1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

is made, but nearly all are charity pupils, we were told.They seem healthy and happy. The classes were muchsmaller than in America. The grading is very similarto that of our public schools, with the addition of excellenthoming influences and instruction for the girls in sewing,cooking, etc., calculated to turn them out useful and helpfulwives. Our best wish for American and Europeanchildren is that they could have as good a start in life ashave the pupils in the schools we visited here. Nearly allthe teachers, male and female, are American, bright andintelligent and above the American average. We did notlearn their rate of pay."NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP" THE NEAREST APPROACHTO RELIGIONWe were rejoicing to think that such practical arrangementshad been made along humanitarian lines, andit was with considerable surprise that we learned afterwardsthat nearly all this work is included in the reportsof the American Missionary Association and the AmericanBoard of Christian Foreign Missions. Nothing connectedwith the schools gave any indication of their connectionwith religious or missionary institutions. Theonly statement of a religious service coming to our attentionwas that the smaller children knelt by their beds onretiring at night and sang, "Now I lay me down to sleep."R5009 : page 125Indeed, we inquired respecting Christian instruction andwere informed that the attempt to give it would alienatethe pupils and thus cause the disruption of the schools.We were informed that chapel services are held on Sunday,and also Sunday-school exercises, but that comparativelyfew of the children attend. The only hope seems tobe that the civilizing and educating of these childrenwould later on make them more amenable to Christianinstruction.Departing we were invited to speak a few words ofencouragement to the pupils of the girls' school. Wesought to impress upon them the advantages of theirpleasant and comfortable surroundings, and we connectedthese creature comforts with the Savior and the influencewhich doctrine exercises upon the hearts of mankind whoproperly receive it. We exhorted them to give Jesus a largeplace in their appreciation and affections. Whether it wasimagination or not, it seemed to us that about half of thefaces grew dark and scowly while we spoke, and weassociated this impression with what the teachers hadtold us respecting the opposition to everything Christian.Nevertheless, they sang us their Hawaiian farewell songR5009 : page 126in the natural tongue, which surprised us by its rich and