WESLEYAN CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL SOIEEE.

Southland Times, Issue 2056, 22 January 1875, Page 2

WESLEYAN CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL SOIEEE.

« . We presume that the comparatively thin attendance at the Wesieyan Sunday School Soiree, on Wednesday evening last, is to be attributed to the universally prevalent complaint of the district—namely, the measles. The gatheriug, having been once postponed from this cause, has certainly suffered very materially in the matter of attendance, teachers and children being apparently alike affected. The paucity of attendance was not, however, so decidedly noticeable as to be marked in any other way than that of contrast with former densely-packed and overflowing Sunday School re- unions. The minister of the Wesieyan Church (the Eev. J. A. Taylor) being absent at Conference, a deviation from the usual routine at school . anniversaries was carried into effect, which proved so successful that a repetition of the innovation will ere long be attempted, in substitution for platform addresses. The novelty consisted in the. introduction of what is termed a " service of song," being the vocal and instrumental representation of certain portions of the Pilgrim's Progress, which had beem previously read. We are, however, anticipating, the business of the evening being commenced by the induction of Mr Peter Dalrymple to the evening's presidency, and his utterance of a few P uu r , j, u : n tojj ami vToii-diißctefl remarks on the important subject of obedience bf • children to parents, the Chairman contending that conduct in this reapect was the key note to after life. | Mr W, H. Hall, the Treasurer to the school, said that, last year, he adopted the plan of not giving a formal report of the school's operation, and the omission to do so was so much approved of tbafe he intended to make the same omissioni this year. He might say, in general, terms, that the past year had been in aIL reopects a success, numerically, finaa- ' cially, and specially in that a number of the scholars during the year had givers their hearts to God, and thus the prayers of the teachers on their behalf had been answered. There was a balance in hand, before Sunday last, of about £% to which the proceeds of the anniversary were intended to be added, and the amount invested in an addition to the library of the school Mr George Trew said he had been selected to give the readings because (as he believed) it .was well known he could. ;not siugi Before commencing the reading he gave a rapid glance at the influence which John Bunyan's work, the " Pilgrim's Progress," had exerted on his own and 'all subsequent times upon all classes of the people. He referred to the intense interest with which the character! of the narrative were invested, and to show the vivid reality of the portraiture, mentioned an instance in

which a reader of tber^lrogresrs" -had^ been so thoroughly t - satisfied , a^ \,o the historical truth of the 'narrative, that on finishing it . he. expressed himself ,. in. strong teims as to the blameable conduct of Pilgrim in leaving his wife and family. The reading of a few lines introduced a concerted piece by the choir —the different parts being taken up alternately— which was continued until the main features of the narrative were disposed of. ' ; The Key. W. J. Williams gave a short address, arising mainly out of the incidents of the service of song ; and referring to the value of Sunday School work, Baid the results were the best test. After the customary votes of thanks, the meeting was closed with the benediction. -