w IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I 1.25 f i^ 12.2 li£ I 40 2.0 1.8 U 11.6 i vj V) ^1 ^>. °^ •?> j^'%> ,»»' %^.>?'^ 0^ V Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 \ ,v ■^ C\ V /'^ ^\. ^:k "^cS ^^^ '^::it% <» '<> %. " (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symbolen suivants apparaitra sur la derniire image de cheque microfiche, seion le cas: le symbole «► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols ▼ signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included In one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est f Ilm6 A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 t 2 3 ,, ^ 5 6 ■"T^^y »«i«'iai'«Hl*"J» Toronto Public Librari«« Pamphlet Collection OUR SABBATH SCHOOL FOR TEN MORE YEARS. -OF- ROUTINE AND INCIDENTS, t 1373 TO 1SS9 -IN— SAINT ANDREW S CHURCH SABBATH SSHOOL, -BY- V A. D. FORDYCE, (Sec'y.) 1889. ADVOCATE PBINT. i •ffV" '-UW.'iJUiilUiLl'WSH c f . Q K^ |: ^^^^ffm 'V OUR SABBATH SCHOOL" FOR TEN MORE YEARS. -OP— ROUTINE AND INCIDENTS, ie7© TO isse -IN- SAINT ANDREW'S CHURCH . SABBITH S@HOOL, . : i^Ei^c3-TJs. oirrr-A-i^io. -BY— A. D. FORDYCE, (Sjic'y.) 1889. I- ADVOCATK rUINT. ;:::i^ MMMl ^ INTRODUCTORY NOTE. The orij^iniil Sabbath School of St. Andrew's Church, Fergus, merged in that of the Melville Church Congregation in 1844. As there was no Pastor over the contrrefjation of St. Andrew's Church till 1847, it was not "^•W May 1849 that its Sabbath School was re organized as mentioned in the " Narrative of 30 years" referred to at the outset of what follows. Any pro6t realized on this Supplementary Narrative will go to the Sabbath School Library. fA' ■^^S" *i t ;ecl no lot ihe he . .,( SUPPLEMENTARY NARRATIVE 1S79-1SS9. SABBATH S0HOOL, ST, ANDREW'S SHURSH its- •r-EI^a-TJS. .90$ In May 1879 acting on the suggestion of the valued Superintendent of our Sabbath School, a Narrative of Routine and Incidents during the Thirty previous years of its history, was prepared and read at a meeting in the Church on the evening of tlie 19th— the 20th of May being the 30th Anniversary. The Narrative was printed in the following year arid about 200 copies were circulated. There had been two years immediately before Mr. MuUan's settlement as our pastor, during which there had been no school : — the other 28 years were divided in the Narrative into three periods of Sev^n, Fourteen and seven years, but in what follows, embracing the period between I il9 and 1889, the ten years are regarded as a whole, and treated of undc. the following heads : — Teaching StafiP, Routine, Quarterly Sermons, Mission -Pupils, Anniversaries and Entertainments, Obituary Notices, Attendance and Contributions. .-< ^ TEACHING STAFF. ' " . At the Anniversary in 1 879 the number of our Teachers was 1 3. Since then 29 appointments have been made. Of these 42 Teachers, 26 have left us — the 16 who remain l)eint{ our present Teaching Staff including Mr. MuUan and Mr. Moffat the only ones now with us of the original Thirteen. The other Elemn were the lute Mr. Cadenhead and myself ; the late Mr. Robert Shaw and Mr. Muir ; Mr. James Clyne and Mr. Moorhead ; Miss Fordyce and Miss Hewlett, Mrs. Kerr, Mrs. Moffat and Mrs. James Munr.'). The Fifteen who liad joined us since 1879 but who have aleo left us since their appointment, were Mr. White, Mr. Bain, Mr. Young, Mr. Black, Mr. McGillivray, Mr. John A Cadenhead and Mr. Walker, Mr. Bryans, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. French ; Mrs. L. C. Munro, Mrs. Gerrie (now Skene), Mrs. Shaw (now Black), Miss Jackson and Miss Pattison (now Mrs. Hoffmann). - '' '^ ■ * f^ The causes of withdrawal of these 26Teachers have been various. Some have been removed by death ; some have left Fergus for homes elsewhere or in prosecution of study ; some who remain in Fergus are no longer con- nected with us as a church ; some who are still members of this church and attend its services, are uniit th -oukIi infirmity for work in the school ; while others who still worship v, ith '.is have no doubt had satisfactory rea- sons for giving place meanwhile to others. The present Librarian's duties, assigned over two years since, rendered his withdrawal from the work of teaching a necessity. Besides the stated Teacliers who have been mentioned, members of the Hible Class have frequently rcndeied assistance by supplying temporary vacancies ; wiiile othera have done so, not for an occasional iSabbath but for periods more or less prolonged. Of the latter were the late Miss Eliz- abeth Tunnah (subsequently Mrs Levei)'), Miss Isabella Mackay and Miss Kelly who has had charge of Miss Moffat's class during the past live months. Recently, also, Mrs. Mullan's severe and protracted illness made a temporary arrangement necessary. For a time Mrs. Boswell had charge of the class, till laid aside, herself, by severe illness. It was then in the hamis of Mrs. Gordon and afterwards of Mrs. Thomson. A large amount of v(dnntary labor has been given and given cheerfully by the various Teachers employed during these ten years, surely not with- out considerable benefit, intellectual, moral or spiritual to the scholars, — and we should hope that the fact of Thirteen scholars having united with the Uhurch a year ago, and others since then, may be regarded, as an in- dication that, under God, the work of the Sabbath School Teachers has not been wholly in yain. It may be added that eight of those who have been scholars are now teaching classes in the scliool, ' ROUTINE. There has been no very g'-oat change in our arrangements during these ten years. . - The Interiiafioncd Lexson Series has been used regularly. No Teachers' Meethuj has been held, except in connection with the Wee)cly Prayer Meeting. For sometime, indeed, opportunity was afforded for social piayer and conference on the interests of the school, at the close of the exercises on the first Sabbath of each month. Recently, a Sabbath School Teachers' Union Institute has been organized in Fergus, a weekly meeting being held when the lesson for the followine Sabbath is taken up. Quarterly Repm'ts on Attendance, Contributions and incidental matters continue to be given, and the Quarterlg Sermons preached by Mr. Mullan to the scholars, are listened to with interest. 'I A Qunrltrly Li'UHon lieviaw \ms not been invariably kept up ;— Mission- ary aud Temperance addresses being occasionally given instead, and infor- mation eoniiniuiicatcd on these subjects, varied now and then by a Concert Bible reading on these or other suitable topics. The Shorter GoUe.chinm continues to be taught : but we cannot say much as to knowledge its contents by the school generally. An oral ex- amination on the whole of its contents or on parts was held at the Anni- versary in May 18S3 and a similar one at that in 1885. At the former 26 scholars out of nine classes took part : at the latter 20 scholars' from seven classes— no boy coming forward in the second. In both cases Rewards wore given for relative proficiency. Tlie Rev. Mr. Campbell of Harriston was the exan)iner at the first, the Rev. Mr. Rose of Elora at the second. A written examination on the Catechism was also held on the 4th Decem- ber, 1887. Eleven girls took part in it. six of them with a wider range than the others. The Slated Black Board was used for sometime in connection with closing remarks on the lesson. In 1880 Travn/er designs were procured, and tor these next year, the colored demtjUH of the Providence Lithograph Company was substituted. In 1883 the less expensive, altho' less attractive, designs of Lanr;c and Yost of Cleveland were taken, but in 1886 the Pro- vi■ MISSION PUPILS. It was in the year ISSO that Mr. Miillaii suggested the 8i.pport of a pupil at the Poliite Aux Tremhtex luntitiite, aided at first by the Congrega- tion to tiie extent of one half of the yearly amount required. In order to make a conunencement, he assisted liberally himself. The suggestion was acted on. Our Hrst pupil was assigned to us in December 1880. She was the child of poor parents and was sixteen years of age Her name was Georgina Pepin, and she was described to us as not being very intelligent, but studious, persevering and quiet, and " one who loved Jesus.'' In her place Louis (iiroux was assigned to us m the winter of 1882, an intelligent boy of fourteen yciirs of age, who had been under very good influence at houie. His parents wiio lived at St Cecile on the (jatineau were converts from the Church of Rome, f^avorable reports I'egarding him, were regularly received from M, liourgoin the Principal, and we were gladdened by learning that he was one of 81 scholars who accepted Christ during the Session closing in June 1885. He then decided to devote himself to Mission work. In the sutumer of 1886 he was employed as a Colpor+eur in the Provi^ices of Quebec and New li«'unswick ; returning to his studies at Pointe Aux Tren)bles next session ; and at its close entering the Presbyterian College at Montreal, with a view to the Ministry. We received four interesting lei,;er.s from him while he was at Pointe Aux Trembles, dated severally December 1882, June 1884, Febr'y 1886and March 1887, all in French except the last. In his i^l^e Alfred Clavelle a boy of 13 years of age, was assigned to us in Nov. 1887, the child of Frencli Koman Catholic parents who were described as " not altogether under the power of the Clergy." Good ac- counts have been received respecting him since he entered the Institution and M. Bourgoin writes that he is much interested in Ids studies, and especially in the Bible lessons. We iiad a grateful and animated letter from him in Aprd 1888, and have learned that lie has iiad sufficient influ- ence to bring another member (»f the family to Pointe Aux Trembles. Passing over to the Missionary Institirtion at Poona, India.— We learned in 1881 in the month of March that our pupil there Anna Muttoo or Cashinath had been admitted to the membership of the Cnurch ot^ pro- fession of her faith in the Lord Jesus, in September preceding and was es- tablished as a Teaclier in a High Caste School in the City. Eighteen months later we were informed that she has been married to Balujee a schoolmaster under the well known native Minister Rev. Nerayan Shesha- drai and had gone to resiile 200 irdles distant. In June 1881 a letter M'os / I / sent to her signed by all the Teachera of our School, and one scholar from each class, accompanied by Four Dullat's as a parting /emembrance. She had been supported by us for Nine years. Ill her place on 6 Aug. 1882 our present pupil Prita was adopted, des- cribed to us then as a " little waif — pretty, amusing and clever." She soon exhibited strongly marked individuality of character. Altho' love- able she was self-willed, fond of meddling, prone to assume superiority, and direct those older than herself. She is a nervous, excitable child and has latterly occasioned her Teachers no small anxiety. She is probably about ten years of age, having been supposed to be between three and four yeai s when she was adopted. Miss Bernaid has more than once requested the prayers of her* supporters in Fergus for their little charge, and this it is hoped, has not been overlooked. As Miss Bernar* Entertainments, but on Chi-istmas Eve 1880 we had one. A Christmas Tree bore sifts for the scholars and others connected with the school. There was also a Concert Exercise on ^ l\ *' Watchfulness" in which six boys and six tjirls took part. The Choir as sisteil and an Address was given by the Rev. Mr. Snnellie. in 1881 irt place of a Christmas Eve gathering, there was one on the !!>.oiuint^ of Christmas Day ; a number of the scholars and some of the Teacliers meeting in the Church. Hymns were sung, and an address given b}' the Rev. Mr. Byers. A quarto Bibl^ was also presented to Mr. Mullan by the Bible Class along with an address to which he replied ; and Cards were given to the scholars. In 1882 the Scholars merely received Cards on the 24th of December, circumstances preventing more. In 188.3 there was again a Christmas Eve entertainment : — singing and recitations by the scholars^ music by the Choir and an address by the Rev. Mr. Swann. In 1884 a Christmas Eve Entertainment was again held. On this oc- casion however, there was a Christmas Tree loaded with a variety of gifts from the scholars and Teachers for Indian children in the North West ; the proceedings were eidivened by recitations and singing, and the articles which were duly forwarded, proved very acceptable. In 1885 there was a meeting on Christmas morning in the church prin- cipally of the smaller children and Teachers. Short religious services were held, Hymns sung, and Cards distributed. la 1886 there was a precisely similar gathering on Christmas morning. In 1887 on Christmas Day Special Cards were given for good attend- ance, and rewards to those who had taken part in a written Examination on the Shorter Catechism the day before. In 1888 there was a Christmas Tree on the evening of the 27th Decem- ber, on which gifts had been placed for the Scholars and Teachers. Ad- l8 in Trinidad. We also sent a contribution for the Mis'iionary Venml-Day Sprinij — and one to a church at Batala, in the Vunjaub, India, where Miss Tucker (the well know writer A. L. 0. E.) resides, and for which she had made an appeal to the Christian public. We were stratified by receiving an autogrq>ph letter from that lady thanking us for the contribution. During; the samo period we also did something for the Home Mission Scheme, the liritish and Foreign Bible Society, the Fergus Tract Society and for the Sabbath School Provincial Association as well as for that of our own County. It seems now liowever, under altered circumstances, as if raising the full amount required for the support of both our pupils and what is needed for all ether outlay for the school would be quite as much as we shall be able for. A stricter adherence than in the former Narrative to the several divis- ions given at the outset, hatt led to the omission of an incident which should not be overlooked: — the appointment of oor respected Superintendent, Rev. J. B. Mallan, as a Delegate to the Centenary Commemoration of the establishment of Sabbath Schools by Robert Raikes, held at London, Eng- .land in 1880, gratifying both to Mr. Midlan and ourselves, and peculiatly fitting considering the great interest he has always felt and taken in the cause generally : — and particularly in the welfare of our own Sabbath School — his constant aim having been to render the School more efficient, whether as a means of Christian instruction of enforcing religious truth — of developing religious life in the scholars, or of training them in the prac- tice of Christian duty. There is a peculiar interest in connection with one of the Hymns which at one time was frequently used in our Sabbath School and which' was sung at the Anniversary service in the Church recently held— " Childhood's years are passing o'er us," — in the fact that .i/x'Mieeks before, its author Mr. William Dickson, Editor for about forty years of the ' Children's Record of the Free Church of Scotland,' breathed his last: — The last verse has signiticance in connection with our Obituary notices : " Soon we part — it may be never, ^ Never here to meet again ; Oh to meet in Heaven for ever ! Oh the Clown of life to gain. Fergus, June, 1889. A. D. F. ■ I- .' i ■" ■' :>• '^ ■■- ."' •! ,.■ < 1() |j( i