AMONG the modern improvements in our Sabbath-school meetings the "Question Box," or "Drawer," is worthy of particular mention. Slips of paper are placed in the hands of the members of the Convention or Institute, who are requested to write upon them any question which may be suggested to their minds, and on which they would like to gain the opinions of others. These questions are, from time to time, dropped into a box provided, and left at the door or on the platform. Otherwise, they are collected by a committee and handed up to the conductor, who, at the proper time, either answers them himself or designates some other person or persons to answer them. In this way a vast amount of clear and correct information is often gained, and that of a kind exactly adapted to present wants. No exercise in an Institute is more directly profitable than the question box often proves to be.
It of course depends entirely upon the correct knowledge and grasp of the persons who essay to answer; for either truth or error are alike rapidly propagated in this way. Therefore the greatest care should be taken that no one be allowed to answer questions in this way, who cannot, as the result of mature and deliberate observation or experience, comprehensively look on all sides of the question, and be careful to do justice to all its points. No "snap" judgment should be taken, no witticism indulged in, and no dogmatic answers allowed. On the contrary, the utmost fairness and candor is indispensable.
For illustration of this subject, the following examples of questions and answers will suffice:
1. How can we obtain good teachers? Answer. Train them up in your Bible-classes and teachers' meetings. Be on the lookout for suitable persons and excite their interest by conversations on the value, the details, and working of the Sabbath-school.
2. Would you recommend the grading of Sabbath-schools? Answer. We like the word adaptation better, for there must be that in all good teaching; there must be, also, advancement and thorough Bible instruction. But we fear that an attempt to grade Sunday-schools would stiffen and injure them, for we have but one hour in a week, while the public schools have six hours per day and five days in a week, with a dozen grades of text-books, and paid, disciplined teachers. Besides, we have never found a successful Sabbath-school with more than the three regular gradations; viz., the infant-classes, the intermediate classes, and the young men and women's classes.
3. Would you ever employ unconverted teachers? Answer. Get the best teachers you can; the most pious, the best skilled and regular. When you have taken the best you can get, you have done all your duty, and God does not require any more, for he accepts according to what we have. In some remote sections it is simply a question between accepting moral and upright young people or no teachers. They can teach the elemental truths of religion, and God has repeatedly employed the most unworthy persons to deliver his most solemn messages. Therefore get the best teachers you can. It is the message, not the messenger.
4. Do you approve of one uniform lesson for the whole school? Answer. Yes, by all means; and then concentrate all the exercises, the prayers, the hymns, the addresses, as well as all the teaching, directly upon that one portion, so that it will be impressed upon all, as it was upon a little boy who walked up to the blackboard and pointed to the drawing of an altar and the bleeding lamb upon it, saying, "It was that all day, wasn't it, Jimmy?" Let the infant-class have the central verse for their lesson.
5. Would you expel a bad boy? Answer. I never did, and never would do so, except as a last resort, after trying every available resource.
6. How can we get the parents, pastors, etc., interested in the Sabbath-school? Answer. Go to them and respectfully ask their counsel and advice about the Sabbath-school. Get them to investigate and inquire, give them hints and information, and thus excite their interest.