“Dear Mrs. W.:
It was indeed quite a cheer having such an encouraging letter, especially when there had been so much to discourage in starting a Sunday School here.
You know how this work has been much upon my heart, in fact, ever since I was gathered out from system, and I felt so for the dear children that never hear the gospel, pure and simple. Well, your visit among us stirred up this desire, so that I felt it was of the Lord, and that the time had come to make a start.
There was much discouragement at first, both in the children who promised to come, and a little opposition in the meeting. The one thing I encouraged myself with very much was, the thought that when God begins to work, Satan is also very busy, and it was a comfort to know this work was of the Lord, therefore blessing would follow in His own blest time.
There was a family who lived near the meeting, in whom I was very much interested, and used to give them magazines, so when it was thought to start the Sunday School, I called and asked the parents if they would be willing for the children to come, for I knew they went nowhere. The parents were quite willing, and this I felt was an answer to prayer, for they are such a godless set, however I had not been seated but a few minutes when there was a tap at the door, and who should be there but one of these children hand in hand with her friend, and said, “Here is another for the Sunday School.”
With the hope of having three children, it was decided to start the school, so I went to the room and arranged everything. Three o’clock came, but no children arrived, and so the time went on, and there I waited until nearly four o’clock. You can little imagine what I passed through that afternoon, and returned home very, very sad.
The following Saturday afternoon I looked up some more Children. Well, I had the promise of twelve children, and the next day only one came, which was Lucy H. At the close on looking around, she said, “Those other children are very naughty in not coming to Sunday School. They will have the policeman after them.” It was an amusing remark, although at the time I felt too sad to take it as such.
The next Lord’s day I had two children, the next six; The next nine, then twelve. So you see it gradually grew, and as one looks back, one sees how needful the exercise was in those days of discouragement. We now have over thirty children, and had it not been for some families moving away, we should have had over forty. Such are the sorrows of a Sunday School—children leaving when one is so attached to them.
We get on very happily together—both children and teachers. Celia has a class, also Annie and Avis.
We had a great, sorrow last Autumn, a family of six moved to B. These children were quite the flower of the Sunday School—so regular and well behaved, and for some time it seemed, dreadful to see their empty chairs. They left rather, sooner than expected, so the, three girls came to say goodbye, which gave an opportunity of speaking to them. Florrie, aged twelve, said she believed in the Lord Jesus, so I said to her, “Do you know what it is to have your sins washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus?”
Her reply was, “I do,” which was most decided. So we can only trust she is saved. It certainly seemed a clear, simple testimony.
We have a boy, James H., who is nearly teen years. He confessed, a few months age, that he believed on the Lord Jesus.
I have a little girl in my class in whom I am very much interested. She seemed so dark When she first came to the Sunday School, but now it is encouraging to see how clear she is about God’s things. One afternoon, While having the class, all of a sudden she looked up and said, “Teacher, if I have my sins washed away in the blood of Jesus, can I go to heaven?”
It was said in such earnestness as though it had been a meditation of hers. She is so clear about the Lord’s coming. At one time when I had a new girl, I was asking her if she had ever heard about the Lord’s coming, to which she replied, “Yes, in the last day.” Lily, the little girl I have been telling you about, so eagerly wanted to answer, which she did, by saying in such a sweet way, “He might came at anytime, He might come this afternoon.”
Lucy H. is another very interesting child, and it is remarkable the many things she goes home and tells her mother. Once when she had the measles, she said, “I shall be glad to go to Sunday School again to hear about Jesus, for I do like to hear about Him.” The other evening, when her aunt was putting her to bed, she said, “There may not be a tomorrow, because the Lord Jesus might come.” So her aunt said, “It will be only those who believe on the Lord Jesus that He will take when He comes.” Lucy’s reply was, “I know He will take me, because I believe on Him.”
You will be interested to hear that I have started a sewing class. This was in my mind for some time, then the way seemed clear. The children seemed very much delighted about it when I mentioned it to them. With one voice, so to speak, they exclaimed, “May I come?” I have the class on Wednesdays. They look quite a busy set of bees.
I feel so happy when among the children and I love the work.”