"H.Y." AND THE REV MR. TEBBS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5997, 5 February 1881, Page 5

"H.Y." AND THE REV MR. TEBBS.

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —On reading "H.Y.'s" vigorous letter, in which he ridicules the parsons who are " w&U paid" (and the parsons may be congratulated if it be only true and were not false), I was struck, Mr. Editor, with "H.Y.'s" apparent innocence about boy and girl nature. Surely, he inust be a wonderful believer in youthful virtue and endurance if he thinks children will wait after school hours for religious lessons, who have I been drilled in the "three R's" for nearly I three hours, to say nothing of elocution, music, and other things, including those delightful slaps, boxes, and sneers which, whether deserved or not, schoolmasters and mistresses find necessary to urge tardy loiterers along the flowery path of knowledge. I say, Mr. Editor, "ELY." must sup*pose children wonders indeed if they Will I wait after school hours for anything but fun I am one that thinks the absence religious teaching a frightful error for which the near and rising generation will suHeTvj!2£!2l?ly ' n morals and social progress, but I woulir-lioj. expect children to lengthen school hours by a religious lesson at the end. It is a satire grim mill absurd to revile the clcrpy because they do not expect impossibilities from children in public schools. If "H.Y." isa sincere Christian, and I hope he is, let him try the effect of any lessou on any subject at the end of school hours, and he will see_ that children have no more love for laymen than he or they seem to havo for ministers of religion. Aβ a layman, I examined the thing with care, and found that only welldrillcd Sunday-scholars would wait for the religious instruction, nnd as the} - were hum.ui beings, desiring air, fun, ami food, I but mildly condemn tne . aciion of the nonreligious absentees. line upon line, Mr. Editor during school hours by voluntary ; teachers is the only right and practicable ; mode of teaching morals arid religion.—l atu &c A Lavmax.