Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/55

Rh, and lively and suitable hymns, lessons are given to about 250 little children in a way suited to their capacity. As the scholars become sufficiently advanced they are drafted off to the main school.

For some time before his retirement Mr Street had advocated the engagement of a superintendent who should be able to devote a very considerable portion of his time and attention to Sabbath School work. This proposal was favourably entertained by the office-bearers, by whom it was laid before the annual congregational meeting in 1874. It was thereupon agreed that a congregational missionary should be engaged to assist the minister to some extent in his pastoral work, and more particularly to devote himself to the religious instruction of the young of the congregation. The selection of a suitable person was committed to the Rev. R. Howie, of Glasgow, and to Messrs James Adam and R. S. Gardner, both of whom were at that time in the Home Country. These gentlemen made choice of Mr Duncan Wright, who with his family arrived at Dunedin in November 1874, He entered on his important duties in January 1875, with spirit and zeal.

During Mr Wright's superintendency much useful work was done. Meetings of the teachers began to be held statedly for the preparation of the lessons to be given to the scholars, and for the discussion of questions of a practical nature relating to Sabbath School work; and large additions of suitable books were made to the library from time to time. Until the year 1877 the work of instructing the very large number of scholars in attendance was carried on under considerable difficulty, owing to the unsuitable arrangement of the pews; but after the removal of the church services to the new building, the seating in the Old Church was altered in such a manner as to admit of the several classes being so arranged as to place the scholars in each class immediately within sight and hearing of the teacher, thus enabling the work of every class to be carried on much more effectively and comfortably. The number of separate classes that can now be conveniently seated around their respective teachers is about sixty.

In December 1876 Mr Wright, having been offered an appointment in connection with the Dunedin Young Men's Christian Association, requested to be relieved from his engagement as congregational missionary on the ground that the proposed duties would be more congenial to his tastes, and would afford him an extended field of usefulness. He expressed his willingness, however, to continue his