Claremont Union College, South Africa
By Ruth Haskell Hayton
It has seemed to us many times that no other school is made up of children who differ so widely in age, religion, and home training as those placed under our care. In age they range from six to eighteen years, and among them we find the children of Abraham, Church of England adherents, Wesleyan Methodists, Catholics, and Seventh-day Adventists, all studying the “History of the Sabbath,” “Life of Luther,” and “Rise and Progress of Seventh-day Adventists.” This fact surprised us many times. It may be asked why we take children so young, and if we do not think they should be with the parents at this age. It is the custom of the country for every one who is able, to send his children away to a boarding-school. There is no system of free education in this country, so those not in our Home do not mind paying tuition, as they would have to do so anywhere. We are glad of the presence of those not of our faith, because they are a great financial help to us, making it possible for Adventist children to work their way when they could not so freely do so if we did not have this help. Then we believe it is a means of bringing the truth before the parents in the most favorable way. The sacredness of the Sabbath, and the signs of the times, are familiar topics. Our work in caring for such children as we have here is much like that of a mother with a large family. We look after their clothes, see that they take their baths, polish their boots, and so many other little details, that at times we feel like the mother in the nursery rhyme, “So many children she didn’t know what to do.” But these children do not always stay thus. From our school has gone out a little band of young people who are proving a blessing to the cause. One has entered the ministry, while our girls are scattered over Africa, teaching church-schools and farm schools. Items from some of their letters may be of interest. One writes: “All my children were born and bred on the farm, and so haven’t much knowledge of what the world is like. We really feel quite out of it. Sometimes for a whole month I see no one but my children and their parents. There is great excitement when any of the brethren visit us. You may imagine what a delightful time the quarterly meeting is to us. The children talk about it for weeks beforehand, and look forward to it as if it was a great feast. It is indeed a spiritual feast to old and young. Our last meeting was a blessed one to us, and I praise the Lord for it. I felt sorry to think we could have no minister present, but in answer to prayer the Lord guided in all things.”
“Our school program may be of interest to you. We have some exercises with the children on these occasions.
OPENING HYMN ............ “We Come, Come Again”
PRAYER ........................
RECITATION: “The Ledger of Heaven”
ANTHEM .... “Open Thou Mine Eyes”
RECITATION ........................
...The Boy Who Carried the Message
HYMN ........................ Shine On
RECITATION ........................
...The Battle Hymn of the Kingdom
ANTHEM ........ Sound an Alarm
RECITATION .... A Missionary Parable
HYMN ........ Speed Away
ESSAY AND RECITATION ............
.....The Feast of Belshazzar
HYMN ..... The Handwriting on the Wall
RECITATION .... Heathen Gods
RECITATION ........ God’s Temple
MOTION SONG ........................
DR. KELLOGG’S VEGETARIAN RECITATION
“A willow branch was the only thing I could get for the illustration of the chorus in the Vegetarian Recitation, so I tied oranges, bananas, and nuts onto this branch, and the parents thought this part the best of all.”
One of our ministers writes of another school: “I have been to see how our new school is shaping. I spent some time in watching the work and ascertaining what progress had been made by these children shut off from civilization. I wish to say I was astonished. On Sabbath I was pleased to hear them recite John 14 in perfect English, and the school had been in session only three months. It was pleasing to see how resourceful and persistent29the teacher was in means to hold attention and promote concentration. Have we not many Dutch and English girls who can be trained for this work? There are many calls for this sort of teachers.” Reports like these give us courage and faith in our children, and make us feel that “in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” RUTH HASKELL HAYTON.