The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-05-15

Dayp The urchins-the miniature men Of the
next generation-jump from their cribs to realize
day.dreams Of fre-craokers, torpedos, and great
g noise in the world" Their enthusiasm usually
exbsles literally as does that Of their fathers too
often fguratively, in smoke. Careful mammas
awake in trembling for the consequences Of the
d.v and not without reason, as the yearly In
.,oo.ioO record Of accidents testihes. Many are
,,.-,,ad nv this wanton risk Of life and limb into
=, ontcrv against all celebration Of the day. Let
Il sink back into its old unmarked place in the
calendar say they; "its deed will remain with
IA not the less for it is immortal-the deed Of
Liberty|
Yes-and for that reason the day is immortal,
tn It rests not with rulers, nor yet with COM
mupities to decide whether the Fourth of July
shall be celebrated or not. Ii needs no proolama-
ton like our annual Thanksgiving Day nor can
State or city be cheated out of it by nissan
thropic Governor one single year. 1t is craven
on the heart of every man and woman who knows
what freedom is and of every little child who
has heard or read of Revolutionary battles on his
school-bench, and is ready to toss up little gun
powder as an earnest of the way che would have
served the regulars !"
There are some-their number is increasing in
rapid ratio, thank Heaven-to whom that sun
rise recalls the shame Of America as well as her
glory who remember with swelling hearts that
While she boasts of Liberty,
Meath SlaperyS iron sway
Three millions Of her people lie
On independence Dayw
May He who gave her " q name to live among
the nations, crown that gift by a moral nldepe"d-
ecs that shall wash every stain from her robes /;
that shall baptze her as the youngest fsirest-bOrn
of Liberty--the Queen Of EARTH
Among the many safety-valves that have been
devised for the explosive patriotism alluded to
above, the most eficacious has been some celebra-
tion of character solid enough to steady the
heads of the giddy public, substituted for the
fashy frolics of old. OF these Sabbath School
celebrations" as they are styled-though worn
out Of novelty in many parts Of the Eastern
States, and neglected or perverted in others
have yet been perhaps the most widely popular
and the most useful At the West,D they have
not yet passed the zenith of their popularity
into our district, indeed-as shall proceed to
show-they have been but lately introduced.
The Sabbath School itself is very different
thing, as it approaches the frontiers of civiliEa-
tiOn from what it was when nesting within the
walls reared by religious and enlightened COM
munity. In New England, it is the satellite of
the church in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota,
it is more commonly the nucleus of a church, or
TO use a more appropriate 6gure the foundation
stone upon which the superstructure gradually
rises-rude at first, but by degrees polished to
"goodly temple" Those who, in the more favor
ed portion Of our States, contribute their mites
to furnish our Sabbath Schools with the cheap
libraries that are the meat and drink of their
popularity will measure the circle of vibration of
those little coins cast into the treasury
But was speaking of "the Fourth" You
will already have inferred, perhaps, from this long
depression, that ours was /" Sabbath School cele-
bratiOn.0 One of those men who I" go about do
ing good to children had visited the little flock
gathered into our Sabbath School few months
previously, and stimulated their young energies
and imaginatiOns by holding up the prospect OF
such gathering as they had never yet witnessed
upon the approaching Fourth of July, 1874, to
be holden in Picnic Grove" close upon the
borders Of Prairie de la Fleur.
ofcOurse, as it was quite "a new thing under
the sun" and country affair, it occasioned no
little STIR Ragged children, who had never be-
fore thought of keeping the Sabbath, or Of attend
ing church, any more than the chip-m unksn in
the woods, when they heard their playmates boast
OF the big meeting that was to be,p began to
think the Sabbath School something worthy of
their consideration. Our class papers recorded
quite an accession of such volunteers within few
weeks Their motives certainly were not wholly
unexceptionable, and some may look in censure
upon anything which thus seizes upon the mind
directly through the medium Of the senses. |
Know that the principle and it's practice may be
carried TOO far. But what child first enters the
oaooa'h School from sincere, unalloyed desire TO
iearn the truth do not know that any Of our
bands OF new recruits failed to report itself as
regularly as its predecessors through the whole
season
The preparations for the grand day were Of
'arious Kinda The mammas and aunts In gene
TAI bestirred themselves in behalf of the Juvenile
Appettes that were to be copgregated, not to men
lion the elite of the county, whose scrutiny would
scan the tables. An extraordinary demand was
made upon the long arms of the windmill, and
bags OF first quality fiourn had q more rapid
circulation than usual. lnnumerable were the
BASKETS and pans Of buns, biscuits, cookies, and
u0ughnuts, mot to extend the catalogue OF dain-
Ties through the alphabet,) that stood heaped in
tue scattered prairie cupboards on the evening
previous TO the all-important morn.
Preparations still more important TO the honor
y 'ne prairie meanwhile had been going on in its
most 'hlckly, or rather least thinly settled dis
''let' AS the place Of rendezvous was several
-''' away, vehicles must be arranged suitable TO
"n'port the pride Of the prairie in the style be-
ming such an occasion. This, together with CO.
'on'ng the horses that were to have the honor
~ooring in our service, was the peculiar work
''ne 'OrdlierseI. Both young men and mAideusp
:. ''''er, united their energies upon one mint
ry climax Of our would-be glory, viz: the
rs 'n'cn was to float in triumph over our prai-
at 'ha' memorable afternoon, @pursuant TO
~ tournament" the Prairie PRESBYTERIAN sev,n.
rue" which included, may remark in n....
aa s many besides Presbyterians, and many Who
= 1'u DETER SON than 'sv, as you shall see, me,
'A'ra session ct the house Of one Of ia most