A Great Movement

According to the statisticial report o the Sunday Schools in the United States rendered at the late International Convention held in Chicago, there has been an increase in the scholar membership o all the Sunday schools in the U. S ., since 1884 of 365,645. It is interesting to know by what agencies this increase bas been secured for it shows that a great missionary work has been done to bring an army of 365,000 into active membership with our Sunday schools. No more important work can be conceived of, for it has to do with the destiny of our entire country. The three last annual reports of the American Sunday School Union, the old undenominational society " that cares for the children," who are provided for by no one else, show that in 1884, it has brought 185,034 children into 4,947 new Sunday schools, a number equal to 5,000 more than one -half of all the increase reported as having been secured by this and all other agencies during these three years. But this American Sunday School Union did more than this - it aided 4,825 other school?, whieh have 46,774 teachers and 515,714 scholars - so that in these three years it reached 9,872 communities and Sunday schools, and 700,748 children, and youth, and then re-aided and re-vsited these schools 9,245 times, besides making 92,584 visite to families, supplying 45,019 destitute persons with the scriptures and holding 27,247 religious meetings. That there is need for more of just such work in our country, is evident from the fact that according to the International Secretary's report there are but 8,034,478 scholars in all the Sunday schools in the United States, that report to this convention, which the chairman of the executive committee said was five per cent, too smalL If five per cent were addcd, we have 8,436,201 scholars in all our Sunday schools. But the statement was made that 20 per cent. should be deducted for those over 21 and under 6 yearsot age and those who attend more than one school and are counted twice; which deducted would leave 6,748,961 children and youth of school age in all our Sunday schools, while there are at least 9,000,000 more children af that age tn our country, and very like[y most ot them attend no Sunday school. Truly the American Sunday School Union is doing a great work, for present and future America, for which there is most urgent need. Any who would like to read its last annual report, or aid its work by gift of funds may send to F. G. Engign, Supt., 154 Madison-sk, Chicago, [llinois.