SOUTH LANCASTER ACADEMY
By Frederick Griggs
The work of the Lord is onward at this place. The attendance at the school is good, and the students manifest a commendable disposition to work. The Week of Prayer brought us great good. As the result, there has come into the school such a spirit of seeking the Lord as I have not seen here before. The students are meeting daily in little companies for prayer. While the meetings during the Week of Prayer and since have been most excellent, yet there have been no marked revivals, such as we experienced last year; but as a whole, the faculty believe that the religious work of the school is established on a more solid foundation than it was last year. This winter the school is being favored with studies in missionary work, by Sister E. D. Robinson and others; Sister Robinson, on her return from India, after her husband's death, having made this place her home. In the religious work, the school is closely connected with the church. There is a young people's organization, known as the Young People's Society of Christian Workers, in which many of our students are interested. This young people's organization has recently been studying “Christ's Object Lessons.” Our students are interested in this book and its sale, and we are looking forward to the summer for them to do special work in this direction. We have been quite unfortunate in not having any one to take charge of our broom shop this year. However, it now looks as if we should be able to open it before long. We have found the industrial features of our school to be among its strongest and most helpful ones. The church-school work in the district is encouraging. One of the church schools, which was conducted last year amid many adversities, has been given some land, and the brethren are erecting buildings. The church will endeavor to make the land support the school, and at the same time be the means of giving the pupils an industrial education. Three pupils in this school have been baptized, and two others have made a profession since the school opened in October. Another school, where the work last year was not very successful, and where considerable prejudice was aroused against the school, began this year with only ten pupils. There are now twenty-three in regular attendance. Of nearly all the schools, similar reports might be made, though there are one or two in which the work has not been so successful. We believe that the church schools in District 1 are being built upon a substantial basis, so that they may be continued. There have now been about five thousand copies of “Christ's Object Lessons” ordered in the district, and nearly three thousand dollars received to apply on the debts. We recognize that this is but a beginning, and yet it has been the means of bringing courage into the work. The academy is meeting its running expenses, as it did last year; and I see no reason why the school can not be placed in a position, as the result of this relief work, where it can ever be free to continue its work.