160 MORAL CONDITION OF THE CHILD 



home training consisted in a personal examina- 

 tion of the children by the father, usually during 

 or after the midday meal, to discover what they 

 remembered, and how much they understood of 

 the religious teaching they had received, either 

 at school or any of the many services of the week. 

 From very few of the Church services were the 

 children excused. . . . Morning and evening 

 family devotions were also conscientiously kept 

 up." Several services were held during the Sab- 

 bath ; one of them might overrun an hour, but the 

 afternoon and evening services were scrupulously 

 held to thirty minutes. During special seasons 

 of the year the lessons suggested by them were 

 carefully and impressively taught. During the 

 year the whole Bible was gone over in outline. 

 The parochial schools, which were held during the 

 week, also made the teaching of the religious and 

 moral life of great prominence. In view of this 

 careful training of the children we are better able 

 to understand the profound impressions that the 

 Moravians have made upon the world. 



Moreover, an indispensable condition is that 

 children should not be associated with vice during 

 these early years. No cost is too great that they 

 may be shielded during those years when nature 

 formed them to imitate what they see. It must 

 be frankly admitted that this world is ill-adapted 

 for the moral or even the mental education of the 

 child. What are the sights that meet his eye as 

 he goes to and from school? The great posters 



