  ,much
 is gained in this matter if you gain   
variety4 ,sometimes ask the older       
scholars themselves1 several of them in 
succession1 to offer brief prayers at   
the opening of the school4 ,sometimes   
let the superintendent's opening prayer 
attract attention by its exceeding      
brevity1--only three or four sentences1 
embodying a single petition4 ,do not    
place the prayer always at the same     
place in the programme2 now let it come 
before the singing1 now after2 now lay  
emphasis on the prayer introductory to  
the lesson hour1 now on the prayer that 
closes the hour and seeks to drive home 
its lessons4 ,be dead in earnest1--no1  
be alive in earnest4 ,be thoughtful and 
versatile4 ,be bright and cheery and    
simple-hearted and sympathetic4 ,in     

these prayers1 that should furnish the  
life-blood to the school1 be all things 
to all--children1 if by all means you   
may win one of them4     ,chapter       
,,xxxix  ,s4 ,s4 and ,c4 ,e4   ,a word  
must be said about the co-operation of  
the ,sunday-school and that other great 
modern agency for work with the youth1  
the young people's religious society4   
,whatever is said will be as true of the
 ,epworth ,leagues1 ,baptist ,unions1   
and other denominational organizations  
as of the ,christian ,endeavor          
societies2 but since the latter1 like   
the ,sunday-schools1 are found in all   
denominations1 and since my own especial
 work lies among them1 it will be quite 
appropriate in this connection1 as well 
as less confusing1 to use only the one  
name1 ,christian ,endeavor4  ,though of 
ages so unequal1 ,s4 ,s4 and ,c4 ,e4 are
 sisters4 ,both are international and   
interdenominational4 ,both apply the    
principle of age classification to      
religious work4 ,both are strongly      

evangelical1 and earnest seekers of     
souls4 ,both are held in strictest      
subordination to the church4 ,and both  
are ,bible lovers2 for the ,christian   
,endeavor pledge requires daily reading 
of the ,bible1 and the weekly           
prayer-meeting topic calls out no slight
 amount of ,bible study4 ,moreover1 this
 topic is usually in line with the      
week's ,sunday-school lesson1--not the  
same as the latter1 but suggested by it4
 ,the two agencies are at work in       
different fields4 ,the one puts in1 the 
other draws out4 ,the one studies1 the  
other practices4 ,the ,christian        
,endeavor society affords an excellent  
test for the ,sunday-school1 and is its 
complement4 ,whatever helps the one aids
 the other1 and the two should labor    
hand in hand4  ,there are even some     
things that the ,sunday-school might    
learn from its little sister4 ,the      
principle of the pledge has proved      
attractive and powerful in the          
,christian ,endeavor society4 ,why not  

adopt it in the ,sunday-school1 asking  
the scholars for voluntary vows that    
they will attend regularly and will     
spend fifteen minutes a day in studying 
their lessons8 ,the monthly consecration
 meeting maintains wonderfully the      
spirituality1 zeal1 and discipline of   
the ,christian ,endeavor society4 ,why  
not a monthly consecration and          
experience meeting of ,sunday-school    
teachers8 ,three or four ,christian     
,endeavor societies cannot exist in the 
same town without forming a local union 
for mutual encouragement and            
consultation4 ,sunday-schools have their
 county conventions1 but why not also   
this beautiful interdenominational      
fellowship among the ,sunday-schools of 
every community8 ,a large part of the   
remarkable success of ,christian        
,endeavor is due to its being a work of 
the young people for themselves4 ,there 
is close pastoral and church            
supervision1 and it is welcomed2 but the
 ,endeavorers feel that it is their     

society1 for whose honor they are       
responsible1 and whose victories depend 
upon themselves4 ,as far as possible1   
this spirit should be incorporated in   
the ,sunday-school1 so that the ,bible  
study may not seem a work impressed on  
the scholars1 but elected by            
them1--their work1 and not their        
teachers'4  ,how can the ,christian     
,endeavor society help the              
,sunday-school8 ,greatly in its         
prayer-meetings1 by remembering the     
allied ,sunday-school topic of the      
morning4 ,here is a chance for the      
teacher to enlarge upon some theme      
treated too hurriedly in the lesson     
hour1 and for scholars to show their    
appreciation of their teacher by        
repeating some thought he brought out in
 the morning4 ,if rightly managed1 the  
,christian ,endeavor meeting furnishes  
an admirable opportunity for advertising
 the ,sunday-school1 and practically    
applying the truths there taught4  ,but 
the help given may be far more direct4  

,every well-organized ,christian        
,endeavor society has a ,sunday-school  
committee1 whose members put themselves 
under the direction of the              
superintendent1 and make it the one     
object of their term's work to push in  
all possible ways the interests of the  
,sunday-school4  ,the members of this   
committee are usually chosen with an eye
 to their fitness for acting as         
substitute teachers4 ,sometimes the     
committee constitutes itself a normal   
class and studies the lessons a week in 
advance1 considering especially the way 
to teach effectively4 ,on the next      
,sunday1 therefore1 the superintendent  
will find any of these ,endeavorers well
 prepared to fill a vacancy4            
,everywhere1 too1 these ,sunday-school  
committees help the busy teacher to look
 after the absent scholars and to care  
for the sick4 ,it is far easier for     
these young people than for the teacher 
to learn the real causes of absence and 
to urge better attendance4 ,in some     

schools the teachers fill out blank     
cards every ,sabbath1 giving the names  
of absentees or of the sick on whom they
 would like to have the ,sunday-school  
committee call4 ,these cards are        
collected1 the calls made1 and then the 
,endeavorers report to the teacher4  ,a 
kindred ministration is the gathering of
 new scholars4 ,in many cities the      
,sunday-school committee has conducted a
 fruitful house-to-house canvass for new
 scholars1 sometimes canvassing at the  
same time for new members of their      
society4 ,other committees distribute   
printed cards of invitation4 ,others    
organize recruiting squads among the    
scholars1 and give little rewards to    
those that do the best work4 ,others    
make it their business to hunt out all  
the young strangers in the morning      
congregation and give them a personal   
invitation to the school4 ,still others 
distribute among the scholars suggestion
 blanks1 on which each scholar writes   
the names and addresses of young folks  

that might be won for the school4 ,these
 ,endeavorers call at the strangers'    
homes and go with them to the school1   
while others stand ready to welcome all 
strangers at the door and show them to  
appropriate classes4 ,thus they follow  
them up1 that it may not be a case of   
light come1 light go4  ,the             
,endeavorers1 under the direction of    
their ,sunday-school committee1 may be  
very helpful in the music4 ,a choir or  
an orchestra may be organized from their
 numbers4 ,an occasional song           
appropriate to the lesson may be        
rendered as a solo or quartette4 ,when  
,sunday-school concerts are to be given1
 the ,endeavorers will afford trained   
assistance4 ,but especially the         
committee should become thoroughly      
familiar with the ,sunday-school        
song-book1 so that its members1         
scattered over the room1 may carry with 
vigor any unfamiliar hymn1 and give     
force and sprightliness to all the      
singing4  ,the ,sunday-school librarian 

will find among the ,endeavorers some   
efficient aids4 ,the ,sunday-school     
committee may advertise the new books in
 the ,christian ,endeavor meetings1 and 
get the society to add to the library   
certain books of especial interest and  
helpfulness to ,endeavorers4            
,sunday-school library socials have been
 held by some societies1 the evening's  
exercises being so planned as to call   
attention to the best books in the      
library4 ,the ,endeavorers will help in 
covering books1 in hunting up those that
 are lost1 in reading new books and     
giving an opinion regarding them4 ,where
 subscriptions are taken for special    
papers or magazines1 the ,sunday-school 
committee will be glad to undertake this
 work4 ,after these periodicals have    
been read1 they will gather up the old  
copies to send to the hospitals4  ,the  
decorating for ,christmas and ,easter   
exercises or for ,children's ,day may be
 assigned to the ,christian ,endeavor   
society4 ,the ,endeavorers may be set to

 gathering in the scholars for ,rally   
,day4 ,they should be called upon for   
help on all such special occasions4     
,some societies give parties now and    
then to the classes that have the best  
record1 or divide the school into       
sections according to age1 and entertain
 each section in turn at a ,christian   
,endeavor social1 closing the series    
with a pleasant evening spent with the  
teachers and officers alone4  ,it would 
weary you if ,i should rehearse all the 
ways in which ,christian ,endeavor      
societies have proved helpful to the    
,sunday-school4 ,many a primary         
department has gained much from close   
association with the work of the        
superintendent of the ,junior ,christian
 ,endeavor society4 ,i have heard of a  
large number of places where the        
,endeavorers organized and maintained   
mission ,sunday-schools--schools that in
 many instances have grown to churches4 
,often the ,endeavorers take charge of  
the ushering of the school1 furnish     

flowers for every session1 offer rewards
 to the scholars for excellence in      
various directions1 help with swift feet
 in the messenger service of the home   
department1 turn their trained forces   
into an occasional ,sunday-school       
prayer-meeting1--indeed1 they are as    
ingenious in discovering ways of helping
 this elder sister of the ,christian    
,endeavor society as they are zealous   
and persistent in these labors after    
they are inaugurated4  ,if in some      
churches this help is not given1 it is  
probably because it is not invited1 or  
very likely through lack of             
organization4 ,if the ,christian        
,endeavor society has no ,sunday-school 
committee1 let the ,sunday-school       
superintendent1 who is a member of the  
society ex officio1 interest himself in 
obtaining one4 ,and then through this   
committee he can draft into the service 
all the other usual committees of the   
society--the lookout committee1 to get  
new scholars2 the prayer-meeting        

committee1 to aid in the school's       
devotional exercises2 the temperance and
 missionary committees1 to give         
assistance in the special lessons on    
those themes2 the music committee1 to   
aid in the singing1 and the flower      
committee1 to help in the decorations2  
the social committee1 to seek the absent
 and the sick2 the good-literature      
committee1 to help the librarian4  ,and 
if the ,endeavorers do this1 or a part  
of this1 for the ,sunday-school1 why    
should not the ,sunday-school do a      
little for the ,christian ,endeavor     
society8 ,the superintendent may help it
 by calling upon it for assistance and  
by recognizing on fit occasions its     
officers and committees4 ,he may even   
give it an occasional advertisement from
 the desk2 and he1 with his officers and
 teachers1 may do much to put himself in
 touch with the young people by         
attending the ,christian ,endeavor      
meetings now and then4 ,the teachers may
 help by introducing into their talks   

before the classes an occasional hint on
 the ,christian ,endeavor pledge or     
committee work1 or by remembering the   
prayer-meeting topic and suggesting a   
thought or two that may be developed in 
the meeting1 or by urging membership in 
the society upon those that do not      
already belong to it4  ,thus it is seen 
how intimately these two organizations  
are related1 and how much each may do to
 help the other4 ,do not allow them to  
labor apart4 ,parallel threads are weak2
 cables are made by twisting them       
together4     ,chapter ,,xl  ,teachers  
in #hvo   ,what the ,sunday-school      
library should be depends on what the   
community is4 ,these libraries1         
therefore1 should not pattern after one 
another like peas in a pod1 as is too   
often the case1 but each should have an 
individuality of its own4 ,the          
,sunday-school in a city1 with an       
overflowing public library and an       
excellent public-school library at hand1
 has no excuse for distributing secular 

books2 while such books may form a      
useful addition to the library of a     
country school4  ,of course there is    
danger in admitting secular books to the
 ,sunday-school library under any       
circumstances1 and ,i would not for the 
world add one more to the many subtle   
inroads upon the ,lord's day4 ,if you   
place in your library any books that are
 not suitable ,sunday reading1 cover    
them with paper of a distinctive color1 
mark them ,for week-day reading only1   
and watch them carefully1 that you may  
withdraw them from circulation if you   
find them trenching on the sacred hours4
 ,with proper restrictions1 however1 the
 church may find here a blessed ministry
 to many book-hungry communities4       
,biographies like ,irving's ,washington 
or ,holland's ,lincoln2 histories like  
,motley's ,rise of the ,dutch ,republic2
 poems like ,snowbound1 ,the ,idyls of  
the ,king1 ,evangeline2 essays like     
,smiles' ,self ,help or ,mathews'       
,getting on in the ,world2 books of     

science like ,winchell's ,sparks from a 
,geologist's ,hammer or ,proctor's      
,other ,worlds than ,ours1--if you can  
get your scholars to read on week-days  
such books as these1 you will deepen1   
broaden1 and enrich the soil in which   
you do your ,sunday sowing4  ,but the   
more the community needs books1 the     
harder it is to raise money for them4   
,this1 however1 is merely a difficulty  
of the start4 ,a few books1 shrewdly    
chosen1 will create a hunger for more1  
and that hunger will open the           
pocketbooks4  ,hold a book social1      
admission to which shall be a copy1 old 
or new1 of some good book4 ,the         
entertainment at this social should be  
appropriate4 ,let each person that comes
 carry about him a token of some book1  
such as a card about his neck reading1  
,who teaches you8 7,hoosier ,school     
,master674 ,illustrate a poem with      
shadow pictures4 ,place about the room  
numbered portraits of authors for the   
company to name4 ,add readings and      

essays on literary themes4  ,a course of
 lectures and concerts is possible1     
nowadays1 for almost any enterprising   
community1 and the proceeds will give   
the library a start4  ,for a time you   
may charge two cents for the reading of 
each book1 thus forcing the library     
itself to earn its double in the course 
of a year4  ,at the beginning1--or1 for 
that matter1 all the time1--the generous
 among the church-members may be urged  
to lend books to the library for a year 
at a time4 ,such books should be covered
 with different paper from the others1  
and plainly marked with the name of the 
lender and an injunction to especial    
carefulness in handling them4  ,the     
library will be generously supported1 if
 its books are sensibly selected2 but   
this is not an easy task4 ,do not leave 
it to any single man1 but appoint the   
wisest men and women of the church a    
committee on selection1 and require them
 all to read every book that is chosen4 
,obviously1 the value of such a         

committee will increase with the growing
 years1 and it should be a permanent    
body4  ,many booksellers will send books
 on approval4 ,the review columns in the
 religious papers should be regularly   
watched4 ,the committee should be placed
 on the mailing-lists of all the best   
publishers1 to receive their regular    
announcements of books4 ,they should get
 into correspondence with the librarians
 of other schools1 learning from them   
what books are popular and helpful4     
,and1 above everything else1 they should
 get in contact with the scholars of    
their own school1 to watch the practical
 effect of the books they select4       
,regarding the selection of books1      
first1 some dont's4  ,don't choose any  
volume1 no matter how famous1 without   
reading every word of it4 ,one of the   
grandest of biographies1 for instance1  
is ,franklin's autobiography2 but you   
will not wish to put before young       
readers his chapter on his religion--or 
lack of it4 ,wonderfully inspiring      

essays are ,emerson's2 but here and     
there a sentence speaks of ,christ as a 
mere man4 ,a very stimulating booklet is
 ,blessed be ,drudgery2 but one sentence
 spoils it for our use1 since it places 
,jesus at the end of a list of          
philosophers at whose head stands       
,herbert ,spencer4  ,don't buy fads4    
,wait and see whether the book now so   
much lauded is heard of next year4      
,don't buy the books that have fittingly
 been called                            
a-little-child-shall-lead-them stories4 
,bill ,nye described them as tales      
relating how a dear little boy1 though  
but five and a half and crippled1 took  
in back stairs to scrub1 and supported  
his widowed mother1 and sent his sister 
to college4  ,don't buy libraries4 ,as  
sensibly let a man that has never seen  
you order for you a suit of clothes4    
,don't buy sets and series and sequels4 
,judge every book on its merits4  ,don't
 buy the books of one publishing-house  
alone1 however excellent1 any more than 

you would fill your home with the works 
of only one painter4  ,don't confine    
your choice merely to the ,sunday-school
 writers4 ,books that are not virile    
enough to attract and help folks outside
 the ,sunday-school are not likely to   
prove very useful inside4  ,don't buy by
 authors4 ,aunt ,mary's ,candlestick1 by
 ,jemima ,jones1 may have been the      
greatest success of the year in your    
school2 but that is no reason why you   
should load up with ,aunt ,mary's       
,dust-brush and ,aunt ,mary's           
,needlecase and ,aunt ,mary's ,dish-mop1
 by the same industrious author4  ,in   
fine1 don't buy any book1 no matter who 
is its publisher or author1 or what its 
reputation1 unless that particular book 
meets some particular need of your      
particular school4  ,and now1 what shall
 we buy8 ,stories1 of course1 in        
delightful measure4 ,the ,sunday-school 
library has the highest authority for   
teaching in parables4 ,and for these    
stories there are three requirements4   

,first1 they must be attractive4 ,what  
is the use of a book if it will not be  
read8  ,second1 they must be natural4   
,he who is the ,truth will never bless a
 story of lifeless1 jerking1 galvanized 
puppets1 gibbering forced aphorisms and 
preposterous piety1 and acting in a red 
fire of sensational incidents4 ,real    
boys and girls1 real men and women1 real
 life1 and therefore life intensely     
interesting1--these must dwell in our   
,sunday-school stories4  ,and finally1  
the stories must be helpful4 ,each must 
have a point1 a purpose4 ,they must be  
outright for ,christ1 if they are to    
make outright ,christians4  ,don't      
neglect the old-fashioned stories1 such 
as the ,rollo books4 ,they are full of  
meat4 ,especially helpful are such      
stories of ,bible times as ,ben ,hur4   
,provided their imaginings do not outrun
 the ,bible facts1 we can scarcely have 
too many of them4 ,do not forget1       
either1 the books that tell the ,bible  
stories themselves1 in simple language1 

for the little ones4 ,above all stories1
 do not omit the ,pilgrim's ,progress1  
but buy a volume in large type and      
beautifully illustrated4  ,next to      
stories1 what8 ,emphatically1 lives of  
the great ,christians2 above all1       
missionaries4 ,there are brief1 bright1 
well-illustrated lives of ,mackay1 the  
marvelous mechanic1 ,carey1 the         
consecrated cobbler1 ,paton1 the hero of
 the ,new ,hebrides1 ,livingstone the   
daring1 ,martyn the saintly1 ,judson the
 sagacious1 ,patteson1 the white knight 
of ,melanesia1 and a host of other grand
 men4 ,what inspiration to a splendid   
life is to be gained from the story of  
,madagascar's dusky martyrs1 or the     
account of ,allen ,gardiner's           
magnificent death in ,patagonia6 ,what a
 spur to active service is the tale of  
the winning of ,hawaii1 the opening up  
of ,japan1 the self-sacrificing missions
 of the ,moravians1 the daring ride of  
,whitman across the continent for the   
salvation of ,oregon6  ,then1 there are 

the lives of great reformers like       
,luther1 ,john ,howard1 ,wilberforce1   
,john ,b4 ,gough1 and of such superb    
,christians as ,gladstone1 ,wesley1     
,washington1 ,william of ,orange4 ,there
 is no need of a long list4 ,the trouble
 is not to find the books1 but to awaken
 among your scholars a hunger for the   
real heroism of real men as opposed to  
the imaginary heroism of fiction4       
,another section of your library should 
contain books that bear directly on the 
work of the school4 ,there must be the  
best works on teaching1 such as         
,trumbull's ,teachers and ,teaching1    
,schauffler's ,ways of ,working1        
,boynton's ,the ,model ,sunday-school1  
and ,du ,bois' ,the ,point of ,contact4 
,there must be some account of the      
,bible1 like ,rice's ,our ,sixty-six    
,sacred ,books2 some brief and          
attractive manual of ,christian         
evidences1 like ,fisher's or            
,robinson's2 some life of ,christ1 like 
,geikie's or ,farrar's2 some account of 

the history1 polity1 and teachings of   
your denomination4 ,thompson's ,the     
,land and the ,book1 ,smith's           
,historical ,geography of the ,holy     
,land1 ,geikie's ,hours with the ,bible1
 ,taylor's ,moses1 the ,lawgiver1       
,deems' ,the ,gospel of ,common ,sense1 
,pierce's ,pictured ,truth1             
,butterworth's ,the ,story of the       
,hymns1--each of these is a type of a   
class of books helpful to teachers1--and
 to scholars also1 if they can be       
brought to read them4 ,add1 for the     
temperance lessons1 such books as       
,banks' ,the ,saloon-keeper's ,ledger1  
,gustafson's ,the ,fountain of ,death1  
and ,strong's ,our ,country and ,the    
,new ,era4  ,i wonder that so few       
,sunday-school libraries contain the    
great ,christian poems1 such as         
,paradise ,lost1 ,browning's ,saul1     
,lowell's ,vision of ,sir ,launfal1     
,arnold's ,the ,light of the ,world1 and
 many more that would illuminate the    
lessons4  ,many fascinating books of    

science for young folks have been       
written expressly from the ,christian   
stand-point4 ,why not add to the library
 such books as ,kingsley's ,glaucus1    
,burr's ,ecce ,coelum1 ,agnes           
,gibberne's ,sun1 ,moon1 and ,stars1    
,keyser's ,in ,bird-land8  ,i may seem  
to be suggesting books for the older    
scholars mainly4 ,let me here urge that 
equal care and thought be spent on the  
volumes for the little tots and the     
intermediates4 ,their books are not so  
interesting to the mature-minded        
committee1 and so they are more likely  
to be chosen at haphazard4  ,this is    
especially true of the books for the    
primary department4 ,two or three pounds
 of their diminutive volumes are        
shoveled up in a mass1 read by title1   
and tucked in at the end of the list4   
,this carelessness is especially        
injurious1 because it is at their age   
that the reading habit is formed1 and it
 is of the utmost importance that the   
tiniest books in the library shall be   

bright1 helpful1 and of real literary   
value4 ,to discover these will prove one
 of the most difficult tasks of the     
conscientious committee4  ,do not give  
up the old favorites4 ,when ,susan      
,coolidge's ,katy ,did series wears out1
 give the old books away to some poorer 
school and get a fresh set of the same4 
,remember that new scholars are all the 
time entering1 and that there is no     
recommendation for a book so effective  
as the young people's own testimony1 ,i 
have read it1 and ,i know you will like 
it4  ,have an eye to the paper and type 
and binding4 ,many books intended for   
,sunday-school libraries are printed on 
stiff1 pulpy paper1 that refuses to     
remain open at any place without        
cracking the back1 and use a cramped and
 formal typography more suitable to a   
funeral sermon than to a book intended  
to attract young folks4  ,if your funds 
allow1 it is an admirable plan to obtain
 more than one copy of certain books    
especially likely to be needed by       

several classes at once1 such as books  
on ,christian evidences1 on the ,bible1 
and on the themes of the current        
lessons4  ,it is one thing to gather a  
library1 and quite another to get it    
used1 and well used4 ,the first point is
 to introduce it to the teachers4 ,they 
must consider these teachers in #hvo to 
be their assistants1 and must be        
thoroughly acquainted with them4 ,every 
teacher should read every book in the   
library that is within the range of his 
scholars' comprehension4 ,how otherwise 
can he guide their reading8 ,of course  
the most hasty perusal will be          
sufficient1 provided it shows the       
teacher the heart of the book4 ,a       
teacher should learn the useful art of  
rapid reading4  ,let the teacher1 as    
part of his preview of the quarter's    
lessons1 make out a list of library     
books that teach the principal truths of
 the quarter ahead of him1 and give this
 list to each scholar with the first    
lesson4 ,a few minutes of each teachers'

 meeting might well be spent in giving  
suggestions regarding the use of the    
library to illustrate the next lesson4  
,let the teacher often refer to these   
books in the course of his teaching1    
learn what appropriate books each       
scholar has been reading1 and get him to
 give the class some account of them4   
,often it will be well for the teacher  
to ask some scholar to read a certain   
story or biography or poem during the   
week1 and be ready to tell about it for 
an illustration of next ,sunday's       
truths4  ,if you have no teachers'      
meeting1 once in a while the librarian  
may mention at the prayer-meeting some  
library book of timely helpfulness1 or  
the pastor might even speak of it from  
the pulpit4  ,it is far better to buy   
the books a few at a time4 ,in some     
schools a new book is added to the      
library every ,sunday of the fifty-two4 
,the chairman of the library committee  
comes forward with the book in his hand1
 and describes it in a few bright1 brisk

 sentences4 ,its title and number are   
plainly written on the blackboard in    
front of the school4 ,the choice is     
varied1--now a book for the youngest1   
next week one for the older scholars4   
,some libraries have a special case for 
the new books1 where every one can      
readily find them and examine them4     
,indeed1 the scholars are far more      
easily introduced to all the books1 new 
and old1 if they have free access to the
 shelves and can handle the books       
themselves1 thus coming to know each as 
an old friend4 ,by the way1 ,i do not   
believe in covering the books4 ,covered 
books have no individuality4  ,happy the
 school that has a good-sized room for  
its library4 ,some even get it by       
placing the books in a house next door  
to the church4  ,i have known schools to
 get acquainted with their books by     
coming together for a library evening1  
in which the wealth of the library was  
disclosed by various speakers1 each     
trying to interest the school in one    

book1 or class of books4  ,after all1   
the library catalogue may be the best   
agent of introduction4 ,every library   
should have one1 though it is only a    
home-made affair1 manufactured on a     
typewriter or a hectograph4 ,every book 
should be briefly described1 so that the
 scholars may know1 for instance1 the   
scene and purpose of each story1 the    
kind of man described in each biography1
 and whether it is a book for old1      
young1 or primary scholars4 ,some       
librarians mark one catalogue for each  
class1 indicating the books especially  
pleasing to scholars of the average age 
of the class1 so that the teacher may   
guide their selection4 ,others divide   
the catalogue into sections1 each       
containing the books appropriate to one 
division of the school4  ,not only      
should a teacher know what his scholars 
are reading1 but he should find out how 
they read4 ,he should try to teach them 
the art of reading4 ,the demoralizing   
habit of reading merely for the moment's

 pleasurable excitement and the next    
moment's forgetting may be formed as    
easily with ,sunday-school stories as   
with newspapers4  ,some librarians1 to  
this end1 place in each book a slip of  
paper1 and the scholar is expected to   
write upon this at least one thing he   
has learned from the book1 telling at   
the same time how he likes it4  ,if the 
scholars1 as will likely happen1 are    
reading little but stories1 the         
librarian himself can do much to promote
 more solid reading by reporting every  
month to the school the number of       
stories read1 the number of biographies1
 etc4 ,this report may be made by       
classes1 and teachers and scholars      
should be urged to make a better record 
next month4  ,let me close this chapter 
with a few points regarding library     
management4  ,it is poor economy of     
labor to change the librarian           
frequently1 so much of his usefulness   
depends on his familiarity with the     
books1 and that familiarity requires    

time to gain4 ,if you can find a        
librarian that does not especially need 
the benefit of the ,bible study1 one    
that loves and understands children1    
keep him in office as long as may be4   
,but be sure to give him an assistant to
 aid the children in their selections1  
or record the books while the librarian 
is consulting with the children2 also to
 take the librarian's place when he is  
sick or absent1 or possibly to take     
turns with him in presiding over the    
library1 so that each may recite the    
lesson half the time4  ,the books will  
be gathered up on the entrance of the   
scholars4 ,a table or a basket or an    
usher may be placed at the door for this
 purpose4 ,if the scholars cannot be    
given access to the books and select    
them themselves1 the librarians will    
pass quietly around among the classes1  
leaving the new books at each table2 but
 these books are never to be given to   
the scholars until just before they     
leave4  ,the most effective record1 yet 

a very simple one1 may be made by any   
librarian4 ,give to each scholar a card 
bearing his name and his number4 ,on    
this he writes a list of about ten      
numbers of the books he prefers4 ,as the
 librarian places his card in one of    
these new books1 that number is         
scratched off and the date written      
opposite4 ,at the same time the         
librarian writes the scholar's number   
and the date in his library catalogue   
after the number of the book taken out1 
and upon a list of the scholars' numbers
 writes the number of the book after the
 number of the scholar4 ,when the book  
is returned lines are drawn through     
these records4 ,thus at any time the    
librarian can see what books are out1   
who has them1 how long they have had    
them1 what books each scholar has read1 
and how often each book has been taken  
out4  ,as the ,sunday-school library    
should teach punctuality1 among other   
good things1 the librarian should       
strictly require every book to be       

brought back at the end of the week or  
fortnight1 no matter who the scholar may
 be1 or whether the book is in much or  
little demand4 ,it may not be best to   
establish any system of fines1 but a    
postal-card notice should be sent in    
aggravated cases1 and sometimes the     
teacher should be asked to look up the  
book4 ,it will spur the scholars to     
promptness if they know that each       
instance of tardiness is recorded       
against their names on the library's    
records4  ,the proper care of books is  
another good thing the library should   
teach4 ,any marked blemish in a book    
should be noted when it is sent out2 and
 when a book is injured by a scholar1   
the librarian should always speak to him
 about it1 or get the teacher to do this
 if the child is a stranger to him4 ,a  
plainly printed slip urging careful     
handling1 forbidding dog's ears1 and the
 like1 may well be pasted in each book4 
,it is sometimes possible and           
advantageous to open the library at some

 time during the week1 especially on    
prayer-meeting evenings1 when the older 
folks can select their books1 or1 for   
the benefit of the children1 on ,friday 
afternoons after school4  ,some classes 
will like to have little libraries of   
their own1 containing ,bibles for each  
scholar1 ,bible atlas1 a ,revised       
,bible1 a ,bible dictionary1 a          
concordance1 etc4 ,always it is well to 
arrange for the entire school a special 
reference library1 the contents of which
 will largely change from quarter to    
quarter4 ,in it will be placed the      
general ,bible helps and whatever books 
are of special interest for the         
quarter's lessons4 ,the scholars may be 
sent to these reference shelves during  
the lesson hour4 ,at least one school   
has a special case1 always open1 for    
books of this nature1 and places the    
case in the front of its main           
schoolroom4  ,on the whole1 it will be  
seen that this chapter is a plea for a  
,sunday-school library that is a        

corporate part of the ,sunday-school    
teaching1 that will help the teacher on 
,sunday1 and carry his teaching through 
the week4 ,such a library virtually adds
 scores of the wisest men and women to  
the teaching force of the school1 and   
multiplies by many hours the pitiful    
thirty minutes given to the lesson4     
,chapter ,,xli  ,around the ,council    
,fire   ,our conventions are the grand  
council fires in the war the            
,sunday-school is waging against the    
forces of evil4 ,the flame of the ,holy 
,spirit should blaze in their midst4    
,with military directness they should go
 straight to the immediate needs1 find  
out what they are1 plan the campaign4   
,orderly and in turn1 all should have a 
part in them1 not only the speakers1 but
 the audience1 one school and every     
school4 ,with hearts uplifted1 with zeal
 on fire1 every teacher should leave the
 gathering bent on more valiant service4
  ,only a well-planned convention can   
effect this1--a convention long thought 

over and prayed over1 not merely by one 
man1 but by many4 ,these meetings not   
seldom remind one of a house of which   
the owner takes possession prematurely4 
,over yonder the scaffolding is still   
up1 here they are just removing it1 the 
sound of the hammer and the saw is      
everywhere1 and the smell of wet plaster
 is in the air4 ,thus in many           
conventions4 ,here and there the        
president bustles around1 over the      
platform1 through the audience4 ,the    
local committee of arrangements are like
 bees before swarming4 ,we begin late   
and with apologies2 so we continue4     
,the model convention1 however1 began at
 least as far back as the preceding     
convention4 ,at that gathering          
suggestions for the next meeting were   
called for and obtained4 ,during the    
following weeks the president visited or
 corresponded with every school in the  
district1 trying to discover its        
excellences and lacks1 that the         
convention might exhibit the one and    

supply the other4 ,indeed1 at the very  
opening of the preceding convention the 
new officers1 if any1 were elected1 that
 during the sessions they might have    
ears open and brains and tongues active1
 gathering hints for the profitable     
meeting they were to plan4 ,therefore it
 was early known precisely what the     
coming convention was to teach1 and that
 convention1 instead of bumping along   
,haphazard ,lane1 rolls smoothly over   
,purpose ,avenue4  ,two methods will    
promote this preparedness of the        
audience1 without which the             
best-prepared programme largely fails3  
there should be a convention press      
committee1 whose pleasant task it is to 
pack the papers with appetizing details 
of the coming meetings2 and every school
 should be supplied1 at least two weeks 
beforehand1 with a large number of the  
printed programmes4 ,if these are       
attractively got up1 if the topics meet 
genuine needs and are expressed         
brightly1 suggestively1 and not as ,dr4 

,dryasdust would formulate them1 and if 
the various superintendents and pastors 
advertise the convention wisely1 the    
audience that will come together will be
 ready for its work4  ,so large a part  
of most ,sunday-school convention       
audiences comes from the immediate      
locality that especial effort should be 
made to interest beforehand the church  
and the town in which the meetings are  
held2 and this not merely for the sake  
of the convention1 but for the          
quickening of ,sunday-school interests  
throughout the community4 ,but if only a
 few persons are gathered1 do not make  
the mistake of losing them in a large   
room1 with scores of empty pews into    
which their zeal can creep away and hide
 itself4 ,the same coals that grow black
 in all outdoors will make a little     
stove red-hot4  ,no small part of the   
preparation that is to make a success of
 your convention is the careful and     
enterprising selection of speakers4 ,the
 best policy is to choose none from     

policy4 ,select the men that can inspire
 and instruct1 though you must crowd out
 some pastor of a big church or some man
 with a big name4 ,from the teachers    
themselves call out suggestions as to   
speakers as well as to topics4 ,search  
through your district for original      
workers1 inventors1 plummet men1 women  
that win the hearts of the children1 and
 get them to tell the convention how    
they do it4 ,by all means call in the   
successful ,christian teacher in the    
secular schools4 ,if possible1 import a 
skilled worker from outside your        
district4 ,fresh air will come in with  
him1 the sense of a wider outlook4      
,only1 he must not be an opinionated    
egotist1 one of those ex-cathedra men1  
but a warm-hearted brother in the ,lord2
 and it is far better to use him in     
several short speeches scattered over   
the programme than in one long address4 
,the wise choice of topics is quite as  
important as a wise choice of men to    
treat them4 ,let all programme-makers   

remember what the convention is to do3  
not to show off leaders1 or to raise    
money1 or to get acquainted1 or to have 
a good time1 but to learn more about    
teaching and managing ,sunday-schools4  
,three aims must be set before every    
,sunday-school convention3 to arouse new
 love for the ,bible1 to arouse new love
 for souls1 to arouse new zeal for      
bringing these two together4 ,every     
convention1 then1 should divide its time
 among three classes of topics3 the     
,bible1 the children1 the teaching4  #a4
 ,the ,bible4 ,such themes as these are 
suggested3 ,how the ,bible differs from 
all other books4 ,recent ,bible         
discoveries4 ,my way of studying the    
,bible4 ,bible-marking4 ,how to study   
,exodus4 ,the use of a 'teacher's       
,bible4' ,interleaved ,bibles1--why and 
how4 ,the value of the ,victoria        
revision4 ,the study of the ,bible as   
literature4 ,what is the best           
commentary8 ,reading the ,bible in      
course1--how to make it most profitable4

 ,the ,septuagint and its importance4   
,how the ,bible came down to the        
printing-press4 ,the story of our       
,english ,bible4  #b4 ,the ,children4   
,imagination in children4 ,reasoning    
processes that a child will not         
appreciate4 ,why children love stories4 
,important differences between the      
child's mind and ours4 ,put yourself in 
his place4 ,a child's confidence3 how   
lost2 how won4 ,prigs3 how not to make  
them4 ,the self-conscious child and how 
to treat him4 ,lessons from the         
playground4 ,kindergarten principles of 
value in the ,sunday-school4  #c4 ,the  
,two ,brought ,together4 ,what is a good
 question8 ,how to get the class to ask 
questions4 ,a class that keeps its own  
order4 ,getting young people in love    
with the ,bible4 ,the teacher's voice4  
,their own ,bibles4 ,the quarterly left 
at home4 ,how to make the ,bible real to
 the children4 ,some tests our teaching 
should stand4  ,this outline does not   
omit the school management1 and         

occasional discussion of the work of    
superintendents and other officers will 
belong under the last head2 but the     
teachers are so many compared with the  
officers that their work should be      
treated the more generously4 ,i think   
most convention programmes deal far too 
much with the machinery of the work1 any
 way4  ,the best mode of helping the    
officers is by an officers' conference2 
and if the convention holds but two     
sessions1 ,i would urge that one of them
 be broken up into conferences4 ,in one 
room the primary workers may meet2 in   
another1 the superintendents and their  
assistants2 in others1 the librarians1  
the secretaries1 the choristers1 the    
teachers of intermediate classes1 the   
teachers of adult classes1 the heads of 
home departments1 the pastors4          
,programmes for these conferences should
 be arranged with as much care as for   
the main convention1 and nothing should 
be done at random4 ,it is a good plan1  
at the opening of these little          

simultaneous gatherings1 to appoint one 
member of each to take notes of the best
 things and report them succinctly to   
the entire body when it reassembles4    
,there are three classes of topics that 
,i especially delight to see on a       
convention programme4 ,first1 the       
fundamentals4 ,we must not forget the   
host of new workers constantly coming   
into our ranks4 ,how to ask a question  
is an old1 old theme2 but there are     
enough new teachers to keep it forever  
fresh and pertinent4 ,second1 new       
methods1 exploited by authorities1 by   
practical workers4 ,third1 what ,i call 
encouragements1 topics that inspire1    
cheer1 comfort1 victories gained1       
rewards in sight4 ,hallelujah themes4   
,to these ,i must add a fourth3 work for
 the audience4 ,i would give the        
listeners a chance to talk back about   
once every hour1 and something to do1   
besides listening1 every half-hour4     
,question-boxes on practical topics are 
incomparable interest-quickeners4 ,an   

answer-box is a reversed question-box4  
,it contains written answers by the     
teachers1 two or three questions of wide
 scope and great importance being       
propounded on the programme2 such       
questions as3 ,what do you do with pert 
children8 ,how do you get your scholars 
to study their lessons8 ,a wise leader1 
with the grace of conciseness1 is       
required for both these exercises4      
,yes1 and he is needed for the open     
parliaments1 or conversational          
discussions of helpful topics by brisk  
dialogue between audience and platform4 
,these may be made merely parade-grounds
 for smart leaders1 or genuine          
experience meetings1 true council fires4
 ,it is wise to send a special          
invitation to your best teachers1 asking
 them to be prepared with suggestions or
 questions for the open parliament1 that
 it may start off with momentum already 
obtained4 ,a summarist1 too1 is a good  
appointment2 he listens quietly to the  
open parliament1 and at the close       

gathers up1 in a few sentences that     
stick1 whatever is best worth preserving
 out of the discussion4  ,the open      
parliament most commonly held consists  
merely of dry and formal reports from   
each school1 the roll being called4 ,if 
such an exercise is held1 place in      
charge of it a man thoroughly familiar  
with the schools1 and able by brisk     
questioning to elicit a report that will
 picture the one school and stimulate   
the others4  ,a good presiding officer  
is half a convention4 ,his first duty is
 to have a distinct understanding with  
each speaker that he is not to trespass 
on the next man's time1 and his second  
duty is to cry ,stop1 thief6 if the     
speakers do so trespass4 ,the convention
 management should be a model for the   
,sunday-schools in every way1 and in    
none more imperatively than in this of  
promptness4  ,but also as to order4 ,oh1
 the weak-kneed or the purblind         
presidents1 that allow the talking1     
whispering1 walking about of a few to   

filch from the many half the value of   
the meetings6 ,stop the speaker4 ,call a
 halt on the entire convention4 ,don't  
proceed another step till quiet is      
restored1 and maintained4 ,be a platform
 czar1 and your audience will be your   
happy serfs4  ,then1 the president is   
master of ceremonies4 ,so much in       
acquaintanceships depends on tactful    
introductions6 ,he should deliver to    
each successive speaker an audience that
 is in a glow of anticipation1 and when 
the speaker is done1--yes1 and all      
through1--his own cordial hands should  
lead the hearty applause1 and he should 
take time for an appreciative word      
before passing to the next topic4  ,if  
the presiding officer is to do all this1
 he must plan beforehand almost every   
sentence he will use in introducing     
speakers or opening the discussions4 ,he
 is to be suggestive2 he is to set      
brains a-throbbing with eagerness and   
tongues aching with things to say2 and  
he is to do it all in twenty words4     

,brevity1 good humor1                   
suggestiveness1--these1 in this order1  
are the chairman's prime virtues4  ,at  
the opening of every convention the     
key-note of formality1 routine1 and     
perfunctoriness is struck in the address
 of welcome and the response4 ,their    
every word could safely be predicted in 
advance4 ,the world is waiting for a    
programme committee that will be        
courageous enough to leave them out4 ,if
 the pastor of the entertaining church  
has helpful ideas on ,sunday-school     
work1 by all means place him on the     
programme somewhere2 but don't make a   
rut of him4  ,at the very outset strike 
the key of prayer4 ,insert here and     
there throughout the programme a quiet  
ten minutes with the great ,teacher4 ,by
 all means close with a devotional      
half-hour--not a hasty prayer punctuated
 with the snapping of watches4 ,sentence
 prayers by scores1 prayer psalms softly
 repeated1 prayer hymns read with bowed 
heads1--the convention should furnish an

 inspiration and model for the devotions
 of all the schools represented4        
,scarcely less important is the element 
of song4 ,unconsciously to themselves1  
the audience should become a normal     
training-class1 learning how to conduct 
the singing of their schools in fresh   
and uplifting ways4 ,many1 if not all of
 the methods mentioned in my chapter on 
this theme find fit application to the  
convention4  ,the social features       
deserve careful attention4 ,set the     
teachers to talking together2           
conversation was ,socrates' university4 
,one of the most helpful events may be a
 light supper given by the entertaining 
church4 ,a small fee is charged1 all sit
 down together1 and at the close a      
series of happy speeches will bring out 
flashes of wit and bushels of sense4    
,the business should be kept under4     
,introduce it a little at a time1 rather
 than spend a fatiguing hour and a half4
 ,make no parade of money-raising4      
,giving should be done quietly4 ,teach  

your teachers the grace of envelopes4   
,reduce all business to a minimum1      
remembering that the convention comes   
together not for legislation1 but for   
inspiration4  ,the ,sunday-school       
convention is not only a conference1 but
 an exposition4 ,here should be gathered
 whatever new teaching apparatus any    
school has bought3 wall-maps1 sand-maps1
 relief-maps1 material for              
object-lessons1 portable blackboards1   
colored pictures illustrating the       
lessons1 specimens of class tests1      
library catalogues1 new kinds of        
class-books1 collection-envelopes1      
singing-books1 new editions of the      
,bible1 lesson helps of all kinds1--it  
is clear how varied and valuable a      
collection may easily be brought        
together when once the teachers and     
officers understand what is wanted4     
,the library of the entertaining school 
should be open for visiting librarians  
to examine books and methods4 ,the best 
new books might be brought in from all  

the libraries of the district1 and if   
each school sent only one or two1 the   
entire exhibit would furnish many a     
suggestion to wide-awake library        
committees4  ,one of the most important 
exhibits is a ,sunday-school map of the 
district1 indicating where schools are  
in existence1 and also where schools    
might and should be placed4  ,there is  
one kind of exhibit that should rarely  
be made1 if ever3 an exhibit of the     
children themselves1 either to speak    
pieces or to play ,sunday-school and be 
taught4 ,the latter use of them has     
advantages1 but1 to my mind1 the gain to
 the audience is nothing compared to the
 children's increase of                 
self-consciousness4 ,i hide my head     
whenever ,i think of such a mock        
recitation in which ,i figured when a   
little boy1 and remember how proud ,i   
was of my pert forwardness in answering 
all of the questions2 before all those  
people1 too6  ,in closing1 let us ask   
how the convention results may be       

gathered up1 preserved1 and sown        
broadcast4 ,a notebook should be in the 
hand of each attendant1--either given   
away or sold4 ,the speakers should so   
mark their points and emphasize the     
subdivisions of their addresses that the
 thoughts can readily be grasped and    
retained4 ,a printed syllabus is a great
 assistance to this end1 and if the     
printing-press is too costly1 a         
manifolder may be used4 ,blank pages    
should be left in the programme1 to     
invite to note-taking4  ,and then1 the  
new plans all jotted down1 the          
felicitous expressions written out      
verbatim1 the facts and figures clearly 
noted1 let the convention be widely     
reported4 ,not merely should the        
convention press committee1 that        
heralded the gathering through the      
papers1 continue their labors long      
enough to render their previous work    
most fruitful1 but every teacher present
 should carry the convention's best to  
his teachers' meeting and his class2    

yes1 and to the church prayer-meeting4  
,thus will the ardor of the council fire
 spread throughout the army4            
,chapter ,,xlii  ,the ,incorporation of 
,ideas   ,certain arts1 such as         
sculpture1 painting1 and architecture1  
have been named the fine arts by some   
man who had not learned to look inward1 
and see what an infinitely finer art is 
any that attempts to fashion the human  
soul4 ,the pastor's and the teacher's   
arts1 which are in essence one1 though  
the tyranny of language forbids calling 
them the fine arts1 may be given even a 
nobler title2 they are the high arts4   
,we would sit down with bated breath and
 tense-drawn nerves to take to pieces   
for the first time the delicate         
machinery of a watch for cleaning and   
readjustment4 ,if a sovereign diamond   
were placed in our hands for faceting1  
we would study for days its cleavage    
plane1 its natural angles1 and its      
matrix1 and press it to the revolving   
wheel at last with timidity and         

shrinking4 ,but when the most           
marvelously delicate1 impressionable1   
yet abiding thing in the world is placed
 in our hands1 together with the        
mightiest yet finest tools1 and under   
conditions constantly varying1 and we   
are told to fashion a human soul into   
truth and nobility1 we sit down with    
confident smiles1 and whack away4  ,it  
is impossible for a ,sunday-school      
teacher to magnify his office4 ,he needs
 a spiritual telescope1 rather1 to see  
above it and below it and on all sides  
of it4 ,we ,sunday-school teachers      
constitute an unordained ministry1 whose
 functions are as sacred as those of the
 pulpit1 though less inclusive4 ,if we  
are faithful1 conversions will be as    
frequent results of our lesson questions
 as of the pastor's sermons4 ,god hath  
set some in the church1 first apostles1 
secondly prophets1 thirdly teachers4    
,let us desire earnestly the greater    
gifts2 but if ,god calls us to be       
neither missionary nor pastor1 but      

,sunday-school teacher1 even that       
calling is too high for us fully to     
attain4  ,it is an anomaly to which the 
,christian world is just awaking that   
workers permit themselves to enter on   
this sacred art with no apprenticeship4 
,indeed1 if such untrained workers were 
not admitted1 there would soon be no    
,sunday-schools in the world to admit   
them4 ,long as the seminaries for       
ministerial preparation have existed1 it
 is only recently that training-schools 
for lay workers have been formed4 ,may  
they grow and multiply6  ,but until     
enlarged ,christian activity places one 
of these blessed institutions within    
reach of each consecrated layman1 we    
must do the best we can with other means
 of growth4 ,we must organize regular   
,sunday-school conventions and teach one
 another there4 ,we must build one      
another up in enthusiastic teachers'    
meetings4 ,we must use the best lesson  
helps4 ,we must read greedily every book
 and every article that promises to give

 us new ideas and methods and           
inspiration4  ,now some object to all   
this4 ,you are needlessly discouraging  
us1 they say4 ,you are making a very    
simple matter appear complicated2 an    
easy one seem difficult4 ,christ's yoke 
is easy2 ,christ's gospel is plain2 he  
will give us in that ,sunday-school hour
 what we are to say4 ,your minute       
directions as to methods of study1 as to
 concordance and commentary and maps1   
are flying in the face of ,providence4  
,the ,spirit bloweth where he listeth4  
,the answer to all this is simple1 and  
consists mainly in an appeal to         
experience4 ,simple and plain as        
,christ's message is1 human lives are   
very complicated1 and it is no simple   
matter or easy task to lay the          
,saviour's simple healing alongside     
their varied ills4 ,christ's burden is  
light2 if it were heavier it would be   
easier to get paradoxical humanity to   
accept it4 ,christ will instruct us what
 to say1 provided we have so trained our

 heart and brain that his words will not
 fall as senseless babble from our      
tongues4 ,the ,spirit does breathe where
 he listeth1 but the experience of these
 centuries ought to teach us that ,god  
is never present in power where work and
 prayer have not invited him4           
,haphazard work is not equal to         
thoughtful work4 ,minute directions that
 would be wasted on a barn-painter are a
 necessity of the artist4 ,impromptu    
never yet won a race with ,preparation4 
,and ,i know that many a teacher is     
mourning over his empty hands who might 
be rejoicing over great sheaves if his  
sowing had been more liberal and his    
teaching more painstaking4  ,and yet ,i 
sympathize with the weary discouragement
 of which all teachers feel a twinge    
when high ideals of teaching are held   
out before them4 ,we are sure we are    
doing our best1 already4 ,it annoys us  
to be shown a better best4 ,our work is 
hard enough4 ,it troubles us to be told 
that we must work harder before it can  

ever become easy4 ,and especially1 we   
are so confused by the multiplicity of  
good things we may do1 of improvements  
we may make1 that we do and make none of
 them4  ,now the secret of success in   
all arts lies in this3 the              
,incorporation of ,ideas4 ,the reception
 of ideas1 the appreciation and praise  
of them1 this is nothing1 though many   
are satisfied to stop here2 but the     
incorporation1 the embodiment of them1  
this makes the artist4 ,the artist is   
the man that is hungry for ideas1--for  
the ideal1 that is2 the man that1 like  
,paul1 proves them all by the tests of  
thought and experience1 and then holds  
fast whatever is good1 until it has     
become part of himself1 until it is     
incorporated4  ,the artist is a man1    
too1 that above all men knows the       
importance of trifles4 ,the contour must
 be molded to nature precisely1 the     
statue finished to the finger-nail1 the 
machine accurate in every line and      
surface4 ,he will not try to attain the 

ideal at a bound2 it is made up1 he     
knows1 of many ideas4 ,he grasps one    
idea1 and fixes that forever4 ,then1 he 
has power for another4  ,one point at a 
time1 then1 fellow-laborers in this     
blessed work2 one idea from an eager    
throng appealing to you in books1       
lectures1 or papers1 proved and found   
good1 and then held fast by prayerful   
practice1 by never-yielding effort1     
until it is added to the company of your
 unconscious forces4 ,and then1 in this 
power1 to add another to it6 ,thus alone
 can we win1 from ,christ's university1 
the highest of all degrees1 ,masters of 
his ,art6     ,chapter ,,xliii  ,from a 
,superintendent's ,notebook   ,an       
egotist is foredoomed to failure in the 
,sunday-school4 ,the worker that hopes  
for success must cast to the winds any  
foolish pride in originality1 and seek  
far and wide for the wisest ideas and   
the freshest methods4 ,a superintendent 
or a teacher without a notebook is only 
half a superintendent or teacher4 ,its  

pages should rapidly grow rich with     
plunder4 ,the little white friend must  
be at hand when he attends conventions1 
when he reads1 when he talks with other 
workers1 when he thinks and prays over  
his sacred tasks4  ,the two chapters    
that follow are merely specimen pages of
 such notebooks4 ,while ,i have utilized
 them to gather up various plans and    
experiences that could not fittingly    
find place elsewhere in the book1 their 
chief purpose is to illustrate the      
wide-awake catholicity that must animate
 every successful worker in             
,sunday-schools4  ,it is right to       
say--though this is a matter of         
course--that a large majority of these  
paragraphs are condensed from that great
 storehouse of ,sunday-school lore1 the 
,sunday-school ,times4         99       
99       99       99       99  ,their   
,own ,review4--,scholars are likely to  
answer with special zest the questions  
prepared by other scholars4 ,one school 
asks its classes in turn to furnish     

three questions on each lesson1 which   
are proposed to the entire school at the
 close of the lesson hour4 ,from these  
questions are selected a number for the 
quarterly review4 ,they are manifolded1 
and written answers are expected from   
all present4  ,out of ,order4--,an      
excellent review scheme was arranged by 
a superintendent who gave his school a  
list of twenty-six events in the life of
 ,christ1 all jumbled up1 and asked them
 to come next ,sunday prepared to       
arrange them in chronological order4  ,a
 ,school ,review4--,for reviewing the   
lesson before the entire school1 select 
one class a week beforehand and give it 
ten or twelve comprehensive questions1  
from the quarterly or original4 ,at the 
close of the lesson ask this class to   
rise and answer the questions as another
 class1 also rising1 asks them4 ,let all
 the classes take turns in this service4
  ,school ,reviews4--,for a change1 it  
is well to incorporate the entire school
 in a general review1--omitting1 of     

course1 the younger classes4 ,one person
 may conduct the review1 or the         
questions on each lesson may be asked by
 a different teacher4 ,different classes
 may be assigned special lessons to     
illustrate by the concert repetition of 
,bible verses1 or by a stanza of some   
song4 ,one lesson of the quarter may be 
assigned to each class1 and the         
questions that will be asked may be     
given to that class a week or two       
beforehand4 ,in this case1 general      
questions for the entire school should  
occasionally be interspersed4  ,a       
,teachers' ,supper4--,once a year1 at   
least1 bring together all the teachers  
and officers around a well-filled table4
 ,after-dinner speeches1 cheery and     
merry1 may follow1 and then a pleasant  
evening's entertainment4  ,the ,annual  
,meeting4--,make this an event4 ,a      
supper with bright speeches1 the        
business meeting to follow2 a brisk     
literary and musical entertainment2 an  
introductory talk by some practical     

worker from abroad1--these are some of  
the ways of distinguishing the occasion4
  ,badges4--,any ,sunday-school festival
 will be given eclat by the use of      
badges4 ,the children will be proud to  
wear them1 and will treasure them as    
souvenirs4 ,they may be made almost     
without cost if you will use            
bright-colored cambric1 and print upon  
them with a hand-stamp4  ,a             
,sunday-,school ,day4--,if not once a   
year1 at least once every few years1 it 
is well worth while to make the         
,sunday-school the theme of all the     
exercises on the ,lord's day1--both     
morning and evening services1 and the   
,christian ,endeavor meeting4 ,the      
subject has so many practical aspects   
that much good will be done in addition 
to the quickening of the ,sunday-school4
  ,the ,home ,department4--,simply a    
promise to study the lesson at home for 
half an hour each week--that is the     
scheme of the home department4 ,you may 
add visitors1 records1 reports1 ad      

libitum1 but the home department may be 
complete and satisfactory without these4
 ,the plan is so simple that any school 
can use it1 and so fruitful of blessed  
results that no school dare neglect it4 
,a thorough canvass for members of the  
home department seldom fails to bring   
new members into the main school at     
once1 and as the home study arouses     
interest1 new scholars are continually  
added from this source1 besides the     
scores of aged and shut-ins whose lives 
are thus led into the green pastures of 
the ,word4  ,home ,department ,day4--,on
 this occasion a special effort is made 
to bring to the ,sunday-school the      
entire home department4 ,they sit       
together1 and special services are held 
in their honor and for their benefit4   
,parents' ,day4--,make a special effort 
once a year to bring out all the parents
 of the scholars4 ,issue special printed
 invitations4 ,have a printed programme4
 ,let the exercises be the regular      
working of the school1 with merely one  

short address to the parents in         
addition4  ,a ,parents'                 
,social4--,parents and teacher should   
know one another1 and there is no more  
gracious way to bring this about than by
 an evening spent together at the       
teacher's house4  ,purpose ,cards4--,to 
stimulate the school in needed ways1    
have a purpose card printed4 ,it will   
read1 in tabular form1 ,i will endeavor 
to attend more faithfully1 to prepare my
 lesson better1 to get a new scholar1   
etc4 ,each member of the school signs   
his card1 marks with crosses the        
purposes he makes his own1 and returns  
the card to the superintendent4         
,installing the ,new ,officers4--,this  
should be done with some ceremony1      
including a very short address by the   
pastor1 another by the outgoing         
superintendent or prominent officer1    
another by a representative of the      
incoming group1 and an earnest          
prayer1--all to occupy no more than ten 
minutes4 ,the scholars will have more   

respect for leaders thus honored1 and   
the officers themselves will be more    
likely to magnify their office4  ,the   
,old ,superintendent4--,some schools    
elevate the assistant superintendent    
regularly to the superintendency4 ,other
 schools adopt the opposite course1 and 
make the superintendent of one year the 
assistant superintendent of the next4   
,either plan secures continuity of      
method4  ,a ,true ,assistant4--,the     
assistant superintendent should be      
prepared to do1 in the superintendent's 
absence1 everything the superintendent  
ordinarily does4 ,how can he be prepared
 to do this unless the superintendent   
regularly shares all kinds of work with 
his assistant8  ,help from the ,public  
,school4--,in most communities a very   
inspiring series of lectures might be   
obtained from ,christian teachers in the
 secular schools and colleges1 the      
purpose of each lecture being to show   
how1 according to the best pedagogical  
methods1 a certain lesson might be      

taught1 or ,sunday-school teaching in   
general be carried on4  ,flowers at     
,home4--,you will delight your school1  
and teach them many lessons1 if you give
 each scholar--or get the teachers to do
 this--a bulb1 a package of seeds1 or a 
small potted plant like a rose4 ,hold an
 exhibition to show the results1 and    
then have the flowers given to the sick1
 the hospitals1 the poor1 or sold for   
missions4  ,easter ,lilies4--,a few     
cents invested in lily bulbs will make a
 beautiful ,easter for your school4     
,give one to each scholar for him to    
raise1 or1 possibly1 one to each class4 
,the flowers1 after ,easter ,sunday1 are
 to be sent to the aged1 the sick1 and  
the poor4  ,an ,easter ,gift4--,some    
,sunday-schools give each scholar1 on   
,easter day1 a little rosebush or a     
package of seeds1 that they may be      
tended and urged to bloom by ,children's
 ,day1 when they are all brought in4    
,vacation ,transfers4--,some schools1   
when their scholars leave for a         

vacation1 give them letters to schools  
where they will visit4 ,these are       
printed forms1 and include a detachable 
blank report1 which1 when filled out and
 returned1 will show the scholar's      
attendance on the other school during   
his absence4  ,planned                  
,prayer-,meetings4--,it will greatly    
promote the devotional character of your
 school if you take twenty minutes each 
month for a prayer-meeting4 ,select four
 or five to offer prayer1 and have them 
sit on the platform4 ,a brief1 tender   
talk from the superintendent and bright 
singing will complete a memorable       
meeting4  ,a ,carryall4--,i have heard  
of ,sunday-schools that maintained      
omnibuses or large carriages1 to gather 
up and carry to the school children     
whose homes were so far away that they  
could not otherwise attend4             
,neighborhood ,schools4--,distant groups
 of farmers' families1 and others that  
cannot reach the school1 should be      
organized in neighborhood               

,sunday-schools4  ,a ,new ,object ,each 
,month4--,the scholars' offerings should
 be an education not only in the        
instinct of giving1 but also in the     
intelligent choice of objects for       
giving4 ,every ,sunday-school should    
have a benevolence committee1 which     
carefully selects for each month a new  
object of beneficence4 ,on the last     
,sabbath of each month a word should be 
said about the object that appeals for  
the gifts of the next month4 ,this brief
 account should1 of course1 be          
supplemented by the teachers in their   
classes4  ,the ,envelope ,system4--,this
 plan of giving1 which has done so much 
for our churches1 should be used        
everywhere in the ,sunday-school4 ,give 
each class a number and each scholar a  
set of dated envelopes1 one for each    
,sunday1 bearing his class number4 ,call
 for a contribution from each scholar   
each ,sunday4 ,urge that all absent     
scholars send their contributions1 or   
bring them the next ,sunday4 ,from this 

systematic giving you may go on to      
proportionate giving by impressing on   
the scholars their duty to set apart for
 ,god some regular proportion1 say one  
tenth1 of all the money they receive4   
,if the school takes up monthly         
collections for special benevolent      
objects1 the envelopes for these        
,sundays may be of a different color4   
,if1 as should always be the case1 the  
expenses of the school are met by the   
church1 leaving the entire school       
collections to be devoted to missions   
and charitable causes1 the school       
committee on benevolences may select a  
different object of giving for each     
month4 ,this object should then be      
written on each envelope for that month4
  ,a ,jug-,breaking4--,one of the best  
ways of teaching children the value of  
little gifts and the importance of      
weekly savings for ,christ's cause is by
 the collection of money in jugs4 ,set  
before them at the start some object for
 their gifts1 that they may think and   

talk about it while they are saving2    
otherwise their minds are lifted no     
higher than their money4 ,and how they  
will enjoy the jug-breaking6            
,class-,books4--,not records of class   
attendance1 but books for the library1  
paid for by the various classes1        
selected by these so far as their choice
 seems wise1 and each of them bearing an
 inscription telling what class         
presented it to the school4 ,such gifts 
give the scholars a personal interest in
 the library they have helped to create4
  ,loan ,libraries4--,instead of giving 
away the books your school has          
thoroughly read1 loan them1 in groups of
 fifty or so1 to poorer schools4 ,they  
will return them in good condition1 and 
by that time there will be many new     
scholars in your own school to whom the 
books will be fresh4  ,exchange         
,libraries4--,there is no reason why    
neighboring schools1 if their library   
funds are low1 should not arrange to buy
 different books1 and then exchange them

 after the original purchasers have used
 them for a year4 ,all the schools in a 
town or township might well combine in  
an arrangement so economical4           
,receiving the ,new ,books4--,the       
library will be advertised if the       
reception of new books is made an event4
 ,they may be put in a public place1 all
 at one time1 and formally presented to 
the school by pastor or superintendent1 
with a word about each4 ,this may be    
done at ,christmas1 ,easter1 ,children's
 ,day1 ,thanksgiving1 at any one or all 
of these holiday seasons4  ,honor the   
,donors4--,a special and attractive     
label for books presented to the        
library1 with a space for the name of   
the person that makes the gift1 will    
greatly increase the number of books    
received in this way4  ,their ,own      
,paper4--,a large ,sunday-school may    
publish a little weekly or monthly      
paper1 the advertisements paying the    
bills4 ,the older scholars will be      
interested in doing the work4 ,the notes

 about the various classes1 the library1
 the contributions1 the school work1    
will all prove stimulating4             
,sunday-,school ,calendars4--,a good    
standing advertisement of the school in 
any home would be a neat calendar of the
 year1 bordered with facts about the    
school1 invitations1 pictures of church1
 pastor1 ,sunday-school officers1 and   
the like4  ,a ,bulletin ,board4--,a     
conspicuous bulletin board1 placed at   
the entrance1 will save giving out many 
a notice4  ,the ,notices4--,the wise    
superintendent will plan every word he  
is to say before the school1 even--yea1 
especially6--the giving of the notices4 
,these notices will be the fewest       
possible2 don't let the ,sunday-school  
be used as a bill-board4 ,announce only 
what you want the scholars to remember1 
and in such a bright way that they can't
 forget it4 ,and don't discredit your   
perspicuity and their attention by      
announcing it more than once4  ,protect 
the ,teacher4--,one of the most         

important of the superintendent's duties
 is to protect the teacher from         
interruption during the recitation hour4
 ,a similar duty is to see that the time
 for the recitation suffers no          
diminution through the tardiness or     
prolixity of himself or any one else4   
,substitute ,groups4--,the work of      
substituting may well be divided up4    
,ask a set of older scholars to be ready
 to substitute on the first ,sunday of  
each month1 another set on the second   
,sunday1 and so on4  ,the ,pastor as    
,substitute4--,certainly the pastor     
should not take a ,sunday-school class  
of his own4 ,that would be unfair to the
 rest of the school and the church4 ,but
 he would get into helpful contact with 
a large number of people1 young and old1
 if he should act every ,sunday as a    
substitute teacher1 now in this class   
and now in that4  ,a ,five-,minute      
,meeting4--,a few minutes of conference1
 immediately after the session of the   
school1 will be a great help and        

stimulus to the teachers4 ,one will ask 
help in a difficulty1 another will      
report a method just proved successful4 
,everything will come fresh and vital   
from living experience4  ,how ,many     
,absent8--,often let the secretary1 in  
his report to the school1 state only the
 number absent from each class and      
department4 ,he will thus change the    
emphasis1 and arouse a new and          
profitable interest4  ,a                
,roll-,call4--,it takes time1 but at    
long intervals a public roll-call of the
 entire school is worth while4 ,of      
course it should be well advertised     
beforehand1 and the entire membership   
will wish to be present4 ,then make the 
hour so delightful that they will not   
think of staying away thereafter4       
,honor ,rolls4--,hang a large sheet of  
paper in a conspicuous position1 and    
announce that you will print upon it the
 name of every one that brings in a new 
scholar4 ,a red paper star after the    
name signifies one new scholar1 a blue  

star a second scholar1 and so on4 ,a    
similar roll may be used to honor       
perfect attendance1 stars of different  
colors being used for the different     
quarters4  ,gold and ,silver            
,stars4--,there are well-based          
objections to any distinction of one    
class above another1 but a plan that    
will be found very valuable1 at least as
 a temporary stimulus1 is this3 ,honor  
with a large silver star every class    
that has all its members present1 and   
with a gold star each class that reports
 all its members bringing ,bibles1 and  
that all have studied the lesson at     
least twenty minutes4  ,an              
,asterisk4--,if by banners or in other  
ways you honor regular attendance1 there
 will be a tendency to drop absent      
scholars from the rolls too quickly1    
because they lower the standard of their
 classes4 ,an excellent way of getting  
around this difficulty is to star the   
name of every scholar that has been     
absent a month4 ,this asterisk means    

that the name is not to be counted in   
making up the report1 but the presence  
of the name on the list means that the  
scholar is not to be forgotten or       
neglected4  ,to ,console ,him4--,one    
bright superintendent scorns to give a  
reward or prize for new scholars1 but   
presents a nice leather-bound ,bible1 by
 way of compensation1 to each scholar   
that for any cause is luckless enough to
 leave his school6  ,a ,spur4--,enforce 
punctuality by a large placard hung in  
front of the school1 and reading1 ,you  
are early4 ,when the school opens the   
card is turned1 and now reads1 in       
staring letters1 ,you are late6  ,a     
,question ,drill4--,this is a good plan 
for teachers' meetings4 ,the teachers   
should ask questions on each verse1 turn
 about1 and the leader should criticise 
the questions4  ,teachers'-,meeting     
,roll-,call4--,to insure previous study 
of the lesson1 and to accustom the      
teachers to take part in the meeting1   
let the roll be called every week1 and  

require each teacher to respond with    
some thought concerning the lesson1     
usually a comment on some particular    
verse4  ,attendance on the ,teachers'   
,meeting4--,it will prove a helpful spur
 if this attendance is recorded         
regularly1 and incorporated in all the  
reports made by the secretary to the    
school4  ,union ,teachers'              
,meetings4--,if you cannot have a       
teachers' meeting for your              
,sunday-school alone1 because you have  
no good leader1 you can probably find a 
good leader in some neighboring church1 
and can give him and yourselves the     
stimulus of a large union gathering4    
,this plan has many advantages1 notably 
the opportunity for the comparison of   
methods4 ,it has one great disadvantage3
 the work cannot apply so particularly  
to your individual school4  ,a          
,reception ,class4--,new scholars may   
all be placed in a reception class1     
until their ability1 knowledge1 and     
character can be learned4  ,a ,visitors'

 ,register4--,this is for the names and 
home addresses of all visitors4 ,the    
little attention required to obtain     
these autographs pleases them and their 
friends1 and breaks the ice for further 
acquaintance4 ,the register should be   
kept open on some table in a central    
spot1 with pen and ink always at hand4  
,an ,address-,book4--,this should       
contain1 under proper and convenient    
classifications1 the addresses of all   
scholars1 teachers1 and officers1 past  
and present4 ,it should always be kept  
in the church1 and many will be the     
references to it4  ,a ,cradle           
,roll4--,this contains the names of the 
babies of the church1 for each of whom  
his mother is given a certificate of    
membership4 ,this roll is read once in a
 while before the primary class4        
,individual ,histories4--,at least one  
school has enough personal interest in  
its scholars to keep a history of each1 
in a book properly arranged for that    
purpose4 ,this history includes the date

 of the scholar's joining the school and
 of his promotion to the various higher 
departments thereof1 his birthday and   
the names of his parents1 their         
church-membership1 where the scholar    
lived when he joined the church1 whom he
 married and when1 his business1 the    
date of his removal and the city to     
which he went1 together with other and  
special facts4  ,district               
,reporters4--,appoint one scholar or    
teacher to watch each street in         
town1--preferably1 of course1 the street
 on which he resides1--and report       
promptly all newcomers1 that they may be
 invited to the ,sunday-school4  ,the   
,opening ,prayer4--,let the ushers admit
 no one till it is over4 ,do not begin1 
or permit any one else to begin this    
prayer1 till every head is bowed4 ,do   
not ask any one to offer this prayer    
without giving long notice2 no haphazard
 prayer will answer4  ,their ,own       
,bibles4--,a ,bible in the hands of     
every scholar1--this alone makes        

possible variety and zest in the opening
 of the school4  ,lesson                
,introductions4--,in small schools it   
has often been found profitable for the 
superintendent to spend ten or fifteen  
minutes teaching to the entire school   
7with the exception of the primary      
department7 the historical and similar  
details of the lesson4 ,the teachers    
then add the lesson truths1 teaching    
their individual classes4  ,varying     
,programmes4--,if the opening exercises 
of the school get into a rut1 it is hard
 for the teachers to lift the school out
 of it4 ,some wise superintendents plan 
these exercises for weeks ahead1 keeping
 careful record1 and thus avoid         
monotony4  ,an ,impressive ,close4--,one
 school closes its service with the     
,lord's ,prayer1 repeated by all as they
 stand4 ,then the school is seated1 and 
waits in silence while the ushers1      
walking slowly up the aisles1 dismiss   
each class in turn4  ,a ,closing        
,prayer4--,here is a beautiful prayer to

 be repeated in concert at the close of 
school3 ,may the light of thy ,word1 ,o 
,lord1 dwell in us richly1 and guide us 
day by day4 ,amen4  ,scripture in       
,closing4--,to incite to ,scripture     
memorizing1 close the school with ,bible
 verses repeated by all the scholars4   
,let each class in turn select the      
subject1 such as temperance1 obedience1 
love1 and announce it a week in advance4
  ,the ,teachers before the             
,school4--,now and then ask some teacher
 to say a few words to the entire school
 at the close of the session1 summing up
 the most important teachings of the    
hour4 ,this gives the whole school a bit
 of inspiration from each teacher in    
turn1 and gives to each teacher the     
inspiration of talking to the whole     
school4     ,chapter ,,xliv  ,from a    
,teacher's ,notebook   ,birthday        
,letters4--,little children will prize  
highly a cordial1 loving letter written 
to them by their teacher on their       
birthday4 ,doubtless the very oldest    

scholars in the school will prize such a
 letter as much1 if not even more4      
,there should be no preachment in these 
letters1 no hitting at peculiar sins2   
just fill them with ,christian sunshine4
 ,a birthday prayer in the class1 short1
 simple1 earnest1 will clinch to the    
scholar the lessons of the day4  ,class 
,letters4--,when the teacher is away on 
a vacation or for other reasons1 a      
letter sent each week to some member of 
the class1 taking the scholars in order1
 will be shared with the other scholars1
 and will strengthen the bond that the  
absence might have weakened or broken4  
,teaching by ,correspondence4--,when the
 teacher must be absent1 if she cannot  
find a good substitute1 and the class is
 of a suitable age for the plan1 let her
 send a letter containing a few thoughts
 on the lesson1 together with many      
questions1 which the class are to       
discuss1 and for which1 after joint     
consultation1 they will prepare written 
answers1 to be sent to the teacher4     

,the ,lesson ,message4--,do you fear    
that the central truth of the lesson may
 not be impressed on your class1 either 
through your forgetfulness or because   
you lack time8 ,then write out for each 
scholar a sentence or two of            
exhortation1 with a request that he read
 a certain appropriate passage of the   
,bible4 ,place these messages in        
envelopes1 and distribute them at the   
close of the lesson4  ,a ,teacher's     
,loan4--,if you have found a book that  
would be especially helpful to your     
class1 by all means1 if you can afford  
it1 buy a copy1 circulate it among the  
class1 and1 after all your scholars have
 read it1 present it to the library4    
,birthdays of the ,great4--,utilize in  
your teaching not only ,washington's    
birthday and ,lincoln's1 but the        
birthday of any great man whose life may
 help to point the moral of the day's   
lesson4 ,for this purpose1 one of the   
many birthday-books is of value for     
reference4  ,a ,magazine ,club4--,the   

members of a ,sunday-school class have  
similar interests1 and an ideal magazine
 and paper club may be organized among  
them4 ,incidentally1 it will enable the 
teacher to direct much of their reading4
 ,the periodicals subscribed for are to 
be passed around in a specified order1  
kept at each house a definite time1 and 
each finally retained by some member of 
the class4  ,class ,names4--,it will    
prove an inspiration to any class to    
have a good name1 such as ,earnest      
,seekers1 ,willing ,workers1 ,the       
,joshua ,band1 ,daughters of ,ruth4     
,five-,minute ,preludes4--,brief        
preludes on current topics or           
practically helpful points connected    
with the lesson theme may be found      
valuable in the ,bible class1 just as   
similar preludes have proved useful in  
the preaching service4                  
,independence4--,occasionally request   
the class to prepare so thoroughly that 
they can leave at home the quarterly1   
lesson leaf1 even the ,bible itself4    

,the teacher also will do this2 and if  
he improves his opportunity1 this       
thorough storing of the mind may result 
in a recitation so delightful that the  
class will adopt the plan               
enthusiastically for the future4  ,her  
,funny ,box4--,a teacher tells how she  
lightened the occasional sickness of her
 scholars by carrying to them what they 
called her funny box1 which held fruit  
and flowers1 with scores of merry jokes 
clipped from the papers1 peanuts marked 
with comical faces1 and a ,bible verse  
or two on the inside of the cover4  ,a  
,review ,picture-,gallery4--,if you have
 been using the blackboard during the   
quarter1 try a blackboard review4 ,draw 
twelve picture-frames1 and call up the  
scholars one by one1 asking each to fill
 in one of the frames with what he      
remembers of the blackboard work of that
 lesson4 ,it may be necessary for the   
teacher to remind the scholar what the  
design was1 and to help him draw it1 or 
the entire class may be asked to give   

this assistance4  ,an ,essay            
,review4--,divide the lessons of the    
quarter among your scholars1 so that    
each will write an essay on some one    
lesson2 or1 if your class is too small  
for that1 assign two lessons apiece to  
some of the scholars4 ,limit them as to 
time1 but let each choose his line of   
treatment4  ,silent ,prayers4--,if we   
always word the children's prayers for  
them1 they will be unlikely ever to word
 prayers for themselves4 ,often request 
them to bow their heads and in silence  
to ask the ,father for what they need   
and thank him for his kindness4  ,class 
,prayers4--,why should not every class  
recitation be opened with a brief       
prayer1 and often close with one8 ,yes1 
and when the talk in the middle of the  
lesson becomes especially earnest1      
prayer is the best means of binding the 
truth to the lives of your scholars4  ,a
 ,prayer ,calendar4--,this is a list of 
the scholars in your class1 plus the    
name of the teacher1 divided among the  

days of the week1 that of the teacher   
falling on ,sunday4 ,the whole is headed
 with a promise to pray each day for the
 persons named for that day4 ,each of   
the scholars has a copy1 and signs it4  
,pegs4--,draw a good-sized map of the   
country you are studying1 and mount it  
on a board4 ,with a gimlet bore holes   
wherever there is an important town1    
mountain1 lake1 or other geographical   
feature whose location you wish your    
scholars to learn4 ,fit pegs into these 
holes1 and color the pegs white for the 
mountains1 red for the cities1 blue for 
the bodies of water4 ,teach the         
scholars1 as you call for ,hebron1 for  
instance1 to place a red peg in the     
proper hole1 and thus to use the map4   
,dissected ,maps4--,paste a good-sized  
map of the desired country on thick     
cardboard or pasteboard4 ,if you cannot 
get a large enough map1 draw one        
yourself1 and in the process you will   
learn much geography4 ,then cut the map 
into irregular pieces1 and present it to

 the younger classes for them to fit    
together4  ,putty ,maps4--,with a board 
foundation and a good map for a guide1  
any teacher can build up a relief map of
 ,palestine out of putty4 ,paint the    
water blue1 the sandy portions yellow1  
the fertile plains green1 the mountains 
white or gray1 the cities red4 ,letter  
with black4  ,colors and ,places4--,a   
good way to aid the children's memory as
 to the location of the various lessons 
of the quarter is to write on the       
blackboard the title of each lesson as  
it comes1 using each week a different   
color1 and pinning to an outline map1 at
 the same time1 a scrap of paper of the 
same color4 ,of course1 if a later      
lesson falls at the same place1 the old 
color will be used in writing its title4
  ,home ,drawings4--,some teachers      
wisely require their scholars to        
reproduce at home what they can remember
 of the blackboard work of the day1 and 
bring in the result the next ,sunday4   
,the test is one for the teacher's      

blackboard work as well as for the      
scholars' memory4  ,utilizing your      
,reading4--,every teacher should keep   
either a wide-margin ,bible1 or an      
interleaved ,bible1 solely to note the  
helps on ,bible texts he may note in his
 reading4 ,if the book or periodical is 
your own1 simply set down the page      
opposite the ,bible verse4 ,some may    
prefer a system of envelopes1 one for   
each book of the ,bible1 in which       
clippings may be filed1 as well as slips
 of paper containing references to      
books4  ,one ,way of ,preparing4--,cut  
up the ,scripture text found on a lesson
 leaf1 and paste the verses on large    
sheets of paper1 leaving liberal space  
around each4 ,in this space write your  
own comments1 and the suggestions you   
glean from your reading4  ,on the       
,spot4--,if one of your scholars is     
reported sick1 why not pen--or pencil--a
 little note immediately1 with the aid  
of the class1 and send it to the sick   
scholar at the close of the school8 ,a  

message thus written will move          
graciously upon the class as well as    
upon the recipient4  ,prompt            
,investigation4--,a stitch in time saves
 nine4 ,apply this maxim to your        
scholar's first absence1 and look him up
 at once4  ,lookout                     
,committees4--,divide each class into   
three companies4 ,company ,a will seek  
recruits for the class1 ,company ,b will
 hunt up absentees1 and ,company ,c will
 do hospital service among the sick4    
,require regular reports4  ,reports of  
,study4--,some teachers issue to their  
scholars blank reports1 which they      
return1 filled out1 each ,sunday4 ,these
 reports tell whether they have studied 
the lesson for ten minutes each day1 and
 what verses of the lesson they do not  
understand4  ,reports to ,parents4--,the
 work done in ,sunday-school should be  
so definite that it can be reported4    
,certain points should be required to be
 learned in each lesson1 and when they  
are well recited1 or when they are not  

recited1 the parents should know of it4 
,regular monthly or quarterly reports1  
sent by postal-card1 will stimulate the 
scholar to learn better1 the parents to 
help him study1 and the teacher to teach
 with system1 definiteness1 and         
persistency4  ,collection and           
,record4--,give the mother1 for her     
child1 fifty-two little envelopes in    
which to put a year's pennies or        
nickels4 ,each child's envelopes are    
given a number1 so that the collection  
is also a record of attendance4  ,more  
than a ,straight ,mark4--,a simple but  
complete record may be made by a few    
strokes of the pencil4 ,a cross has been
 suggested4 ,the upper arm signifies    
present2 the lower arm1 prompt2 the     
left-hand arm1 the lesson learned1      
according to a definite standard2 the   
right-hand arm1 present at church4 ,if  
the scholar has failed in one or more of
 these points1 the corresponding arms   
are omitted from the cross4  ,class     
,photographs4--,with your own camera or 

some friend's take a group picture of   
your class once a year4 ,you may give   
them at that time a pleasant photograph 
party1 or take an excursion together to 
some place1 there to be photographed4   
,each scholar should have a copy of the 
resulting picture4 ,it will be          
delightful if all the classes can thus  
be photographed1 and an exhibition      
arranged of the entire series of        
pictures1 which then becomes the        
property of the school4  ,holidays      
,together4--,a teacher especially       
successful in holding together a class  
of boys is in the habit of taking them  
with him on all sorts of excursions1--to
 libraries1 museums1 points of          
historical interest1 on sleigh-rides1 to
 hear illustrated lectures4 ,and often  
he arranges for them merry parties at   
his home4  ,a ,class ,symbol4--,some    
concrete token1 presented when the new  
scholar joins the class1 will greatly   
help to cement the relationship4 ,this  
may be a little book1 a ribbon          

book-mark1 an illuminated ,scripture    
card1 a simple emblematic pin4 ,whatever
 it is1 it should be the same for all1  
that it may serve as a sort of class    
badge4  ,introduction ,cards4--,these   
are of use to make new scholars         
acquainted with their classmates4 ,the  
card contains the names of              
,sunday-school1 teacher1 and all the    
scholars1 that of the new scholar being 
last1 with the date of entrance4 ,the   
whole is of immediate service to the new
 member1 and is sure to be preserved as 
a pleasant memento4  ,a ,work for       
,each4--,enlist each of your scholars in
 some definite and individual work for  
,christ4 ,one may gather up old         
periodicals for the seamen1 one may be  
interested in a children's hospital1 one
 may collect partly worn garments for   
the poor4 ,at each meeting of the class 
call for brief reports of these special 
lines of work4 ,there could be no better
 commentary on the lessons your scholars
 are studying4  ,substitute             

,teachers4--,the teachers should obtain 
their own substitutes1 whenever         
possible4 ,if the superintendent makes  
it clear that he expects this1 it will  
usually be done4 ,in the process of     
obtaining the substitute1 too1 the      
teacher will probably gain fresh        
sympathy and consideration for the      
superintendent4  ,a ,class              
,historian4--,appoint one scholar to    
this office4 ,ask him to keep track of  
the old members1 and report any         
interesting news concerning them1 at the
 same time keeping a record4            
,essays4--,your scholars will appreciate
 the honor if asked to prepare essays   
now and then on special points in the   
lessons1 such as ,jewish customs        
regarding ,sunday1 ,the city of         
,antioch1 ,what the ,bible teaches about
 temperance4 ,such essays should be very
 brief4  ,supplemental ,lessons4--,the  
very interest aroused by the            
,international ,lessons calls often for 
supplementary lessons1 dealing with such

 topics as the origin of the ,bible1    
,bible geography1 the ,christian        
doctrines4 ,ten minutes preceding the   
regular lesson may be spent on such     
themes1 and a great deal thus learned in
 the course of the year4  ,an           
,expedient4--,if a boy is especially    
mischievous and restless1 make him an   
usher and set him to keeping the rest in
 order4  ,a ,study ,outline4--,each     
member of a certain class was furnished 
with a copy of the following excellent  
programme for home study of the lesson3 
#a4 ,intervening events4 #b4 ,time4 #c4 
,place4 #d4 ,persons4 #e4 ,incidents4   
#f4 ,parallel passages and ,scripture   
references4 #g4 ,difficulties4 #h4      
,doctrines and duties4 #i4 ,central     
thought4 #aj4 ,personal application--to 
myself1 to others4                      
,question-,books4--,blank-books in which
 questions on the lesson have been      
written1 with spaces for answers1 may   
profitably be used even in very young   
classes4 ,the answers should be written 

immediately on the conclusion of the    
teaching1 or even1 question by question1
 as the teaching proceeds4 ,in older    
classes1 the questions may be set before
 the class a week later1 and may        
introduce the next lesson1 by way of    
review4  ,home-,made                    
,question-,books4--,to induce your      
scholars to study at home1 provide for  
each of them two little blank-books4    
,write a question in one1 and request   
the return of the book next ,sunday with
 the answer written out4 ,exchange it   
for the second book1 and so alternate4  
,wise teachers will slip into such books
 many a personal word of praise or      
exhortation4  ,a ,question              
,formula4--,ask each member of the class
 to bring you1 every ,sunday1 written   
answers to a set of questions so general
 that1 once dictated1 they will serve   
for all lessons2 for instance3 ,when    
occurred the events of our lesson8 ,what
 is a brief synopsis of our lesson8     
,what is its principal teaching8 ,which 

is your favorite verse in it1 and why8  
,these answers should be discussed in   
the class4  ,trained as                 
,questioners4--,in most schools there is
 no normal class1 and if the teachers do
 not train their scholars to teach1 the 
next generation of teachers in that     
school will be untrained4 ,the class    
should be taught how to ask questions1  
and probably the best way to do this is 
to have them occupy a few minutes at the
 beginning of each recitation           
questioning one another on the previous 
lesson4  ,a ,choice of ,questions4--,for
 this exercise the teacher writes a     
number of questions1 which she brings to
 the class4 ,each scholar in turn is    
permitted to select a question1 which he
 will propound to any of his classmates 
he may pick out4  ,the ,bible           
,library4--,this is a help to learning  
the order of the books of the ,bible1   
and consists of sixty-six wooden blocks1
 painted and lettered to represent      
books1 and varying in thickness with the

 size of the various books of the       
,bible4 ,the poetical books are bound in
 the same style1 the minor prophets in a
 different style1 and so with other     
sets4 ,these imitation books are kept on
 shelves1 from which they are taken by  
the children1 to be replaced in the     
correct order4  ,bible-,reading         
,lessons4--,many scholars read the      
,bible wretchedly2 they have never been 
taught how4 ,if this is the case with   
your class1 have them read the lesson1  
verse about1 before you discuss it4     
,after the reading1 criticise it1 and   
have them repeat it4  ,two ,bibles4--,if
 the scholars will not bring their      
,bibles to school1--and the boys        
especially are likely to think it will  
look goody-goody1--the next best plan is
 to give each of them a second ,bible   
for his own use during the school hour4 
,marked ,bibles4--,teach the scholars to
 mark their ,bibles1 writing1 for       
instance1 the key-word at the beginning 
of each book2 underscoring the leading  

sentence of a chapter2 marking with red 
all passages referring to ,christ as our
 ,saviour2 writing a ,p after every     
promise2 railroading1 or connecting with
 a neatly drawn line1 phrases that are  
antithetical or mutually explanatory1   
etc4 ,one set of colored inks will      
answer for the class4 ,the scholars will
 delight in the work1 it will induce    
them to bring their ,bibles to school1  
and will teach them how to use the      
,book4  ,bible ,dialogues4--,where the  
lesson text includes conversation1 get  
the scholars to read it in dialogue     
form1 or to come with it thus written   
out4  ,home ,bible-,reading4--,the      
school may be set to reading the ,bible 
at home1 if lists of readings for each  
day of the week are written on cards by 
the teachers1 and given out1 to be      
returned1 signed1 in token that the     
reading has been accomplished4  ,a      
,divided ,primary ,department4--,in     
large schools1 where the superintendent 
of the primary department teaches the   

lesson for ten or fifteen minutes1 and  
then hands the classes over to her      
assistant teachers1 it is best for those
 teachers to spend their time in        
eliciting from the children1 by         
questions1 the facts and truths just    
taught them4 ,thus you will make sure of
 something gained4  ,a ,week-,day       
,meeting4--,it has been proved possible 
to sustain1 in connection with a primary
 department1 a week-day meeting for     
special and supplementary teaching1     
including singing1 mission studies1 and 
,bible history and geography4           
,introducing ,prayer4--,this little     
verse1 recited in concert1 is used in   
many primary departments just before the
 prayer service3        ,we fold our    
hands that we may be       ,from all our
 work and play set free2       ,we close
 our eyes that we may see       ,nothing
 to take our thoughts from thee2        
,we bow our heads as we draw near       
,the ,king of kings1 our ,father dear4  
,the ,essentials4--,every child1 before 

leaving the primary department1 should  
know the ,commandments1 the ,beatitudes1
 the ,twenty-third ,psalm1 the          
,apostles' ,creed or some simple        
statement of ,christian faith1 the books
 of the ,bible by name and order and    
something of their origin1 the principal
 features of the map of ,palestine1 the 
chief events in ,christ's life4 ,some of
 the ,old ,testament history will of    
course be added1--creation1 ,abraham1   
,joseph1 ,moses1 ,samuel1 ,david1       
,solomon4  ,primary ,prayers4--,no      
prayer for the children is so good as   
prayer by the children4 ,ask them1 one  
after the other1 to name things for     
which they are grateful4 ,then give them
 the formula1 ,i thank thee1 ,lord1 for 
4441 and let them offer prayers of      
thanksgiving for what they have         
mentioned4 ,again1 ask each to tell one 
thing he really wants1 and follow with  
prayers of petition1 with the formulas1 
,help me1 dear ,jesus1 to be 4441 or1   
,give me1 dear ,jesus1 444 ,teach short 

,bible prayers4 ,offer longer prayers in
 brief sentences1 which the children    
reverently repeat after you4 ,for       
example3 ,our dear heavenly ,father1 444
 we thank thee for this beautiful day1  
444 for our homes and fathers and       
mothers1 444 for our sisters and        
brothers and friends1 444 and all that  
thou hast given us to make life         
happy4444 ,teach us to be helpful to    
those that are without these            
blessings4444 ,make us more kind and    
patient4444 ,help us to do everything   
thou dost want us to do4444 ,for ,jesus'
 sake4 ,amen4     ,,the ,,works ,,of    
,,amos ,r4 ,,wells   ,,rollicking       
,,rhymes ,,for ,,youngsters             
,illustrated by ,l4 ,j4 ,bridgman4      
#abmo1 cloth1 net #a4jj4      ,mr4      
,wells is well known already as a       
versatile author4 ,now he     comes to  
the front as a brilliant verse-maker for
 young folk4 ,some     of these rhymes  
have already won their way through the  
foremost     magazines1 but others here 

see the light for the first time4 ,the  
inimitable juvenile illustrator ,mr4    
,bridgman1 has here done some     of his
 best work4 ,poet and ,artist have thus 
combined to make this     the most      
acceptable volume of children's poems   
since ,a ,child's     ,garden of        
,verses4  ,,the ,,cheer ,,book      ,a  
,store of ,daily ,optimism4 ,the best   
year book is a cheer book4     ,a       
quotation1 verse or prose from different
 authors1 for each day     of the year1 
#abmo1 cloth1 net #a4jj4  ,,sunday      
,,school ,,success      #abmo1 cloth1   
gilt top1 #a4be4  ,,three ,,years ,,with
 ,,the ,,children      #abmo1 cloth1    
#a4be4      ,the talk abounds in the    
happiest kind of illustrations from the 
things of everyday life1 which children 
will readily understand1     applied    
with aptness and skill4--,worcester     
,spy4  ,a ,,business ,,man',s ,,religion
      #afmo1 cloth1 #ej;c4  ,,when      
,,thou ,,hast ,,shut ,,thy ,,door       
,morning and ,evening ,meditations for a

 ,month4 #c;d edition4 ,long     #afmo1 
cloth1 #ej;c4  ,,business      ,a ,plain
 ,talk with ,men and ,women who ,work4  
#abmo1 decorated2 boards1     #cj;c4    
,,social ,,evenings      ,a ,collection 
of ,entertainments4 #afmo1 cloth1 net   
#ce;c4  ,,nutshell ,,musings            
,counsels for the ,quiet ,hour4 #ahmo1  
cloth1 #be;c4     ,,fleming ,h4 ,,revell
 ,,company   ,new ,york      ,chicago   
,toronto     ,for ,work ,among ,children
       ,practical ,primary ,plans4 ,for 
,sabbath ,school ,teachers4 ,by ,israel 
,p4 ,black4 ,illustrated with diagrams4 
#afmo1 cloth1 #a4jj4      ,object       
,lessons for ,junior ,work4 ,practical  
,suggestions1 ,object     ,lessons1 and 
,picture ,stories4 ,by ,ella ,n4 ,wood1 
#afmo1 cloth1 with     designs and      
illustrations1 #ej cents4      ,the     
,children's ,prayer4 ,by ,rev4 ,james   
,wells1 ,d4,d4 ,addresses to     the    
,young on the ,lord's ,prayer4 #afmo1   
cloth1 #ge cents4      ,bible ,stories  
,without ,names4 ,by ,rev4 ,harry       

,smith1 ,m4,a4 ,with     questions at   
the end of each chapter and the answers 
in a separate     booklet4 #afmo1 cloth1
 #ge cents4      ,object ,lessons for   
,children2 or1 ,hooks and ,eyes1 ,truth 
,linked to     ,sight4 ,illustrated4 ,by
 ,rev4 ,c4 ,h4 ,tyndall1 ,ph4,d41 ,a4,m4
 #b;d     edition4 #abmo1 cloth1 #a4be4 
,attractive ,truths in ,lesson and      
,story4 ,by ,mrs4 ,a4 ,m4 ,scudder4     
,introduction by ,rev4 ,f4 ,e4 ,clark1  
,d4,d4 #c;d thousand4 #hvo1 cloth1      
#a4be4      ,pictured ,truth4 ,a        
,handbook of ,blackboard and ,object    
,teaching4 ,by     ,rev4 ,r4 ,f4 ,y4    
,pierce4 ,introduction by ,r4 ,h4       
,conwell1 ,d4,d4 ,with     illustrations
 by the author4 #c;d thousand4 #abmo1   
cloth1 #a4be4      ,children's          
,meetings1 and ,how to ,conduct ,them4  
,by ,lucy ,j4 ,rider     and ,nellie ,m4
 ,carman4 ,introduction by ,bishop ,j4  
,h4 ,vincent4 ,cloth1     illustrated1  
net1 #a4jj2 paper covers1 net1 #ej      
cents4      ,talks to ,children4 ,by    

,rev4 ,t4 ,t4 ,eaton1 ,d4,d41 with      
introduction     by ,rev4 ,john ,a4     
,broadus1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 #afmo1      
cloth1 #a4jj4      ,conversion of       
,children4 ,by ,rev4 ,e4 ,p4 ,hammond4  
,a practical     volume1 replete with   
incident and illustration4 ,suggestive1 
important1 and timely4 ,cloth1 #ge      
cents4 paper cover1 #cj cents4          
,gospel ,pictures and ,story ,sermons   
for ,children4 ,by ,major ,d4 ,w4       
,whittle4 ,profusely illustrated4 #dgth 
thousand4 #abmo1 cloth1 #cj     cents1  
net2 paper1 #ae cents4      ,seed for   
,spring-time ,sowing4 ,a ,wall ,roll for
 the use of ,primary1     ,sabbath      
,school and ,kindergarten ,teachers4    
,compiled by ,mrs4 ,robert     ,pratt4  
#ge cents4    ,fleming ,h4 ,revell      
,company   ,,new ,,york3 #aeh ,fifth    
,avenue ,,chicago3 #fc ,washington      
,street   ,,toronto3 #bg ,richmond      
,street1 ,w4     ,the ,home and         
,children       ,child ,culture in the  
,home4 ,by ,martha ,b4 ,mosher4 #abmo1  

cloth1     #a4jj4      ,rarely has so   
helpful a book on the moral education of
 children     appeared4 ,the emotions1  
the senses1 the will1 as well as the    
training of the habits of the child and 
methods of training1 are all            
considered4--,the ,outlook4      ,it is 
written in a clear1 straightforward     
manner1 is rich in     suggestions and  
illustrations1 and is thoroughly        
wholesome in     counsel4--,cumberland  
,presbyterian4      ,studies in ,home   
and ,child-,life4 ,by ,mrs4 ,s4 ,m4 ,i4 
,henry4 ,eighth     thousand1 #abmo1    
cloth1 #a4jj4      ,it is clear1 concise
 and vigorous throughout1 and has the   
charm of     ,mother love and ,god love 
from first to last4 ,we cannot conceive 
of a     more helpful manual than this  
would be in the hands of young          
parents1 and indeed of all who have to  
do with children4--,the     ,union      
,signal4      ,the book is one we can   
heartily commend to every father and    
mother     to read and re-read1 and     

ponder over and read again4--,the       
,observer4      ,child ,culture2 or1    
,the ,science of ,motherhood4 ,by ,mrs4 
,hannah     ,whitall ,smith4 #c;d       
edition1 #afmo1 decorated boards1 #cj   
cents4      ,we have read nothing from  
the pen of this gifted woman which we   
have more enjoyed than this             
wisely-written booklet1 as spiritual as 
it is practical1 and as full of common  
sense as of exalted     sentiment4 ,any 
mother having prayerfully read this     
heart message of     a true woman will  
be a better mother4--,cumberland        
,presbyterian4      ,the ,children for  
,christ4 ,by ,rev4 ,andrew ,murray1     
,d4,d4 ,thoughts for     ,christian     
,parents on the ,consecration of the    
,home ,life4 #abmo1 cloth1     #a4jj4   
,the author seems to have had a ,divine 
vocation in writing this     book1 and  
thousands of parents ought to derive    
blessings from it for     their         
children4--,the ,evangelist4      ,home 
,duties4 ,practical ,talks on the       

,amenities of the ,home4 ,by ,rev4      
,r4 ,t4 ,cross4 #abmo1 paper1 #ae cents2
 cloth1 #cj cents1 net4      ,,contents3
 ,duties of ,husbands4 ,duties of       
,wives4 ,duties of ,parents4     ,duties
 of ,children4 ,duties of ,brothers and 
,sisters4 ,the ,duty of     ,family     
,worship4 ,the ,method of ,family       
,worship4 ,a ,home for ,every           
,family and ,how to ,get ,it4      ,a   
model of what can be done in so brief a 
space4--,the     ,independent4          
,fleming ,h4 ,revell ,company   ,,new   
,,york3 #aeh ,fifth ,avenue ,,chicago3  
#fc ,washington ,street   ,,toronto3    
#aed ,yonge ,street     ,,tales ,,of    
,,the ,,north ,,by  ,,egerton ,r4       
,,young   ,my ,dogs in the ,northland4  
,profusely illustrated4 #abmo1 cloth1   
#a4be net4 ,experiences with     ,eskimo
 and ,st4 ,bernard dogs1 covering years 
of sledge travel in     the frozen wilds
 of ,british ,america4 ,an exciting     
story in which     the marvels of dog   
instinct1 intelligence and strength play

 the     chief part4 ,mr4 ,young proves 
in a most entertaining and              
instructive way that each dog1 just as  
much as a person1 has his     own       
individual character1 and must be dealt 
with accordingly4     ,terrible perils1 
wonderful escapes and sudden emergencies
 mix with     the most comical          
situations4  ,on the ,indian ,trail4    
,stories of ,missionary ,experiences    
among the ,cree and the ,saulteaux      
,indians4 ,stories of ,mission4 #abmo1  
cloth1 #a4jj4      ,he has a happy and  
often amusingly quaint way of describing
 the     incidents and surroundings of  
frontier life4 ,his cheerful1 almost    
merry1 temper1 while recounting the     
devices resorted to in     enduring or  
mastering privations and dangers are    
stimulating and     instructive4--,the  
,watchman4  ,the ,apostle of the ,north1
 ,james ,evans4      ,with twenty       
illustrations by ,j4 ,e4 ,laughlin4     
#abmo1 cloth1 #a4be4      ,a fresh theme
 is presented here--the life of a       

missionary in     ,upper ,canada1 and   
the northward regions as far as         
,athabasca ,lake     and even beyond4   
,young people1 usually not attracted to 
missionary     literature1 will be      
interested in the book4 ,it is well     
illustrated4--,the ,outlook4            
,,fleming ,h4 ,,revell ,,company   ,,new
 ,,york      ,,chicago      ,,toronto   
,transcriber's ,notes3   ,page #cg -    
bioggraphy changed to biography4 7444   
low plane of mere facts1 history1       
biography1 when it should be 4447  ,page
 #aab - ,diacritical marks left in      
cooperate and zoology left as printed4  
,page #bga - degress changed to degrees4
 7444 ,christ's university1 the highest 
of all degrees1 ,masters of 4447        
every-day and everyday1 new-comers and  
newcomers1 note-book and notebook1      
practise and practice are left as       
printed4  ,reformatted the              
advertisements for plain text4