. The Methodist magazine and quarterly review . to prove that the question itself was an improper one becauseit elicited such an incorrect answer. Yet it certainly proves thateither that question, or another much like it, was greatly needed; forthe boy, however clever, had been repeating what he did not under-stand. Silly and absurd replies, of course, must always be expected :for the children will answer according to their knowledge. But cer-tainly they constitute no valid objection to the Key itself, whilethe teacher, if he will but use his own understanding, may with perfectease turn them a
. The Methodist magazine and quarterly review . to prove that the question itself was an improper one becauseit elicited such an incorrect answer. Yet it certainly proves thateither that question, or another much like it, was greatly needed; forthe boy, however clever, had been repeating what he did not under-stand. Silly and absurd replies, of course, must always be expected :for the children will answer according to their knowledge. But cer-tainly they constitute no valid objection to the Key itself, whilethe teacher, if he will but use his own understanding, may with perfectease turn them all to a profitable account. A Sunday scholar, aboutten years of age, having recently repeated the same sentence, wasasked the same question, and returned the same answer. She wasthen desired to repeat the sentence a second time, and think about it;after which she was again asked, Did he ever begin to be? In-stantly it became evident that her mind had perceived something itbad not seen before j for a gleam of intelligence spread over her coun-. 424 The Duty of Methodism toward its Youth. tenance—her eye sparkled—she advanced a step forward, and said,with some difficulty and emphasis, No, sir. When pressed to givea reason for this altered answer, she replied promptly, Because healways was. It is much to be regretted, that in some of our Sundayschools this catechism is unknown, while in others it is merely com-mitted to memory; which every man who remembers his own boy-hood knows to be an irksome business; whereas its constant andgeneral use might be easily rendered both a pleasant and a profitableexercise. It is not wise to surround ourselves with difficulties and discou-ragements, by talking about the inutility of our labors without theco-operation of the parents, the concurrence of the children, and theinfluences of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the directions of Method-ism, Let every one attend to the duties of his own station; and itis earnestly hoped that, in this instan
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