Happy Reaction by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 16, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 27.

Happy Reaction.

By Editor

IT was predicted by some that after the generous donations of our Sabbath-schools in California to the Australian mission, there would be a "reaction;" that the effort was too strong to be healthy, and the spirit of giving would flag in consequence.

Worcester says of the prefix re, that it is "an inseparable particle denoting repetition," thus, "to revive, to live again." The prediction has proved true as far as the word "reaction" is concerned, if we are permitted to construe the word as above, that is, to react—to act again! The donation of the Oakland Sabbath-school of last quarter was larger than that of any quarter that preceded it, except that one which was given to Australia. It was no injury to our schools to give freely for that mission. As the negro preacher said of a giving church, "They do not die that way."

We would like to reveal a secret to our schools in the East. The individual who named Sabbath-school donations "penny contributions" did a most unfortunate thing for the schools. We were not pleasantly impressed with the sight of a class of able-bodied, healthy men, some of them in comfortable circumstances, each depositing his "one cent" in the class box as circumspectly as if it were a matter of conscience to give just one penny and no more. Our Sabbath-schools are important institutions, doing a noble work, and they are worthy of more consideration than such stinted offerings indicate.