Picture-Work

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Picture-Work, by Walter L. (Walter Lowrie) Hervey
WALTER L. HERVEY, Ph.D.
New York Chicago Toronto Fleming H. Revell Company London and Edinburgh
Copyright, 1896, by W. L. Hervey
Copyright, 1908, by Fleming H. Revell Company
Picture=Work.

A friend of the writer, who has since attained to the dignity of a teacher of teachers, relates to the honor of his wise mother that when he was a boy she did not make him promise not to smoke or chew or play cards—probably compassing these ends in other ways—but she did exert her influence to lead him not to read Sunday-school books. For this warning, he says, he has never ceased to be thankful. In these days of supervising committees and selected lists, when standard literature, undiluted, has found its way into the Sunday-school library, such a course would not be warranted. But there are still thoughtful persons who do not feel that in the matter of Sunday-schools they are out of the woods yet.
Do you know anything about Sunday-schools? was asked of one of these, a representative woman.
I'm sorry to say that I do, was the reply.
And there are other signs that the number is increasing of those who believe that in the choice of a Sunday-school the greatest care must be exercised. Some there are, who, it may be through over-conscientiousness, are fain to give up the search in despair, preferring to teach their children at home.
There is probably no other Sunday-school that, in point of order, quiet seclusion of classes, professional preparation of (paid) teachers, can compare with the Religious School of Temple Emanuel in New York City. But there is no intrinsic reason why the mechanical and pedagogical difficulties might not one day be as successfully removed everywhere as in this model school; and why they may not be removed in every grade. In the infant classes, through the beneficent influence of the kindergarten, there are already signs of promise. In the senior departments the problem is less complicated. But in the classes where is found the restless, wide-awake, active, intense, ingenious, irrepressible boy, or the girl who is just beyond girlhood and yet can scarcely be regarded as a woman, and her awkward, self-conscious, misunderstood brother—here the problem remains, and no one denies that it is a hard one. Who cannot at this moment see with his mind's eye a picture of such a class—on the one side a vision of inattention, insubordination, irreverence, on the other, incompetence, blindly, consecratedly, painfully doing his—or her—best?