Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-07-18
CIlILpREN,s CONVENTION.

DEAR LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS The other day
] met q group of sunny faced little girls. The
brightes. Of the number called out lovingly,
'Unclo Joseph we want thee to have another
meeting for u.s." Not one of the little maidens
did | know, but they 50 completely magnctized
me with their winning ways that the noble Major,
(o'er sensible horse, who, when hidden, makes bows
10 the %children) iustinctively stopped while OK
changed a few pleasant words with the little ones.
Then at meeting and other places, where | meet
well-known little fuces, the same wish has been
expressed in so many ways, that to tell the truth
about 1t, | feel my heart getting so like it used to
be, when | was a trusting, merry boy myself, that
begin to want to be n child again. | love God
md little children. Is il any wonder my heart
yearns thus What Upper calls "a wcll.spring
delight" we have not in our otherwise joyous
home. Our only son is far away, and the other
two are in Heaven one was a bright-eyod, loving
little girl, who used to run with me to the mead
ows on the western prairics, carrying her tiny cup
TO the milking, saying, more milk adaisy, papa"
but my eyes are getting m~oist,-excuse this di-
gression.
Well, where shall We have the meeting. and
when? What do you say to the first Seventh-day
III tuC Oth hhohbb WV h'ct " Ah'S"PN 'h"N WI
be the anniversary of the emancipation of thous-
ands of children with their parents, from a state of
chattels in the West Indies, where they had been
sold, like we sell calves and lambs to The butchers :!
Let us celebrate the day like real little Eepub-
licans-do you agree to that? Well, if we are
little folks we can get the nice meeting house at
Longwood, where the big folks held their yearly
meeting, and the young men and women have u
great Lyceum. Let us all be pune ,ual on the
ground at 10 o'clock A.. NJ. The real live Long
wood is just in sight, where there is n crystal
spring and plenty of old forest trees. Friends
John and Hannah Cox say we may just have it for
our own that day, just as good as il it belonged
to us even the hundreds of birds who have pos
session of it and sing merry songs there, make no
objection. Well, after the meeting is over, we
shall HE to the woods. Do you agree to that
Now girls and boys get up early that morning,
"time enough" as Eliza Sproat said, ito sec the
sun put out the moon, and drive the stare away as
he rours out the beautiful day from his golden
urn" 1t seems to me that we might organize
ourselves into n children's society, and have a
meeting every year-but nh, there's II difficulty
some of our number will be so regardless OF the
rules rs to cross over the line between the Jnve-
niles and the seniOrs-then we shoulu nave 10
'disown' them-how could they be members oil
our society after crossing the line? Should not
wonder if there would be some compromisers
among us, Just as there is in the Government, but
don't let us take trouble on interest. Two years
ago the big People were afraid we would not let
them in; all we ask of them, is please stand back
n little, and give us the platform and front seats
let us fll'cur baskets with lunch, and leave them
in the wagons-gather tho finest flowers we can
fnd-look up all the little ones that have no con
yeyances, and crowd a little, rather than have a
sorrowing, neglected one, it will make your hearts
larger. Last year and the year before, you know
lots of children came from the neighborlnS coun-
ties, and the gallant little State of Delaware; !
should not wonder that Oliver johnson should
hear of the meeting too, and want to be a boy
again, and pay the railroad fare for n man, rather
than miss being on hand. Then the rain-drops
may get the notion that when there is SO much iun
they must come too. Well children, let us show a
large hospitality-let them all come-we shall
have a grand time-I am pretty certain one will
at any rate, who delights to subscribe himself your
lover and friend, JOSEPH A. DUGDALE.