Show ROBERT RAISES when the ear heard me then it bleser me when the eye saw nc it gave wl tn to me because I delivered alio poor that cried and ho and him that had nonet help nim alie bl casing that wa toady to perish came upon me and I caused tho widows heart he art o bing these words are engraved upon the raina one of the and of mankind the founder and first organizer of sunday schools theae refuges of the poor anda ayla of the ho meles was born in gloucester en land in the year 1735 the son of a prominent printer and newa publisher withal a prosperous man guineas fU ineas and a launch advocate 01 all good baue young waa early initialed into the ayale the black art of Gattenberg and was able to undertake ali r of of hie fathers business n 1757 when only 22 y ears oage ue tho management yf tho gloucester wim abon he retired lo 10 ea foy rel aud divide the fruits industry and thrill with hii friend the bc st of whom wore the little children friendless helpley hel ples t i caifa of the alleys tos whole life distinguished by te and efficient ibe puro and unalloyed christianity of a pious soul thus ho won the admiration and praise of the apostle of orison reform john howard for ills earn and solicitude prisons but the never fading laurels of fame he won by hi nl ami immortal creation the fou imia nf sunday schools this boblo work lie commenced as scarly as ills own account of the first alop taken as given in a let ter to rf friend reprinted in harpere Har pera weekly is as follows some business leading me one morning into the suburbs of the city where the lowest of the people who are principally employed in the pin manufactory chiefly reside I was baruck with concern at seeing a group of children wretchedly ragged at play in the streets I asked an inhabitant whether these children belonged to that part of the own and lamented their misery and idleness ah sir said the woman could you take a view of this part of alio town on a sunday you would bo shocked indeed for then the street is filled with a multitude of these wretches who spend their time in noise nd riot playing at chuck and cursing and swear ing in a manner so horrid ato convey to any segious mind an idea of bell rather than of any other place I then inquired of the woman if there woi e any decent well disposed women who kept schools for teach inato real presently was directed to four to these applied and made an agreement with them to receive as many children as I should send whom they were to instruct in reading and the church catechism for this I to pay them a shilling each for their days employment the women seemed pleased with the proposal I then waited on the clergyman the rev mr stock and to him my plan ha was eo much satisfied with the idea that he engaged to lend his assist ance by going round to the schools on a sundy afternoon to examine the progress pro greas that was made and to enforce order and decorum among little heathen This was the grain of mustard seed which in a century has spread its branches all over the civilized world and as far as the name of him is known who said suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not philanthropy was coupled with the good broad sense of the hardheaded hard headed practical englishman and the methodical organization and systematical management of the sunday schools insured their unfailing success in a few years statesmen like acknowledged the excellency of tho establishment religious reli sious leaders like john wesley saw the finger of god in it even the queen wife of george III sent for rob to learn from his own mouth of his work among the poor in leeds in one year after the first notice published in the gloucester journal there were 26 schools and 2000 scholars in manchester there nan aeu nia schools all over this globe count by alio llio scores of thousands and the scholars who aro instructed thereby by the millions robert died in 1811 chiv hiv the of 75 year full of honor and merit on the octh of june this year the commemoration of the centenary of of sunday schools london will take place with great and appropriate festivities we suggest that this day be also celebrated by our sunday schools which are such a beneficent feature in the public life of our territory let us have a great and glorious sunday school centennial and duly remember the name and work of robert gaikes a true follower of christ |