The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-24
MAY WALK.

The Moravians in Germany have haf
q regular day for children for at least ;
hundred and fifty years. In Switzerland
"Whit Sunday" tho first after Easter /.
devoted TO Children. in England The
bishop Of each diocese fixes q day In III,
early part Of the summer, and II 1t doe
not rain and there is 10 great FOX OF
strong east wind or chilling mist. or any
thing else peculiarly English, the oo
casion il ono Of great JOY. The I'm
versalists claim that they began the OBJ
servation Of childrcn's day at Chelsea
Mass. in 1859, and that 1t rapidly ex-
tended among the people soonnfter. IN
MICHIGAN. before tho war, the great day
for the Sunday schools was "when buck
leberries got plenty" which was, OF
course, towards the close 81 tho hottest
weather. Then, by general agreement
Of teachers and preachers, the scholars
OF Ole or two or thrco counties, as rail-
roads might make 1t convenient, were
assembled in some central grove ara
the whole day given mp to song and
speech and innocent merriment. An old
journalist recalls as one Of his happiest
days such day at Chelsea, Mich, in
1860.
Early in the balmy morning" he
writes, "thc trains rolled in loaded with
happy children, parents and friends
from Ann Arbor, Dexter and other
places. even rs far west rs Jackson; and
as they marched, delegation after dele
CATION, into the shady grove. tho aT re
sounded with choral song and laughter
and childish prattle. Then came the
welcoming speech, tho response, most
iudiciously brief. and then it was go a.
YOU please There were rustic swings
and childish games for the little ones,
quiet walks and firtations for US big
ones, groups Of stai1 married people hero
and there, volunteer choirs TO test tho mu
steal capacity Of rival towns. and every
where bushels on bushels Of buckle
berries. They were piled OF long tables,
heaped on papers spread on the grass,
served ont il buckets and baskets and
groccr's scoops thought should never
want to sec q hucklebcrry again. From
noon till ? p. m. tho common table was
spread with the general contribution Of
rrovisions ard then some moro formal
xercises'-short speeches. or course
our little group Of visiting students from
Ann Arbor were called for. but oil de-
clined but one. who was already at work
On his speech for tho next junior exhibi.
Iion-seyen months on-ant was glad OF
a chance TO practice on it-at tho ex-
pensc of the public"
In the regions south and west Of Michi-
gan the latter part Of May, or very early
June, was nearly always selected for
sunday school gatherings, for August
was generally too hot and often too dry.
Of course tho conditions. especially
hose giving a sort OF respite In farm ana
yarden work, were common TO large
lrea; equally, Of course, all the Sunday
,chools OF that area selected dates near
ogether. and 80 We can easily see how
hey finally settled on one common DAY
Without searching for any individual 10
,redit II 20. Tho Methodists, however,
lid take formal action. A committee OF
tx were appointed previous TO their cen
enary In 1850 10 report on tho instItu'
ions OF the church, expressed some re-
ret in their report that there was no
lay specially devoted TO children ana
ono early IN June. which
vas soon adopted. Mr.. c. c. North, oil
Sew York city. one OF that committee
$ therefore pleasantly called the Father
4 Children's Day" II now appears
,rpbablQ that tho FIST Sunday IN June