Family Sabbath-Schools.
By G. H. Bell
WE are pleased to know that the Youth's Instructor is largely patronized in California. We heartily recommend it to all. For the special benefit of scattered ones we reprint from No. 7 of the weekly edition the following valuable suggestions on the subject of "Family Sabbath-schools." "There are many scattered families of Sabbath-keepers who cannot meet with others on the Sabbath day; they seldom or never hear any preaching, and frequently have no opportunity to attend prayer-meetings. The Bible and our periodicals are the only religious teachers they have; and the family worship, morning and evening, is the only religious service they attend for months at a time. "I think it would be a good plan for every such family to organize a family Sabbath-school. It would make the Sabbath pass more pleasantly and profitably. "The new weekly Instructor furnishes dated lessons for every Sabbath, so that the scattered families can all be studying the same lessons that are learned from Sabbath to Sabbath in the schools. Then if they should at any time have an opportunity to meet with any school, or any other family, all would have learned the same lesson, and would be prepared to unite in recitation and general exercises. "A family Sabbath-school should begin and close at a definite time, just like any other school. It would be better to have it held in the forenoon, beginning somewhere from nine to half-past ten, and continuing from an hour to an hour and a quarter. The exercises should begin with singing and prayer, and the interest would hold out better if there should be singing once or twice during the exercises, and at the close. "The parents can hear each other recite, and then hear the lessons of the children. In all cases where there are children in the family, the exercises should be adapted to their wants, and so conducted as to give them frequent change. In this way the hour will pass quickly and pleasantly, and the children will soon learn to look forward to their Sabbath-school with fond anticipations. "The general exercises may consist of reviews on former lessons, pointing out important places on the map, etc. The afternoon may be spent in reading, and in learning the lessons for the next Sabbath. Thus the Sabbath, instead of being a long, tedious day, will become a delight. Some families have been trying this plan with the most complete success, and we hope soon to hear from others. "Such schools should report to the State Secretary the same as other schools."