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THE POCKET TESTAMENT LEAGUE
The Story of a Nelv Organization for Young People, and boys and girls—Holo the mobement originated—Report of the League at Abingdon, 111.
By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS.
NEW organization for boys and girls
and young people, which has proven
most successful, and is arousing much
enthusiasm among them, is called
“The Pocket Testament League.” It
is a society which attempts to remedy
the great defect of American life today
—the lack of Bible reading and study
among the youth of the land. The
A
new organization insists not only upon the reading
but upon the carrying of God’s word.
The plan of a 11 Pocket Testament League” is
for each member to do three things: First, carry
a pocket Testament or Bible; secondly, read a
chapter (or ten verses if very young) in the Bible
daily; and, thirdly, try to win other boys and
girls to Christ. Each league has from five to
twenty members, and meetings are held weekly at
a room at the public school or at the homes of
the members. Frequently the meetings are conduct
ed by an older person; the public school teacher or
a Sunday school teacher. At the weekly meetings,
the members tell what they have done during the
previous week to lead some one to Christ, and
lead in prayer.
The idea of such a league is not entirely new.
A number of years ago, in England, Miss Helen
Cadbury, who is now the wife of the well-known
Gospel singer, Charles M. Alexander, -when in the
High School, helped to organize a “ Pocket Testa
ment League.” The girls had pockets sew’ed in
their dresses in which to carry the Testaments,
and they challenged each other when they met to
see whether they had the Testaments with them
at all times. Each pledged herself to read God’s
word daily, and the aim of the league was to win
other girls to Christ. It flourished greatly and ere
long had sixty members.
I was led to organize such leagues in connection
with the Torrey-Alexander Mission, and with the
Hicks-Galloway campaigns, because I had learned
from experience the wonderful blessing that comes
to anyone who always carries a Bible or Testa
ment.
It was in Liverpool, England, about two years
ago, that I first began to carry my Bible in my
coat pocket. One day I heard a man who had been
a great sporting man in the city —an amateur boxer
and referee at the biggest prize-fights, who had been
converted in the Torrey-Alexander meetings—tes
tify that whenever he changed his coat he changed
his Bible from one coat to the other. As I heard
him, I said to myself, “Well, I am ashamed of my
self; here I’ve been a Christian from boyhood;
have been a member of the church since I was nine
years of age, and I do not carry my Bible; while
this man, who has been redeemed only a few
months, is so loyal that he always carries it. I
determined then and there that I would carry my
Bible wherever I went, and during the past two
years I cannot express in words what a blessing
the practice has been to me. You have God’s Word
always at hand, for reading on the street cars and
trains, for committing verses to memory, and, most
of all, for use in leading souls to Christ.
In the recent Hicks-Galloway campaign in Ab
ingdon, when the whole town was transformed by
the remarkable awakening, half a dozen or more
1 ‘Pocket Testament Leagues” were organized. T
recently received a unique and interesting report
from one of the leagues.
The letter from the leader, and those from the
children, were as follows:
“My Dear Mr. Davis: You requested me to
keep you in touch with the 1 Little Workers' Pock
et Testament League,’ which we organized under
the instructions you gave me at the tabernacle one
evening.
“You may not, perhaps, remember that this
league was organized in the fifth and sixth grades
of the Washington school, and that we meet ev
ery Wednesday afternoon at the close of school
in the library of the school building,
The Golden Age for April 25, 1907.
“I undertook this work with somewhat of fear
and trembling, but so far, it has been very success
ful. The children are intensely interested, and the
meetings seem to be wonderfully helpful to them.
“Perhaps it will be interesting to you to know
how our meetings are conducted. The president
calls the meetings to order. We have song, then a
short prayer by the leader. The secretary calls
the roll, takes the report of the number of chap
ters of the Bible read by each member and reads
the minutes of the previous meeting. Then the
leader (always myself) reads the Scripture lesson,
or asks the members to read verses previously
given out. We then have testimonies and sentence
prayers by the members.
“Some of the members are a little timid yet
about speaking and praying.
“The boys and girls wished to have a part in
this report, so prepared these written testimonies,
hoping you might be able to use them to help some
other boys and girls. They are very much inter
ested in your work. A few words of advice or en
couragement from you to them will please them.
“Yours respectfully,
11 Hester Underwood. ’ ’
“I am glad that I am a Christian. I am glad
that you told us about the Testament Leagues.
Most everybody in our room at school is a Chris
tian Luke Ale Williams,
“Age 10, President of the League.”
“I am very glad you told us about the Pocket
Testament League. I am very glad I am a Chris
tian. Most all the pupils in our room have a little
Testament, and read a chapter every day. We
are doing as much as you said for us to do.
“Merrill Robertson, Age 12.”
“You told us about the Pocket Testament
League. I have made a new start in Christian
life, and am trying to do better.
“Lenore Sprigg, Age 12, Secretary.”
“I am very glad that I am a Christian. It has
helped me in many ways. Before I was converted,
I had many bad habits, but they have all gone. It
is good to be a Christian, whether you are dead
or alive. “Robert Young, Age 13.”
“I am glad I have started to serve Jesus. My
Christian life helps to keep me from getting angry.
“Hazel Sigman, Age 10.”
“I am glad you told us about the League, ami
I am also glad that I started out to be a Christian,
and I hope I always will be one.
“Fay Marie Hatch, Age 10.”
“I am glad I took Jesus as my Savior at the
tabernacle. “Charlotte Helen Bates, Age 11.”
“I am so glad that you told us about our little
league. It has done me a great deal of good, and
I am going to try to serve Jesus as my Savior. He
is a precious one. I hope I shall wear the beautiful
crown he is going to give us.
“Martha Delleochrum, Age 13.”
“I am glad that you told us of the Little Work
ers’ Pocket Testament League. We meet every
Wednesday after school.
“Gladys Stuart, Age 10.”
“I am glad I started to be a Christian, and I
hope I will always be faithful. I am glad that
you told us about the league.
“Verda Robertson, Age 11.”
“I am glad that I am a Christian, and that
you told us how to start a league. Most everybody
in our room is in it.
“Eugene Baldwin, Vice-president, Age 11.”
“I am glad that I have started to live a Chris
tian life. “Ola Warden, Age 12.”
“Since I have come to Christ I feel a great
deal better. I read a chapter in my Testament
every evening. “Lew Armstrong, Age 11.”
“I am so glad that you got up this League, and
I am a Christian, and joined at the tabernacle.
“Harold Bates, Age 10.”
“I am glad I am a Christian; I have helped to
lead my mamma and papa to Jesus.
“Blanda Carmer, Age 11.”
Two months after their organization there are
seven flourishing leagues in Abingdon. It was re
cently my privilege to attend a meeting of the
one mentioned above. The enthusiasm of the chil
dren over the Bible reading and carrying and over
soul winning was beautiful. Little Blanda Car
mer, who wrote the last letter given above has led
not only her father and mother but an
other gentleman to Christ since the big taber
nacle meetings closed. Os the sixteen or eighteen
members of the League present at the meeting two
declared they had decided to become missionaries;
nine said they would like to be missionaries or
ministers or evangelists. All stated that they read
at least one chapter in the Bible daily and “usually
more. ’ ’
Another enthusiastic League which I visited was
that among the seventh and eighth grade scholars.
In that League a number of the young people
read three chapters daily and five on Sunday, thus
completing the Bible in a year.
Mr. J. E. Smith, principal of the school in which
this League is held, writes as follows of this and
other leagues among the pupils:
“They keep up their Testament Leagues with un
abated zeal. It is an inspiration to attend one and
see the enthusiasm and real spirit shown. The ef
fect is felt throughout all the school in a desire to
live up to the truth on all occasions, and in much
better character of work performed.”
The badge worn by the members of the League
is a handsome button, representing a pocket Bible
held in the hand.
I feel confident that such Leagues will prove a
great blessing to any community. 1 hope many who
read these lines may organize Leagues at once.
Principal J. E. Smith, Abingdon, Illinois, will
doubtless send a copy of the constitution in use
there to any one wishing to organize a society who
will enclose a stamped envelope for reply.
The following from the Journal and Messenger
is appropriate for all editors: “An editor has been
going through a stack of manuscript, much of it,
doubtless, of considerable value. It costs the writ
ers time and thought and energy, though, no doubt,
they enjoyed the writing, and it did them good.
But it has had to go into the waste basket, simply
because of its illegibility. It was written with a
dull pencil, on poor, soft paper, and, passing
through the mails, has become so bedimmed that
these eyes cannot decipher it. We are very pa
tient with news items, and study over manuscript
of that kind when the eyes are heavy and strained.
But when it comes to a set article of several pages
on a commonplace subject—then comes a revolt.
No, we can’t afford the strain. We are hoping to
have use for these eyes for a few years more, and
can not afford to destroy them just yet. If tha
editor can not read a manuscript, what right has
he to presume that the compositor can, or to impose
it upon a man who roust have fifty an hour
for putting it into type? No, dear friends, if you
can not write legibly, with a pen or a typewriter
—excuse us; it is hardly worth while to send us
your manuscript.”
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