AMONG the modern improvements in our Sabbath-school meetings the "Question Box," or "Drawer," is worthy of particular mention. Slips of paper are placed in the hands of the members of the Convention or Institute, who are requested to write upon them any question which may be suggested to their minds, and on which they would like to gain the opinions of others. These questions are, from time to time, dropped into a box provided, and left at the door or on the platform. Otherwise, they are collected by a committee and handed up to the conductor, who, at the proper time, either answers them himself or designates some other person or persons to answer them. In this way a vast amount of clear and correct information is often gained, and that of a kind exactly adapted to present wants. No exercise in an Institute is more directly profitable than the question box often proves to be.

It of course depends entirely upon the correct knowledge and grasp of the persons who essay to answer; for either truth or error are alike rapidly propagated in this way. Therefore the greatest care should be taken that no one be allowed to answer questions in this way, who cannot, as the result of mature and deliberate observation or experience, comprehensively look on all sides of the question, and be careful to do justice to all its points. No "snap" judgment should be taken, no witticism indulged in, and no dogmatic answers allowed. On the contrary, the utmost fairness and candor is indispensable.

For illustration of this subject, the following examples of questions and answers will suffice:

1. How can we obtain good teachers? Answer. Train them up in your Bible-classes and teachers' meetings. Be on the lookout for suitable persons and excite their interest by conversations on the value, the details, and working of the Sabbath-school.

2. Would you recommend the grading of Sabbath-schools? Answer. We like the word adaptation better, for there must be that in all good teaching; there must be, also, advancement and thorough Bible instruction. But we fear that an attempt to grade Sunday-schools would stiffen and injure them, for we have but one hour in a week, while the public schools have six hours per day and five days in a week, with a dozen grades of text-books, and paid, disciplined teachers. Besides, we have never found a successful Sabbath-school with more than the three regular gradations; viz., the infant-classes, the intermediate classes, and the young men and women's classes.

3. Would you ever employ unconverted teachers? Answer. Get the best teachers you can; the most pious, the best skilled and regular. When you have taken the best you can get, you have done all your duty, and God does not require any more, for he accepts according to what we have. In some remote sections it is simply a question between accepting moral and upright young people or no teachers. They can teach the elemental truths of religion, and God has repeatedly employed the most unworthy persons to deliver his most solemn messages. Therefore get the best teachers you can. It is the message, not the messenger.

4. Do you approve of one uniform lesson for the whole school? Answer. Yes, by all means; and then concentrate all the exercises, the prayers, the hymns, the addresses, as well as all the teaching, directly upon that one portion, so that it will be impressed upon all, as it was upon a little boy who walked up to the blackboard and pointed to the drawing of an altar and the bleeding lamb upon it, saying, "It was that all day, wasn't it, Jimmy?" Let the infant-class have the central verse for their lesson.

5. Would you expel a bad boy? Answer. I never did, and never would do so, except as a last resort, after trying every available resource. 6. How can we get the parents, pastors, etc., interested in the Sabbath-school? Answer. Go to them and respectfully ask their counsel and advice about the Sabbath-school. Get them to investigate and inquire, give them hints and information, and thus excite their interest.

7. Is it consistent for a Sabbath-school teacher to play at cards, dance, etc.? Answer. Cards are gamblers' tools, and we should beware of them. Besides, the teacher's time is too precious. I have never danced since I first became a Sabbath teacher, nearly forty years ago. It will lessen Christian influence. "If meat make my brother to offend," says Paul, "I will eat no flesh while the world standeth."

8. What is the best way to get rid of inefficient teachers? Answer. Treat them with the most tender consideration. Call upon them and give them some hints about a verse in the lesson, which they can use with this or that scholar in their class. I have always found it better to make poor teachers over, than to look up and train new ones.

9. How can you restore order in a disorderly class? Answer. The teacher mast first be in the most perfect order and control himself, and he will soon control the class, if his patience holds out.

10. What is the pastor's position in the Sabbath-school? Answer. He is the pastor of the lambs in the Sabbath-school as well as of the church.

11. Is it best to reprove scholars or teachers in presence of the class or classes? Answer. Never. 12. Who are to elect the superintendent? Answer. In most cases he should be elected by the teachers, not by the scholars.

13. Who appoints the teachers? Answer. They are generally appointed by the superintendent.

14. How long ought a lesson to be? Answer. Six to ten verses, and forty minutes' time for the teacher.

15. What is the best way of training teachers? Answer. Get for them The Sunday-School Times, and attract them into the regular weekly teachers' meeting.

16. How shall we retain young men and women? Answer. Get a teacher who loves, honors, and respects them and can understand young people, and does not forget that he was once young. Then elevate the Sabbath-school, so that the young people will not be belittled in attending it.

17. Is there not danger that the Sabbath-school will induce a disrelish for the preaching service? Answer. We must certainly guard against such a result. The Sabbath-school must cling close to the Church of God.

18. How much money should be expended annually on a large mission-school? Answer. A fair Christian economy is best. I know of mission-schools, of four hundred scholars, sustained at an expense of less than four hundred dollars, including rent, that are better every way, they are more regular and successful, than some similar schools which expend from one thousand to twelve hundred dollars per year.

19. How many children are there in all our Sabbath-schools? Answer. If the question refers to the United States, I think we may safely say that now we have, in Sabbath-schools, about four million children and youth, with about four hundred thousand teachers. A quarter of a century ago or so, the numbers were estimated at two million five hundred thousand, but this was when the great Western States were in their comparative infancy. The number rapidly increased to three millions, and then to three million five hundred thousand, and now our returns and estimates reach four millions. Great Britain has about the same number, both of teachers and scholars; but we do not think all other countries can raise the full number of Sabbath-school children quite up to ten millions, or the number of Sabbath-school teachers to a grand army of one million strong. The census of 1860 gave the number of persons in the United States, between the ages of five and sixteen, at nine millions (or only a few thousands less). As a consequence, we have the great aggregate of five millions! of unreached and uncared-for children and youth in our land. What an immense and hopeful missionary field here lies open at our doors! There is scarcely a State in our whole Union or a city which can truly report one-half of her children in any kind of a Sabbath-school on any given day. And yet some of our great States are working very energetically and systematically. Witness the State of Illinois, which has organized every one of its one hundred and two counties during the past two or three years, by the voluntary and Sunday-school missionary labors of its Sunday-School Association, aided by other agencies. What this State has done, other States, if they will, can do, and the immense work before us, when systematically undertaken, is by no means a hopeless task.

The Answer Box.

Nearly allied to the question box is the answer box. It consists in this: At an appropriate time in an Institute, the conductor writes an important question on the blackboard—blank papers are distributed and all the members are requested to write their answers. For instance, all are requested to write upon the question, What is the great want of our Sabbath-schools? One writes, "The Holy Spirit, praying teachers, aim at conversions," etc. Another writes, "Good superintendents, devoted pastors and parents." Another writes, "Clear teaching, good order, and devout singing." Others, "The Bible needs to be exalted and applied;" "Make the Bible attractive to the children;" "Living, earnest teachers who love the children;" "Aim at salvation and Christian training." Or if the question should be, "How to prepare a Bible lesson?" one answers "1. Pray. 2. Read it over carefully. 3. Think and pray. 4. Look up the parallel passages. 5. Examine Commentaries, Dictionaries, etc.6. Search out illustrations for each pupil.7. How to apply truth to each and all." Another writes: "1. Fix on the subject early in the week, keep it constantly before the mind, trying to find illustrations anywhere and everywhere. 2. Endeavor to make it simple, yet interesting and practical.3. Constantly seek divine direction."

At the close of a recess of ten minutes for writing and receiving the answers, they are taken up and read by the conductor, and then referred to a committee of three to digest and report upon at a future meeting. We get at the heart of the people in this way.