ligious themes. It is a fact which careful and extensive observation clearly corroborates that the Sunday School lessons are generally not learned. It is the exceptional child in the exceptional class who applies himself to the study of the Sunday School lesson. The religious day school keeps the child intellectually employed on religious themes for ten days, the result is he has acquired an entirely new method of approach to religious subjects. This is one of the most important results achieved. Its effect upon the Sunday School is just like a tonic. In a few cases the religious day school has made it possible to have an efficient Sunday School, where previously it was hardly possible for one to exist. The very best prescription that I know for a sick Sunday School is a two weeks' session of a religious day school, under an efficient teacher, or teachers. And the very best receipe that I can offer for the forming of a Sunday School where none exists, is a religious day school.

A Ritual for Family Religion

The Home Department of the Religious Education Association is attempting to prepare a ritual which shall be helpful in the religious life of the family. It proposes to have contained therein selections from the Bible, prayers and hymns for use in family prayers; graces for the table; provision for the celebration of family festivals; and suggestions for memory work, both from the Bible and from other religious literature. They will be very glad to receive suggestions in any one or all of these directions from those who have had experience along these lines. They want passages of scripture that are known to have interested and held a meaning for children, hymns that children enjoy, and that are good in both words and music, forms of prayer that are truly worshipful and reverential, some for the use of children, some for adults.

All such contributions will be very gratefully received. They may be sent to the Secretary of the Department, Mrs. Andrew MacLeish, Glencoe, Illinois.

Work of the Department of Religious Art*

WALDO S. PRATT, Mus. D.

Professor, Hartford Theological Seminary, Hartford, Connecticut

In this article I shall endeavor to state just what steps have been taken during the last three years to advance the work of the Department of Religious Art and Music, which is the last and perhaps the most nondescript of the long list of sections into which the organization is divided.

This must be the record of plans, experiments and ideals rather than of achievements. The methods used were devised to meet what was felt to be the peculiar problem of this one department, which differs greatly from most of the others in that its appeal is to a constituency of individuals, not of institutions or organizations, and of individuals, too, who are entirely out of touch with each other. The policy adopted has had far more of an eye to future than to immediate results. It has rested upon two obvious assumptions: First, that the general field of art and music offers manifest and manifold opportunities for educational effort in several different directions, and, second, that there doubtless are numerous persons, scattered through the country who would understand and favor what this department was apparently called upon to undertake.

The initial step was to be sure of the sympathetic attitude of the six or seven members appointed to act as the Executive Commitee of the department, and to secure from them the fullest expression of opinion as to its policy. A circular letter was sent out asking such questions as these: how the field of the department should be defined and classified, whether it was feasible and best to try securing statistics from institutions, like art or music schools and theological seminaries, of any instructional work now being done in art topics, whether it was well to hold any special

*Professor Waldo S. Pratt, Executive Secretary of the Department of Religious Art and Music, was requested to tell the story of what that Department had undertaken. It is thought that such an account should suggest methods of work for other departments.

meetings apart from the annual convention, what sort of papers were most desirable to have prepared, what topics the members themselves would discuss, how a large departmental constituency could be discovered, etc. The replies showed that the committee, while representing different interests, was animated by a sincere enthusiasm. There was not much agreement, however, as to what was immediately possible or desirable.

In the first year the appointment of the Committee was so late and so much time was consumed in the preliminary correspondence and consultation that finally the only positive undertaking was the planning of a program for the special sessions of the department at the Philadelphia convention. At that time we held two sessions at which six carefully prepared papers were presented, three by members of the committee and three by others who later became members. These papers were published in the volume for 1904.

It was evident that nothing adequate could be accomplished if we contended ourselves with simply securing papers, however excellent, to be read annually at a large and miscellaneous gathering where a host of other interests were competing for attention and then printed in a large volume of strictly limited circulation. We therefore set ourselves to discover a constituency of our own, hoping that later a way could be found for maintaining some communication with its members. A carefully drawn circular was printed, briefly stating the purposes of the Association and of the department, recounting the list of the Philadelphia papers and asking that those interested should fill in an inclosed postal card, signifying their desire either to know more of the Association or to be put on our departmental mailing list. The field of our work was defined as including Church Architecture and Decoration, Church Music, Hymnody as a branch of Poetry, the Liturgical Side of Public Worship, the Pedagogical use of Artistic Objects, (as in the Sunday School) the Moral and Religious Influence of Fine Art in general, and the use of Art History in any form as a stimulant to religious sympathy.

The distribution of this circular presented a difficult problem. Finally, the latest issue of "Who's Who" was collated, and from it was drawn off a list of about 1,300 persons whose occupations or

accomplishments made it likely that they would appreciate our special work. Some other lists provided about 100 more names, making about 1,400 in all. To each of these the circular was sent, with the return postal card (unstamped) enclosed. The expense of all this was cheerfully borne by the Association. Replies were received from about 225 men and women engaged in music, literature, architecture, sculpture, painting and formal education (chiefly in the teaching of literature), distributed through some 25 states and representing at least 20 different religious bodies. The distinguished character of this list was a great encouragement. Although the card called for nothing but a signature and address, many expressions of special interest were added. Incidentally, a considerable number of new members for the Association were secured.

The next question was how to do something for the information of this special constituency, most of whom were outside the Association's membership and hence unacquainted with its printed proceedings. The obvious next step was to reprint the Philadelphia papers in a pamphlet as Bulletin No. I of the Department. We asumed the risk of this ourselves, but with generous assistance from the general office. When the pamphlet was ready it was sent out with a special circular, asking those who chose to do so to remit 25 cents toward the expense. A coin card and an addressed envelope were enclosed. About 100 responses came, with many words of hearty appreciation. Thus a step was taken toward knitting the constituency together and a large part of the expense was borne by its members themselves.

Another effort of the second year was to hold a special meeting in the interest of our work. With the approval of the general office this was most carefully undertaken. The officers of the Brick (Presbyterian) Church in New York City generously gave the use of the edifice and the organist provided a delightful recital before the meeting. Three members of the Committee presented papers, one on music in the Sunday School, one on hymnal making, and one on instruction by religious pictures (illustrated with the stereopticon). There was also a brief statement of what the department wished to do, and the Diocesan Sunday School Commission loaned an extensive collection of teaching pictures. But in spite of what was thought to be diligent effort beforehand

and the unquestionable value of the papers, the attendance was small, about 40, and the experiment seemed hardly a success. The conviction remains, however, that similar efforts might prove more productive in the future.

Meanwhile plans were under way for the departmental meetings at the Boston convention. The effort was made to have all but one of the papers by those not members of the Committee, so as to draw in fresh ideas, and a notable series of speakers was finally made out. The arrangements for departmental sessions at this convention were far better than at Philadelphia, and over 50 persons were present at each of our sessions, perhaps a majority of whom did not attend other parts of the convention. The names and addresses of all who attended were taken, thus increasing the "constituency" by over 50 new names. The evident success of these meetings offset the comparative failure of the New York meeting.

It was our desire to follow up this meeting by the immediate issue of the papers as Bulletin No. 2. To facilitate this an appeal was at once made to the constituency for 25-cent subscriptions in advance as a guaranty. Over 100 favorable replies were soon received. But the difficulties of the Association throughout 1905 held back the pamphlet for a whole year and thus effectually interupted the prosecution of all active work in our circle. Recently the Bulletin has been issued and with it has gone a circular of apology for the long delay and for the abbreviated form of the papers. As before a coin card accompanied the pamphlet. Probably the long interval of time will interfere somewhat with the collection of all the advance subscriptions, but on the other hand many others are sending in remittances, often with notes of cordial interest. It seems likely that the constituency can yet be held together, if only something that it can see is actually done. The record of the third year was a blank except for the issue of the recent pamphlet.

From the outset we have had rather extensive questionings among ourselves as to what we might do if only the requisite means could be supplied. We have earnestly wished to find a way of issuing from time to time special studies in the numerous topics of our field, and we believe that these would find a welcome and