Out of Sight, Out of Mind. 327 IV. REACHING SCHOLARS WHEN ABSENT. Danger of Losing the Absent; Causes of Absence; Gain of Work for PART II. Other Work. when Absent. So long as a scholar is regular in his attendance upon a Sunday-school, so long as he is punctually in his Teacher's place in his class, week by week, he can be reasonably sure of attention from his teacher. There are few scholars who are openly neglected while they are face to face with their teachers. But when a scholar absents himself from his class and his school, then he is in danger of neglect from his teacher, if not indeed in danger of his teacher's forgetfulness. "Out of sight, out of mind," is an adage that has its too common application to the Sunday-school scholar, as well as to those in every other sphere of life. tude. As a matter of fact, it is probable that more than one-half of all the scholars who are brought under A lost multithe oversight of teachers in our Sunday-schools, in city and in country, the whole world over, are lost PART II. The Teacher's Other Work. Reaching when Absent. to the Sunday-school by the neglect of their teachers to follow them up when first they absent themselves SECTION IV. from the Sunday-school, or to keep a hold on them by correspondence when the teacher himself is away on vacation. And, again, as a practical matter, it is probably true, that wise and loving efforts to reach scholars who absent themselves from the Sundayschool, or from whom, while at the Sunday-school, the A multitude teacher has absented himself, have a power for good rescued. Dangers of absence. beyond the best efforts which are made to reach those same scholars while they and their teachers are together with never an interval of separation—on Sundays. If, when a scholar absents himself from the Sunday-school, no notice is taken of his absence, he naturally comes to have the feeling that the tie which bound him to his teacher is not a very strong one. On the other hand, his teacher quickly, or, at all events, surely, loses an interest in behalf of a scholar who neither is present in the class to be seen and dealt with there, nor is kept in mind, while away from sight, by special efforts to reach him lovingly. Most teachers would be surprised, if they had kept a close record of all the scholars who have been in their class, say, within the past five years, and could look back over it to ascertain how large a proportion of the entire members had dropped out, one at a time, and not been followed up to be brought back to the class, or to be assured of their teacher's con Finding the Cause of Absence. tinued interest in their welfare. Yet again, those teachers who have kept such a record, and have meantime been faithful in following up their scholars by personal visits or by letters, would probably be equally surprised, on looking back over that record, to see how many of their scholars were really won to a new interest in the school, and to new love for their teacher, by the teacher's work in their behalf when the scholar or the teacher was away from the school. 329 PART II. The Teacher's other work. Reaching if not a reason. There is always some cause for a scholar's absenting himself from his Sunday-school, even though there is not always a reason for his so doing. It may be that it is some outside temptation, which just then draws him away from the place where otherwise he would be glad to be on a Sunday. A teacher's visit to him in the week following, or even a teacher's kindly note to him, may be the means of drawing him back again from the line of life which A cause, but for this would be followed to his lasting injury. It may be only his listlessness, his lack of interest in class or teacher, which has kept him away. The unexpected show of loving interest in him personally, by the visit or the note of his teacher, may rouse him to a grateful recognition of the fact that a place in that class and under that teacher means a great deal more than he had hitherto supposed. It may be that his own sickness, or that sickness or sorrow in his home-circle, is the cause of his deten- | PART II. Other Work. Reaching A crisis. Gaining knowledge and love. tion from the school. If his teacher comes to him at such a time, and evidences sympathy with him in his illness or in his trial, a new hold is gained on his confidence and affections; while his teacher's absence at such a time may be construed by him into a lack of interest in him personally, and will be, at the best, a lost opportunity to the teacher. Whatever may be the cause of the scholar's absence, the absence itself makes, as it were, a crisis in the scholar's career as a scholar-a crisis which cannot be neglected by the teacher without a risk to both scholar and teacher. Work for a scholar in a scholar's absence, gives a new power to the teacher, not only a new power over the scholar, but a new power to the teacher in the teacher's sphere of knowledge, of influence, and of affection. A teacher knows more of a scholar whom he has followed up during his absence from the class, and he is pretty sure to gain an added knowledge of wise methods in behalf of that scholar, and of other scholars similarly circumstanced, by his seeing that scholar, and his doing for him, in this emergency. A teacher is himself more of a man for all his wise and loving doing for another; and a teacher is sure to love more dearly, and to be more dearly loved by, a scholar in whose behalf he has exerted himself, and has been privileged to do efficient service. A scholar's absence from his class, opens up, in fact, a wide sphere of possibilities of good to both scholar and The Apostle and the Robber. teacher; and no teacher can fairly fill his place without recognizing and occupying this sphere of hopeful endeavor. 331 PART II. SECTION IV. It is more than a legend of the Beloved Apostle which tells of his following up an absent and wayward scholar, to his final rescue. Clement gives it as "a story which is not a story, but a veritable account that has been handed down and carefully kept in memory; "and Neander says that the narrative "gives altogether the impression of actual truth lying at its basis." A young scholar of John, in the vicinity of Ephesus, was loved and influenced and taught by the Apostle, until he seemed safe within the fold of the Christian Church. During John's absence from that region, the young convert was led astray, and finally became the captain of a band of robbers in the neighboring mountains. Seeking the When the Apostle returned to that region and learned of this, nothing could keep him from seeking his former scholar in the hope of his rescue. He hastened into the mountains, and permitted himself to be taken a prisoner, that he might come face to face with the man he sought. The sight of his old teacher brought up a flood of recollections which overpowered the robber chieftain, and he turned away to fly from the face of John. But John pursued him, calling after him in love, and urging him to come back and be forgiven. The teacher's loving persistency triumphed, and the recreant scholar was saved. lost. |