That the spirit and manner of these religious exercises may be the more
distinctly understood, I will give some examples.
Let us suppose, then, that the hour for closing school has come. The
books are laid aside; the room is still; the boys expect the few words
which the teacher is accustomed to address to them, and, looking up to
him, they listen to hear what he has to say.
"You may take your Bibles."
The boys, by a simultaneous movement, open their desks, and take from
them their copies of the sacred volume.
"What is the first book of the New Testament?"
"Matthew," they all answer at once.
"The second?" "Mark." "The third?" "Luke." "The next?" "John." "The
next?" "The Acts." "The next?"
Many answer, "Romans."
"The next?"
A few voices say faintly, and with hesitation, "First of Corinthians."
"I perceive your answers become fainter and fainter. Do you know what is
the last book of the New Testament?"
The boys answer promptly, "Revelations."
"Do you know what books are between the Acts and the book of
Revelation?"
Some say "No, sir;" some begin to enumerate such books as occur to them,
and some, perhaps, begin to name them promptly and in their regular
order.
"I do not mean," interrupts the teacher, "the _names_ of the books, but
the _kinds_ of books."
The boys hesitate.
"They are epistles or letters. Do you know who wrote the letters?"
"Paul," "Peter," answer many voices at once.
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