“What a pity!” said the missionary, shaking his head. “Do you live far from here?”
“About a mile,” answered the boy.
The missionary then gave each of the children a card, and explained to them, as far as they were capable of understanding, what a Sunday-school was like; and they then said that they would like to go to such a school. He told them of an appointment for Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock, in the school-house near Mr. Wilson’s, and invited them to come and bring their parents along; he then said “Good-bye,” and left them.
Having detained himself longer than he supposed, he was compelled to hurry on, as he had quite a distance to go before he would reach Mr. Brown’s. As he was passing through a lane, after coming within the bounds of Clear Creek Settlement, he found two men lying in a fence-corner, drunk! He tried to rouse them, but failed in so doing, for they were past consciousness. Continuing on, he soon came to the grocery. Happily for the missionary, the crowd within was all excitement over a “drinking game;” that is, several engaged in playing cards for a treat of the whole company. Before he had passed out of hearing, a great shout and uproar at this den of sin, told him that the game was up, and the treat was being given. In his heart he then resolved that a Temperance society should be established in that place, and he prayed God to help him in the undertaking. After arriving at Mr. Brown’s, he could not but compare the revolting scenes he had left behind him, with the pleasant, social intercourse he was now enjoying.
CHAPTER X.
SUNDAY-SCHOOL ORGANIZED—LOCAL PREACHER.
AT the appointed time, on the Holy morning, the missionary and Mr. Brown were in the Sunday-school, ready for action. A number had already collected, and after the opening exercises, the missionary delivered a short and impressive address, in which he exhorted the teachers to aim at the conversion of those placed under their instruction, to be always punctual, to set a godly example, and, finally, not to grow weary in well-doing, but continue the work through evil as well as good report; and reminded them of the reward on the final day of reckoning.