CHRISTIAN ENDEAVORERS OF A HIGHLAND SCHOOL AND VILLAGE.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, WILLIAMSBURG, KY.
Miss Ella M. Andrews, one of the teachers at Williamsburg Academy, which is one of the interesting schools among our American Highlanders, has been an efficient leader in the Christian Endeavor movement in that school and village. She writes under recent date of the Senior Endeavor Society, as follows:
"The Y. P. S. C. E. of Main Street Congregational Church of Williamsburg, Ky., was organized in 1887 with about a dozen charter members. From this beginning has grown our present flourishing society of about fifty members, many of whom are our students. The good it has done these young people cannot be estimated. Many of the students organize C. E. societies in their home towns and in the places where they teach. The Tri-State Union was organized in 1893. The organization was made for the purpose of promoting the C. E. work in the adjacent counties of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. By bringing together the members of the societies in this section, much has been accomplished in the way of strengthening the weak societies and in the way of organizing and sustaining societies in places where none existed. All societies in the Union have been stimulated by its annual conventions."
The Junior Endeavorers in this field are under the especial care of Miss M. A. Packard, also a teacher in this academy. Under her wise supervision the Juniors have done much interesting and valuable work. She writes as follows:
"The Junior Endeavor Society, a company of 76 bright, happy boys and girls, representing two departments (the active members and the trial members), is under the direction of the superintendent and two assistants. The meetings are held every Sunday afternoon, led by one of the members. We use the 'Junior Endeavor Songs,' and the Juniors' voices are tuned to sing praise to Him who took little children in His arms and blessed them. It is an inspiration to attend the meetings, to hear the recital of the Pledge, the reading of the Scripture verses and the precious season of prayer, when, with bowed head, sentence prayers are offered, often two and three at a time. During the past year the growth of the society has been marked, in the Juniors learning to pray—God seems so near. Many precious petitions have been made for self and others.
A MOUNTAIN HOME.
"The Juniors are enthusiastic in bringing in their pennies, many earning them. They purchase all their literature. Last April they were very happy to donate to the church the sum of $12.34, the result of an entertainment given by them ('The Junior Endeavor Garden').
"This year we have taken up the prison work; sending the pennies to purchase Testaments, and writing letters to the prisoners. Services are held at the jail, and at the homes of the aged and sick, the Juniors taking an active part.
"Thanksgiving Day, nineteen homes were gladdened by baskets of eatables, carried by the Juniors, and other gifts. At Christmas many hearts are made happy by their kind remembrances. During the last three years twelve have graduated. All are active members in senior societies. The trial department is under the direction of the assistants, who are graduates. The society is most promising. The Juniors are preparing not only to take places in the senior society, but in the church and as citizens."