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pillow and has a vision of angels, and hears the
voice of God. And here we have God showing
himself the God of the lonely wanderer. Though
I have neither friend or brother I may have a
"Friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
The exile from home, doomed to pass his days far
from the home of his childhood and amongst
those who are unconscious of his existence can
yet seek and find a quiet refuge and a sure retreat
in the God of Jacob.
Then again in Padanaram where he had a long
hard servitude God's goodness comes to the
front; he reveals himself as the God of the op
pressed alien. For centuries Jacob s people have
suffered untold miseries in strange lands, out
God has never forsaken them, and never will. In
this world his people are strangers and pilgrims,
oppressed by sin, persecuted and plagued, but
the God of the oppressed alien is their everl ^sling
refuge whereunto they may continually resort.
Then again at the Jabbok there was a memorable
night; a night of wrestling and victory.
There a new name was won and given, and the
last of Jacob was the passing into a new life.
The God who all these years had never left him
now crowns his goodness with a great transformation.
The God of the transformed life. Sinful,
lonely, oppressed we may leave it all and fornro+
it oil it? +Vio tminefArmo/1 ,l??o
THE SINGING SCHOOL.
"What has become of the old-time "singing
school ?" Is it one of the old-fashioned things
which are regarded as "back numbers," and
which are entirely relegated to the pastt Has
anything been pnt in its place? Do the yonng
people know how much pleasure they miss in its
absence? Has the church music advanced without
it? Is congregational singing better these
days than it used to be ? Have modern methods,
choirs, organs, Sunday school rag-time music
improved upon it?
The old singing school was an institution. It
was educating, social, entertaining. It brought
the young people together, it trained them, it invariably
gave them a jolly time, and all under
conditions that were wholesome and sound. All
did not profit by its teaching, but all enjoyed it,
and the sum total of improvement was often
marked, and always appreciable. For the real,
downright, long drawn out pleasure it gave to
wjw young peupie, it was auinrsi equal xu
"Christmas," "corn-shucking," "hog-killing,"
and half a dozen "infairs" all put together.
The product of hymns and rounds and anthems,
with an occassional secular piece like "Call
John," or some of the sweet serenades, was
splendid, and a whole congregation would feel
the uplift. An organ, especially a wheezy,
sneezy, nasal, cheap reed organ, was nowhere in
comparison with it. The different parts were
finely sustained, by scores on each, and the volume
and modulation were glorious. Who, for instance,
that once enjoyed the privilege, can ever
forget old Steele Creek church, near Charlotte,
as that master and matchless singer, Collins,
? J v_* 1,1 J i- J i :iil
mujuu uuiuru a unuiwaiiu peupiv, ami, nut witn
slinking amis as the leaders have nowadays, but
with the quietest and most unobstrusive beating
of the time, led the multitude on as with one
voice they hymned God's praise. And under
such as he, the hundreds did not confine themselves
to a few familiar tunes, but would dare
tackle new and more ambitious music, and would
sometimes even join in the in them, "The Earth
is the Lord's," or "The Lord is my Shepherd,"
or "Jerusalem, my happy home." There was
music in those days!
It is cause for wonder that in the multiplied
forms of social service and of sociability in
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE S<
modern church life this beautiful side of the
church activity and accomplishment has not been
made use of. Bands of young people, and odder
as well, would find it unequalled as a means of
combined improvement and entertainment. Its
seriousness is not sufficient to overwhelm or repel,
nor its lightness sufficient to make the exercises
frivolous or flippant. And its results are
sadly needed. Congregational singing is not up
to par, in either ability or results. The teaching
of singing in the public schools has, for 9ome
unknown reasons, not touched the edge of the
need.
CHILD CULTURE.
Training children for properly filling their
places in childhood and for the more serious duties
and relationships of adult life, is engaging
the earnest attention of educators and others
who are looking thoughtfully into the future of
our civilization. It has been noticed that American
children display less respect for authority
j l * ? i i v JL _n a
aim less reverence ior superiors man ao amiaren
in European countries. This may he due to false
notions of liberty or false ideas of independence
or to the appeal to originality and resourcefulness
which is made by the conditions of our
immature national life. "Whatever the cause,
there is growing alarm lest the spirit of anarchy,
which is already rife among formidable
social elements, and gaining a strong grip on the
output of our public schools and universities,
shall imperil constitutional government and the
security of property and life. Public education
does not afford a guarantee, or a promise of good
citizenship. It does not profess to be a character
builder, though the example and precept of great
numbers of its teachers are most salutary and
ennobling. The misfortune and the danger are
that parents expect the schools to prepare their
children for good citizenship and the schools decline
to assume the responsibility. Hence training
in honor, truth, reverence, unselfishness and
other virtues becomes an unknown quantity in
the moral makeup of multitudes of the nation's
youth.
Obviously, the moral obtuseness, the recreancy
to the most elementary codes of integrity and
propriety, are to be attributed mainly to parental
neglect or incapacity. A great awakening is
needed to impress the parents of this generation
that the primary responsibility for making
their children worthy citizens and useful members
of society rests upon themselves. Those Who
have been neglectful hitherto should make the
subject one of conscientious study. More than
that, they should make it one of regular and
earnest prayer. No parent Who ignores dependence
on Divine grace can successfully meet the
requirements Which the sacred relation of parenthood
involves. The New York Christian Advocate
sometime ago contained a correspondence
which Sets forth the instruction that should be
imparted to our youth, in this form:
"Reverence for Authoritv: The first lesson for
all to learn is obedience. It is fundamental. We
should have power to distinguish between right
eons and unrighteous authority. to recognize the
Pennine and submit to it, while standing against
all usurpations. It is not impossible that we parents
may, at times, usurp power over onr children.
Too often, perhaps, onr rule over them is
one of might instead of right. We fear their failore
to respect onr authority more than we fear
their disregard of God's laws. From obedience
to righteous anthority of man they must learn
reverence for God's rule. Let us teach them by
onr rule the right spirit of commanding and
obeying. Let us tench them the true ground for
authority.
Love of the Truth: The love and study of
truth will make our children honest and truthful.
It will preserve them from error. It will lift
them above all crookedness. Tt will sdiow them
the beauty and the deformity of things as they
1
) U T H [ August 21, 1912
should be and are. Teach them the beauty of
truth, the perfection of truth, by being truthful
in all your dealings with them. Simple truth in
words, in act, in dress, in recreation, and all your
appointments is a pleasing, graceful, glorious
thing. They will learn the truth by having the
truth continually placed before them. Pray to
God to impress upon them the beauty and glory
of truth, as against the glaring cheapness of the
false.
Sacredness of Being: Teach them the preciousness
of simple life, of even mere existence. Just
to be is worthy of reverence. Teach them to hold
^ c i**_ ?x ? ? '
oav>icu an iuuiia Ul IlLC, liUI OHiy OI animal, DTlt
also of plamt life and mineral existence. Teach
them to not wantonly destroy any form of creation,
whether of God or man. The child must not
heedlessly destroy, without purpose, everything
it gets its hands on. It must learn to preserve
instead of destroy, to build up instead of tear
down. The wholesome curiosity that impels children
to tear apart to see how things are fixed iR
not here totally condemned, but this instinct
must be guided with care?very much care.
From the simpler forms of being, a child will
learn reverence for those higher things of human
life, of human Character, of woman's purity, of
name and character, of kindness to animals, of
the preservation of beauty, of truth, and all
things good. Teach the right to live and let
live.
Dignity of Labor: Another grand thing to
learn is just to work and not be ashamed of it.
Toil is ennobling if we put our heart in it; only
spiritless toil is slavish. This world must be fed
and clothed, and we must do our part. Teach
L*l 3 J ? t V 9 MH % * ? " -
cmiaren xo snouiaer tms Duraen with risrht good
will. Teach them how to work. We like to do
that which we can do well.
Purpose of Life: This is not so easy to teach
or to learn. The best we know is to trust God.
believe him, and know 'him as far as possible. To
live like the little birds live; to bloom like the
flowers; to work like the 'bees; to live like Christ
?just to live and enjoy living. Work a little,
play a little, know a little, and believe, and love
much.
"BARGAIN COUNTER -RELIGIONS.''
The "bargain counter" is attractive chiefly to
the women. Dr. Barton, in The Advance, wisely
likens the large assortment of new religions and
revamped cults to these bargain counters. He
notes the fact that the chief following of these
cults are women, who have, in their enthusiasm
nnd aimnlicitv nllniniMl +liomnttliTflo
? ? , ur*?w ?? WV? HlVyl??JVITW3 IV IAJ ICU lilt"
them. An admirable article on this theme will
be fonnd also in the 'last issue of The Southern
Methodist Review, by the wife of the editor, Dr.
Gross Alexander. In both papers if is a sad and
strange story. Dr. Barton concludes his article
thns, ""What is the reason for all this, and for
all the rest which might be told bnt which it is
better to leave unwritten ? First of all, women
are by nature more religious than men, and in
their religious life more deeply emotional. In
the second place, there is in our American womanhood
a mental and spiritual restlessness, an
nnwholesome yearning for novelty, an eager desire
for fads which readily lends itself to these
numerous delusions. In the third place, women
have been in all ages the dunes and tools of chartlatans,
both in the physical and spiritual realm.
They are the victims of the surgeon's knife and
the dupe of the faith curist. . . . It is the
peculiar prerogative of womanhood to lead the
world in spiritual things. It always has been
nu, auu h ix more so now man mrmeTiy ix wnnTTpon
the women of the conn try irmst rest to too
large a decree the burden of discern in tr between
trnfh" and error in the sphere* of religion,
great body of American womanhood is religion*
and intelligently so; bnt there are few more pitiable
sights at the present honr than the reliprions
bargain coonter, heaped np with its joblot
of enlts, of fads, and follies, from abiect worship
of graven injages and disgraeefnl perversions
of Sex instinct, np to the varions reaches of
the mysterions and occnlt. into star-gazing and