SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

Nelson Evening Mail, 29 October 1880, Page 2

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOK OP TUB " EVENING MAIL." Siu — The following facts in reference to Sunday schools may bo interesting to your correspondent " Inquirer " and to many others of your readers : — The first " Sabbath school " was founded by Ludwig Hacker between 1740 and 1747 at Kphrata, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, among the German Seventh-day Baptists there. The school-room was used as an hospital after the battle of Brandywine, fought in 1777. This event occasioned the breaking up of the schools, about five years before the first Sunday school was instituted in Eng'and at Gloucester by Robert Raikes about 1782. .In ,1781, as Raikea relates himself in a letter written , in 1784, he was struck with the number of wretched children whom he found wholly abandoned to t]tie,mselvea in the neighborhood of a pin manu--1 factory where their parents were employed.

He began in a very unpretending manner conjointly with the Rev Thomas Stock. Their success was extraordinary. Before his death (1811) he had the satisfaction of seeing his first humble endeavor become ultimately the cause of the establishment of daily schools supported by the public. A Sunday school existed at. Catterick, Yorkshire, in 1763-4, established by the Rev. Theophilus Lindsey and Mrs Cappe. Lindsey was at the time Vicar of Catterick, brt entertaining serious doubts concerning the Trinitarian doctrine of the Church of England he formally resigned his connection with the Established Church and became an Unitarian, officiating in a room in Essexstreet, Strand, using a liturgy very slightly altered from the national church service. Being very successul in his efforts tor raise a Unitarian congregation, he was able shortly afterwards to commence the erection of a more permanent chape] in Essex-street. In front of this chapel the Unitarians have erected a monument or memorial at the cost of £500 to the memory^of-the founders of Sunday schools. Ujuitariani Christians hare been for generations,jand still are, some of the most earnest and faithful -workers in the Suuday school cause. The Sunday School Union, unable to grasp that large spirit of Christian love given in their own words, " cultivating a practical working unity among Christians of all. denominations," refused to receive the co-operation of the Loudon School Association because it is composed chiefly of Unitarians, and practically say "They who do not repeat our Shibboleth shall not work with U9, though we will accept their money." Hence arose this monument, towards the erection of which many of various shades of opinion subscribed.— l* am, &c, Thomas Gilbert.

T6 the Editor of the "Evening Mail." Sir,— lf "Enquirer" will refer to f the Church Messenuer of April 1880, he will find tnat Robert Raikes was not the firat or only active promoter of Suurlay Schools. More i ban a century before, a Sunday School was opened at, Bath, not far from Gloucester. In Kent, some years before Mr. Raikes took any part in the Matter, a Sunday School was opened. Mr. Kaikes Utterly ignored the services of the originator and bia fe.llowl^borfrs ia Gloucester ; he had a newspaper and so claimed all tho merit. E.T. 29th October, 1880.

In the N.Z. Times the other day, there appeared a letter under the unsavoury heading " Local Industries — Bad Butter." An issue or two later the local column contained the following paragraph i — " With praise worthy energy a certain firm of gfoeers in this city are about to try the experirupnt of exporting butter to China, Japan, and other countries. They have already had prepared about twelve dozen tiu vessels, which when filled, will be made air-tight, in the same manner as jams are packed for exportation. The ouly difficulty to be encountered is to devise Rome means of keeping the butter cool .while passing through hot climes, and if this difficulty pan be surmounted, the intending exporters are confident, from data obtaiued by them, that the trade will extensively develop, profitably alike to the settlers of the district and to themselves. The consignment of a couple of tons will shortly be despatched, and we hope in a short time to chronicle the complete success of this new venture.'* For the sake of the new industry it is to be hoped that there is no connection between the letter and the paragraph. Writing on the appointment of the new Agent-General, the A Z. Times says : — Sir Francis was selected as much from his personal fitness, as because of his long and intimate connection with the public business of the colony. Admitting the necessity of filling up the vacancy, we heartily approve, of the appointment of Sir Francis. Clear' headed, hard-working, a keen investigator, perfectly versed in departmental routine, r fluent speaker, a vigorous writer, thoroughly conversant with the colony's affairs, well-bred, upright aiid honorable, he will, we believe, prove a right worthy successor to Sir Julius. ludeed, no one but a man of very considerable attainments and force of character would have been fitted to have succeeded him Whilst we could have wished it possible to have closed the department altogether, and so have saved the colony a large yearly out lay, yet upon consideration it will, we think, be admitted that the colony must be represented in London, especially as during tne next year or two its credit may possibly bo severely assailed. A champion on the spot to guard its interests, to meet and re pi} to ull comers, whether by word or pen, it almost indispensible. ' A good stor3 r is related about a communication received from the " spirits" by a resident in Ballarat. The gentleman, a widower, had, the Star says, for a long time been sceptical as to the authenticity of the messages received from. the disembodied ones, but was at length persuaded to visit a circle. The first visit was unproductive, but on the occasion of his second visit bis late wife made known to him through the medium that she would like to communicate. •' We are so happy up here, dear," she said. " Johnny is growing such a big boy, and his spirit is expanding beautifully." The deceased's husband pricked up his ear at this. " I'm delighted to hear of little Johnny's success," he answered ; " hope he'll continue to expand. He's getting up in years now, Sarah," said he, with much cunning. "Oh dear, no, just three," responded the spirit, cheerfully. " Well, I'll say good night, Sarah. If you think you're going to fool off some other fellow's Johnny on this parent you're much mistaken. My son Jack happened to be sixteen years of age." A London telegram of the 3rd September says :— The American Hop BittPrs Manufacturing Company have written to Trickctt, offering £1000 prize money to be competed for in a professional single sculling race, open to the world, on English water. The letter. is as follows:—" Dear Sir—Being desirous to see the world's greatest oarsmen together in contest, and as our prominent ones in the United States express a desire to meet, we write to ask you if you will enter and row in a single sculling regatta on the Thames or other suitable water near London, Englaud, some time in November or December, 1880, for the Hop Bitters cash prize of 5000dols ; 2nd, 1500dols ; 3rd, 700 dols ; 4th, 300dols. Entries free ; open to all the world. Please reply at yoar earliest convenience, and give your preference as to time and location. Will you also do us the favor to ask Laycock if he will enter, and report same to .us." Tricket replied, accepting the' proposal, .hut. refusing to row later than qri 22nd November, being desirous that Liiycock-r-who must leave England by the i 26th November— should take part in the race. ', Trickett stipulates that, if the race is rowed on the Thames, it must be in heats,. as there' lis notrboni on the river otherwise! He suggests, that the trustees of the Sportsman's Challenge Cup should' arrange the heats in such a way that there shall be one American, one, Australian, and one Englishman in each. | The general opinion is unfavorable to Trickett's style, as he slides too short. He and Laycock are on the water once daily, and are taking niucb land exercise. A steam launch swamped Laycock on the Ist September; but little, harm was done, the boat being only slightly damaged. 1 The police at Home appear to be actively engaged in the suppression of spurious clubs; From the laßt Home papers we observe that Henryßraun, proprietor of the Athenaeum Club, Vale of Health, Harapstead, was summoned to the Hampstead Police Court for infringing the Licensing Act by selling iutoxicating liquors without a license. The case was proved by two constables, who visited the premises on the occasion of a concert and ball, when they were supplied with ale. The Bench said the club was clearly a " colorable " one, and as defendant had been fined before for a similar offence, ihe would have to now pay £25, besides being disqualified to hold a license for five years. The engine which fell into the water at the Tay. Bridge disaster has been fished up from tho bottom of the deep estuary, and is now running on the railway "as if nothing had happened." Its first ruu after resurrection was made August 23rd, between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Crowds gathered to see it arrive at the stations duiing the first few days. The wreckage of the bridge is nearly ;all recovered. About 6,000 tons of iron, : portions of the bridge, were fished up during [five months, including 510 pillars ; arid the work'cost>6l2,ooo,

We understand that upon reconsideration Captain Johnson has accepted the offered poßt of Nautical Adviser to the Government, which he formerly filled with so much satisfaction, ■ We are pleased to learu that his services are not to be lost to the colony, — Post. The Fijians in Auckland are very much annoyed at the murderer Joe being termed a Fijian, when he is a New Hebrides islander. They are forty in number, and give a week's wages each for the relief of the widow of the murdered man Rees, also of Mrs Arnold, the widow who was murderously attacked by Joe. The Lancet, the leading organ of the medical profession, thus refers to Mr. Gladstone's illness, after describing the progress of the attack:— "We cannot, speaking medically, acquit Mr. Gladstone altogether of the charge of having recently neglected to remember that even his powers have a limit * but this is to be said to the credit of Ms judgment, that he has been a most submissive patient, and, to the credit of his splendid and well-preserved constitution, that he Las passed through a testing illness without the slightest sign of failure in the great vital organs, and in a way to justify the hopes of his countrymen that he will, with a little more consideration for his physical needs, be long spared to play his conspicuous part in the councils of the nation. No illness since that of the Prince of Wales has produced such profound and universal anxiety. Mr. Gladstone will have the most refined sense of this interest, and cannot better recognise it than by taking a little more care of himself." 4 The Southland Times U seveie on the " Liberals " who were dragged into court the other day and made to pay Sir George Grey's cab hire when he was on his electioneering tour in the south. Our contemporary says:— It wbb a party demonstration, unquestionably, in which Sir George Gny was a conspicuous figure, and the following of -which he is the leader was deeply concerned in observing at least the decencies of life when striving to score a party triumph. Instead of this we find them blundering into disgrace, and making themselves the laughing stock of th<colony by an ingenuity of fatuousness tbal nobody could have conceived for them Where were the half dozen individuals — not whose Bwords should have leapt from their aeabuard^ — but whose hands should have been simultaneously in their breeches' pockets to aave the honor of Sir George Grey and of the Society that wore his colors? Therewas a dim perception in certain quarters that things were going wrong for the party, and that a supreme effort was demanded. But the call was for thirty shillings, and the bHthusiasra seems to have collapsed at ten. What will Sir George Grey ihiuk ? Should he, to save his credit, remit, as he most likely will, the money to Intercargill, the cup of humiliation for his followers will be full. The Parihaka correspondent of the JV.Z. Times writes:—" Take off tby shoes from off S tby feet, for the placß on which thou staudest is holy ground." Such appears to be i the native idea of their large meeting house at Faribaka. None are now allowed inside but those who seek admission unshod. All others are turned ignotniniously away unless they bo far bow down to the mandate of Te Whiti and Tohu and take off their boots. One day last week an interpreter was, sent to Parihaka to distribute copies of Mr Bryce's letter to Wiremu Kingi. He was met at thtdoor of the meeting house by the doorkeeper, who is armed with a long whip having a formidable wooden handle. To Cerberus he explained his erraad and was told that he must take his boots off ere be could enter. Being the emissary of a great colony, lie di . not think it compatible with his dignity to comply, and went to Te Whiti, who was by himself in a small whare. The chief did not ; want anything to do with European docu menta, and refused to take a copy. As no men were to be found in any other bouse but the large one, in consequence of the majority being engaged on their cultivations, the messenger returned to the doorkeeper at the house of Baal, and after another parley tbe old buffer consented to distribute some ■ copies to those inside while he (the messenger) stood at the door. This was done, and before he left to visit the cultivations of ihe natives, in order to complete his errand, he bad tho satisfaction of seeing many of the inmates of the meeting-house eugrossed in tbe contents of the Native Minister's letter. Writing on the planets and the weather a scientific writer in an American journal says:— Jupiter rolls on towards perihelion and opposition with constantly increasing speed. The near approach of this great planet to the sun has been accompanied by an unusual elemental warfare which may be taken to substantiate the theory that the close proximity of the planets to the shu has a highly disturbing influence upon the central luminary. Earthquakes, numerous and destructive, have borne witness to the internal commotion going on in the unknown depths beneath the earth's slender crust ; a whirlwind and waterspout, such as was never nover known in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, has spent its force on a New England peninsula ; floods, cyclones, and tornadoes havn been of almost daily occurrence, as reported on weather records ; a wave of intense heat has been followed by a cold snap, when fires were comfortable, frost lay on the lowlands of Massachusetts, snow , fell on the Catsldlls, and ice and snow chilled the blood of the pleasure-seekers on Mount Washington. It is a comforting assurance to know that Jupiter will be safely beyond his perihelion before the other planets reach this important point in their orbits, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, all touch their perihelions soon. Neptune passes the height of its perihelion in 18S1 ; Uranus May 7, 1882, and Saturn in August 1885, giving promise of a respite before they take their turn in pulling with one accord , upon the sun. Among noteworthy events during the month, the first in importance will be the continued study of elemental disturbances in terrestrial territories, in con- : nection with sun spots and the grand pull which mighty Jupiter is exerting upon the great centre of life and light. It will be well also to remember that his mass greatly exceeds that of all the other planets combined, and the difference between his equatorial and polar diameter is 5,000 miles, or more than lhalf of the whole diameter of the globe.