ST. MATTHEW'S SUNDAY-SCHOOL ANNUAL SOIREE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3573, 31 December 1868, Page 3

ST. MATTHEW'S SUNDAY-SCHOOL ANNUAL SOIREE.

The: annual soiree in aid of the fund* of St. Matthew's Sunday-school took place last evening, in the schoolroom adjacent to the church. Tho attendacce waa large, and a very pleasant social evening was spent. The room was tabtefully decorated with evergreens and floral devices ; and a platform was fitted up for the accommodation of the speakers on the south tide, and in front of which was the space allotted to the choir, A sumptuous tea was provided, the good things being hospitably dispensed by the following ladies; — Meudames Morrin, Maude, Madden, ■- Sanderson, Hamilton, Brown, Soppet, Henderson, Vernon, Barber, Cadman, and W. Williams; nnd the Misses Vickers and Eames. After tea had been partaken of by the company, and the tables* cleared, the proceedings were opened by singing the 27th hymn,- commencing "0 come, all ye faithful," which was sung by all present. '1 he Rot. 1). Jones, pastor o£ the church, offered up a prayer. The Chairman then referred to the pleasure which he felt at being present at 6uch a pleasant social meeting. He said on the lass year he had referred at some length to the Sunday-school, but he would now address them on the obligation of a community to watch over and care for the spiritual welfare of its members, and especially of its poorer members. Men were brought ta live in cities in order to knifthem closer together in the bonds of Christian sympathy and to facilitate mutual aid. Men were destined by the condition in which they were placed by their intellects and endowments to sympathise with and help each other, and the happiest community was not that in which the goods of life were accumulated in a few hands, but one in which labour was respected; where the mind was so reverenced that the opportunity of its cultivation was afforded to all ; where educational facilities were held out; and where the members cared for each other, sympathised with each other in misfortune and sorrow, and where the community felt an interest in the moral as well us the physical wants of its members. The glory and happiness of a community consisted in unity and sympathy, and it was religion which supplied the basis upon which all sound happiness waa built. Human benevolence would soon cease were there no higher benevolence, and the whole social fabric would quake and fall asunder if there were no religion. It was a moral impossibility to imagine sympathy, tenderness, and respect without the existence of religion. Erase the thought of God from the human mind, and sordid self-interest would supplant every other feeling, and man would become what the principles of atheism represented him — fitted to be a companion for brutes. Religion wa3 a social concern, and its influence was incalculably great upon the well-being and social happiness of the world. Therefore it was our duty to do all* in our power to promote Sunday-schools, which were such a powerful instrument in the moral aod religious culture of the young. (Applause.) Choir : Part song, " Eemembrance." Mr. Bradt, the secretary to the Sunday-school, then read the following report ; — Annual Report. " The committee have very much pleasure in again meeting; the frienda »nd parents of the children who attend Rt, Matthew's Sunday-school on the occasion of this their annual festival. " They have no new facts to communicate. They are glad to welcome to a very largo extent the same old facet which met them last year ; and at least five-sixths of our old teachers are yet with us. " Attendance : The number of teachers during the quarter ending March was. 2l; ending June, 20; ending September, 18 ; ending December, 20 ; average for the year, 20. The number of children for the quarter ending March was 152 morning, 196 afternoon ; ending June, 110 morning, 166 afternoon ; ending September, 96 morning, 124 afternoon ; ending December, 100 morning, 180 afternoon ; average for the year, 140. "The committee cannoc but n6te a comiderabls difference betwixt tbe attendance of children in the morning and afternoon schools, there being at least one-third of absentees from school during the morning. The committee have no wish to pry into the domestic arrangements of any family, aDd perhaps even a conjecture as to the cause of such a fact would be beyond their province. "Let the fact itself speak to the parents, and atk them whether a little more extra exeition to rise early, or an effort more determined to have their sons and daughters at the morning school, would not be attended with corresponding good remits. On the other [hand, there is a tendency, in the afternoon of each Sabbath, to push into school children of too tender an age to profit by the instruction given. Such children— sometimes quite babies — cause an interruption to the order of the school, and distract the attention of the elder scholars. Parents present will, we trust, excuse the committee for expressing an opinion upon the undesirability of such little ones being preseot. Tbe recommendation to parents is — keep all little ones unab'e to learn at home, but let all who can attend, come both to the morning and afternoon school?. "the library. "The books of the school library hare been in good request during the past year — all have bten more or less in circulation, aad we trust their use has been attended with profit, both to the children and indirectly to the parents. Out of the proceeds of the soirga latt Christmas, the ommifctee voted the sum of i6lO for tho purchase of new books. These were •ent for from the Christian Knowledge Society in England", with a hope that the committee of thai Society would be able to add to the £10 a Bimilar amount from their own funds. This was readily granted, and by the '.Countess of Kintore,' now in •ur, harbour, we have a box, containing £20 worth of books, sent free of charge by the committee of the Society— a Society which has done to much good in diffusing a healthy and Christian literature throughout the world. The timely aid thus given in the shape of a large addition to the volumes of our library will greatly tend to increase its usefulness The juvenile readers in our Sunday-school will soon have an opportunity of reading these book*, as we are expecting them to be landed every day from the vessel. "funds. " The committee are glad to say that their funds have been sufficient to keep them through the year. Besides the ordinary expenditure, and the purchase of books already alluded to, they have been enabled to buy all the necessary appliances for tbe annual ■oirge, and the children's treat in the Domain, which, through the kindness of other schools, they have had to borrow on previous occasions. There is nothing, however, on hand ; but the committee confidently look forward to the success of this evening for funds with which to carry on through the coming year. " MELANESIA* MISSION FUND. " Collections roadeinaid of the Melanesian Mission •work, oarried on so successfully by Bishop Patteson, have steadily in or eased, The amount to be presently noticed by the treasurer has been paid over to the mission account, and, 'as was suggested by the Bishop himself, when he vjsited our Sunday-school just before he left for Norfolk Island, will probably be applied to the support oi a special pupil at the mis-sion-school, who will be selected by the Bishop and hi* name sent to us. The pupils of our school will, in thi» way, have a special interest centred in one ch'ld, whose progress will from time to time be communicated to us by the Bishop. "BIBLE-OIjASS. " This class ha* been kept up during the year. It has been conducted by the Rev. D. Jones. There is much room for improvement in regard to the number who attend this class. "conclusion. "In reviewing the work of the year, the committee cannot but feel thankful that they have been able to continue with but few interruptions either of the harmony or the continuity of teachers. In tbe boys-school, only one teacher has left, in consequence of the Thames goldfiftld opening up; but three ladies have discontinued their connection with us in consequence of leaving the town. These vacancies have been filled by others who volunteered their services for the work, and we have reason to believe that more are willing to come forward whenever an opening occurs for their services. We. have reason to be thankful that some of our elder scholars have become full members of the Church. These are some of the marks for which we have cause for gratitude ; but after all tbe ,real work of a Sunday-school lies deeper than the exterior «how of large numbers, or a superabundant staff of teacher?, or an imposing annual demonstration— it lie 3, or ought to lie, within. We aim at a work being carried on in the hearts of the young which Bhall lead them to the Saviour of their souls. The Sunday-school teacher occupies the position of the husbandman, who, having cast the seed into the ground, waits for the early and latter rain, until it »hall spring up and bear fruit. Ie were presumption to speculate upon the amount of success attendant upon any ouch labour* as these. God may prosper either this or, -that effort, or He may make both alike 1 good. The exact result is hidden, no doubt wisely, from our view; that we might not have whereof to glory « Our work will one day be tested, as by fire, of what

Borfc it is. May God enable all -who are engaged in the noble work of Sibbath-school instruction bo to build upon the Foundation-stone laid in Zion gold, bilver, precious stones, to the praise of His grace, 1-*1 -'* aad nofc to find that they have been layingm' on wood, hay, or stubble, whose end it to be ~ it burned. We ought to labour for the adornment of ,-, that temple by the addition of living stones to, the t - already laid glorious foundation,— Jesus Christ— and not in any vray claim its glory or detract from its . beauty by «ny magnifying of our own labours, for, , we have fallen far below what it was even out . . duty to do. "L. C. Brady, "Secretary and Treasurer." The Treasurer's account was read, from which it appeared that the receipts were £53 14-». 61. Tho - J '' aocounts collected for the Melanesian Misaien from J c 27th December, 1867, to 27th December, 1868, was ' £14 15a. A duet " Wbafi tra the wild waves Baying 1" was very tastefully sting by Mrs. Morrin and Mr. . . Farrow, •* the voices harmonising very nicely to- t getber. It is needless to say that the singers were warmly applauded. The Yen. Archdeacon Lloyd referred to the „, success which had invariably attended the Christmas : gatherings of the congregation of St. Matth«w'», an.d • spoke of the influence which such meetings in the old country and abroad exercised upon Christians, in. tending to bring about what was grand and magni- _ x ficent beyond all conception — the union of. all racejr and kindreds and tongues. He begged to congratu-/ .j late them upon the crowded attendance at this happy,,,, meeting. Choir : Part Song, " Morning Prayer." Dr. Mattnsbll said the principle _ enunciated <_ by the chairman, that there was an obligation upon any community to look after the moral at well as. the physical health of its members, was a vein of gold which ought to be worked out. What the chairman had said he himself could have supplemented^ by describing the influence that religion had exercised upon the heathen. In that remarkably accurate and very learned judgment of Judge Fenton's, part of - which was published in that day's Southern Cboss, and which was perhaps the most important doonment of its kind ever published in New Zealand, , they had a true picture of the condition of the . natives in their state of barbarism before the missionaries came to this colony. It was csrtainly true that religion was the foundation and basis of all temporal as well as spiritual good for man. The apeaker went on at length to urge aativfe Christian benevolence and sympathy, and to recommend the principle laid down by the Chairman. Mrs. Morrin then gave the song " To-morrow," at the conclusion of which she was loudly applauded. Mr. Hdksx taid he hoped the meeting would not be disappointed if they found that a Provincial Councillor could not speak, as he had only a few minutes before been called upon to supply the place of abler speakers than himself. Though in early days Sunday-schools might be considered somewhat irksome by some, there were many pleasant memories connected with them which would be reverted to in after life. The speaker concluded by congratulating the meeting on the warm interest that was taken by the parishioners in these social gatherings. Mr. Bblfrage sung "Maryland," very effectively, the chorus being given by the ohoir. At the ' conclusion of the song, there was a unanimous demand for its repetition, and which was responded ' to. Dr. Kidd then made a few amusing remarks on the subject of the word " tea," dividing the subject into the three heads represented by the component letters of the word, namely — " temperate," " economical," and " attractive," and pointing out its excellencies as "The cup that cheers but not inebriates." Choir: Part song, "New year." Mr. Howden followed with the exquisite song " Annie Lisle," which he gave with muoh taste and feeling. After which the choir g»ve " Wafted alone," Dr. Hooper moved a vote of thanks to the ladies who had supplied the tablep, to Mr. Brown and the choir, as well as to Captain Ashby, for his kindness in leading flags for the occasion. The motion was catried by acclamation, and after singing the Doxology the meeting broke up.