SUNDAY SCHOOL CENTENARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 205, 21 October 1880, Page 2

SUNDAY SCHOOL CENTENARY.

We were unable in our yesterday's issue to report tbe whole of the proceedings at the Children's Gathoring in tbe Botanical Heserve. After the singing of the first hymn, the Bishop proceeded to the rostrum erected near the obelisk, whence he read a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, after which he exhorted tbe children to imke the Bible their study, and to take it as their guide through life. Prayor was then offered up, after which the hymn " Hark the song of Jubilee " was sung. The Mayor then ca.lled Upon Sir William Fox, who was^eeeived with preat imeefibg and a prolonged clapping of little hands. One hundred years ago, he said, steam engines, railways, and telegraphs were not in existence, but great inventions though they were, there was a still greater one which had been made within that period, viz.. the Sunday school, to do honor to which, and the man who founded it, and the thousands who had since bis day carried on the. good work, they were met together that day. Ope hundred years ago Robert Raikea was shocked by seeing tho children of the city of Gloucester wallowing in the gutters and playing about the streets on the Sunday, and he wondered to himself whether he could discover any remedy for the gr.at evil over Which he lamented. A voice within him said " Try," and he did try, and part of the result of his trying was to be seen there on tho present occasion. There was a saying that to children and fools they should not show half completed work ; but they were not afraid of showing their half-done work, for they hoped that with God's bles.ing those children whom they saw before them, and in whom the good work was commenced, would grow up to become godlyand religious men and women, and tbot would indeed be a glorious sight. Thirty-five years ago he had laid the foundation stone of the building in which his good friend Matthew Campbell h*d ever since been laboring in sowing the good seed. A generation had passed away since then, and no doubt numbers of those he was now addressing were the children and grand children of those who had received their religious instruction in that school. He hoped they when they grew up they would remember the benefits they had rcc«ived, and as teachers of Sunday schools endeavor to make thoße who were to follow partakers of them as we\\. . He asked them to raise their hearts in thankfulness to Almighty God for the blessing he had bestowed upon the world in giving to it Robert Raike. and others who had followed in hi. footsteps, and he earnestly prayed that God in his mercy might bless the childrea.he was now addressing both in time and eternity. A very, pretty and effective part of tbe proceedings then commenced. The children were requested to lay their floral tributes on tbe steps of; the memorial obelisk, and the girls were then.marched put at the right of the column of children into the enclosed space, .passing round the obelisk and b-ck to their places through the centre of the column, the whole movement being performed as accurately as miaht have been done by a well drilled body of men. The flowers wero taken from the hands of the children by a number of teachers and others who were in waiting, and piled up on the steps until the whole base of the obelisk and six feet up its sides was one maas of brilliant wreaths and bouquets. The hymn " Saviour, Blessed Saviour " was then sung, after which the Rev. Mr Rodgers, of Riwaka, spoke of the obligation under which he felt himself to be to the Sunday Bchools, and earnestly impressed upon all present to do their share towards promoting the good work. Hymn, " Forward be our watchword." The Rev. J. Beckenham affectionately exhorted his adult bearers to assist in tbe Sunday Schools, and the children to use their best endeavors to turn to good account the lessons they learned there. Hymn, "All hail tbe Power of Jem's Name." The Buhop of Nelson then pronounced the benediction, after which the National Anthem was sung, to tho accompaniment of the Band. ; Mr C. Jennings, who bad acted as marshal during the day, then called for three, cheers for the Queen, for our country,, and for Nelson, invitations whioh met with a hearty response. A vote of thanks, on the motion of the Mayor, was accorded to the "Bishop and the members of .the Committee, the Bishop replying, and' stating that whatever he had j done he had regarded as a labor of love. The children then returned to town in procession, thoße from the country walking to the railway station, where a bun was served round to each before starting. The Congregational School proceeded to the Church, where each scholar was presented with a Centenary medal, bearing on one face a likeness of Robert Raikes and on the other the words " Suffer little children to come unto Me " In concluding. our report we must compliment those to whom had been entrusted the arrangements for yesterday's proceedings upon their general excellence, and the very Bucdessful manner in which they were carried out. A very slight mistake would have led to no little confusion in the placing of so many hundreds of children, but the precautions taken prevented anything of the kind, and there was not a hitch of any kind whatever from the beginning to the end of the proceedings. The singing, too, is worthy of special notice. So thoroughly in accord were the hundreds of voices which took part in it that the words of some of tbe hyrnnß were distinctly beard at a distance of a quarter of a mile.