SUNDAY SCHOOL CENTENARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 249, 20 October 1880, Page 2

SUNDAY SCHOOL CENTENARY.

The " Conference .of Teachers " '. advertised to. take plane at tbe Provincial Hall last night was attended not only by the teachers 'at the Sunday; Schools, but by. a large number of the ptfblic, the Hall being filled to 'overflowing;" ai\d a Jarg-^ apiount of intereet w&9 evidently taken- in' the proceed ; ings, which lasted from 730 until 10.30. .The chair was taken by the Bishop of Nelson, and papers were read as JEollows f i-*- By Mr Worley, od « The Book iof th<? Stibool 5, j by Mr. Upse> on. " The Teafcfiers of -the school "; and by Miss Stoddart, on ".The.' discipline of the school." The Rev. Mr Hamilton spoke on the first subject, the Rey.Mr Bowse pn the second," and t£e ltev. Mr Beckebbam ou the third. A number of addresses were delivered, And several ok the Oehtetiaty byrtloa wefe slib* with great spirit. THE CHILDREN'S 'GATHERING To-day was eagerly looked for* by hiindreds of little ones \Vho viewed &ith &_arin the clouds, that htliig aboufc-the mountains all yesterday and seem to threaten, a downpour of rain to-day, and to add to their fears there came one of Capt. Edwin's gloomy forecasts at a late boor in ;tb.e aftetflbon. This morniug 1 , hdwever, broke bright and clear, md an unclouded sun and fresh breeze boon dried the ground and removed all traces of the late rain. At one o'clock tbe shutters were put,up in many of the principal shops, and it was evident that the townspeople intended to keep holiday dttring the remainder of the day. About two o'clock the children attending the Sunday schools in town and those who had cOtoa iv from Wakapuaka were to be seen Wending their way to the railway station, where, half an hour before the arrival of the train, they were drawn up five deep iv two long lines, the number present being over 1000, and as many 'of them carried banners and flags of bright hues, and the large majority of them bore beautiful bouquets in their hands, ifc may be easily imagined that the sight was a brilliant and a picturesque oue. Shortly before three there was a buzz of excitement in tbe ranks as the distant whistle of the engi'ue aunounced the approach of the train with the children from the Waimeas, who, to tbp, number of 450, streamed out of the carriages ou the train reaching the station, and, having joined the town schools, the march to the Botanical Reserve commenced, the.Battalion Band and the Stoke Fife and Drum Band playing at intervals The line of march Was through Hardy, Trafalgar, and Bridge streets, and over the Normanby Bridge to the Botanical Reserve, where a fence was erected round a portion of the ground, on reaching which the boys filed off to the right and the girls to the left. The centre of the ground was occupied by a very conspicuous object iv the shape of an obelisk 26 feet high, surmounted by a cross, which was wreathed with gilded bay leaves, carved and presented to the Committee by Mr Bethwaite. On the four faces of the obelisk were the following inscriptions :— " Tn grateful remembrance of Robert Raikes, of the City of Gloucester, and other founders of Suuday Schools.— Nelson, New Zealand, 1780-1880."— "England, Ireland,.Scotland", (linked together) "Both one in Christ" and below, "New Zealand "-i- --" Jesus said, Suffer little children to come unto Me" ; and "From a child thou bast -known the Holy Scriptures." - On the northern side of the field a platform was erected, which was occupied-by those who came to take part in the centenary. His Worship the Mayor presiding. The marshalling "of the little army having been carried out in a very successful and orderly manner, tbe proceedings commenced with the hymn " Come siDg with Holy gladness," tbe ltev. R. Bavin actiug as conductor, the voices of the children, who had evidently been carefully trained, sounding very sweetly. The attendance of the public wa3 very large i; the attendance on the hill-side, which was dotted all over with spectators,' and around the fence numbering c!o3e on 2,000. i A collection, amounting to £27, was made at the gates towards defraying the expenses of the celebration.