“Are the people here generally in favor of Sunday-schools?” inquired the missionary.
“I do not think they are,” frankly answered Mr. Mason. “Few of them care much about anything religious.”
“Have you preaching or prayer-meetings?” continued the missionary.
“Sometimes prayer-meetings are started, but they die out directly. Preaching is kept up most of the time by this, that, or the other denomination, but it seems to amount to but little. There is no increase or life about the Church; and you can scarcely tell a member from a non-professor. Indeed, Christianity has fallen into disrepute, and Christ and His cause are brought to an open shame.”
“How sad!” replied the missionary, much moved.
“Yes,” said Mr. Mason, “it is a great pity; but there seems to be little help for it. Several have _tried_ to do something, but all to no purpose. Somehow or other there was no life in it, and Satan, with a few rowdies, defeated every attempt.”
“Are all the people so indifferent?” asked the missionary, with great anxiety.
“I do not know that they are; but the exercises were so cold and lifeless that the people had no faith in them; and the conduct of many of the members was so bad, that their influence rather tended to drive men from the Church than lead them to the Saviour.”
“What are the morals of the children, as a general thing?”
“Of course, where the church members do not perform their duty, their children are neglected; and when they fail to do right we can hardly expect anything better from worldlings and sinners. Lying, cursing, fighting, disobedience and Sabbath-breaking are common sins among the children. The youth drink, gamble and frolic, and some are guilty of heinous crimes. But, thank God,” added Mr. Mason, “there are some noble exceptions both among the children and youth.”
“We must pray God to help us to reform this awful state of morals and religion. We must labor and pray until a great revival is brought about in the Church and among the people,” said the missionary, earnestly.
“If you talk of a _revival_ here they will be down on you, both in and out of the Church,” said the deeply-interested man.
“We will exercise prudence, and call our effort by a more acceptable name; we will call it a _protracted prayer-meeting_,” added the missionary, smiling.