Julia Griffiths to Frederick Douglass, December 31, 1858

LETTERS FROM THE OLD WORLD.

NUMBER LXIII.

HAVERSTOCK HILL, Dec. 31st, 1858.

MY DEAR FRIEND:—I can scarcely realize the fact that twelvemonths have rolled away since, from the town of "bonnie Dundee," I sent you last old year's scribble—yet so it is, and in a few hours we shall be called on to part company with our good old friend, year 1858. We may, even now, prepare to chant his "midnight mass;" for his doom is sealed—he must die. Alone he purposes his solitary march onward—he neither turns back, no stands still—he looks not to the right, nor to the left—he cares not whether we are glad or sorry at his departure—whether he leaves us a legacy of joy or sorrow, of hope or despair—his course is unchangeably and steadily froward. In vain some of us poor mortals have bade him pause awhile, and not so soon convert present happiness into the pleasures of memory; alike in vain have others among us (impatient of the weariness of life) woo'd the old year to let us bear him company, and to take us with him into that unknown "bourne whence no traveler returns;" he heeds no supplications, no murmurings; he has done his appointed work, no more, no less; he has never been for a moment idle, and throughout his life he has made no mistake, and now his last night is coming on, when he can work no more. We all watch his end with great interest, and look longingly, wishfully after him, as he noiselessly glides through those mysterious gates that separate Time from Eternity, and is seen no more.

Old year's night in England is a time of great festivity. There are, probably, more evening parties given this night, than any night throughout the year. The few take a sober view of the season, and give themselves to meditation and prayer; the many make it an especial season for mirth and social enjoyment, and the new year is ushered in with hilarity and gladness. Hope is, for a time, in the ascendant, as people hope for themselves and gaily wish their neighbors "a happy new year." But I must bear in mind that before these lines meet the eyes of my trans-Atlantic and British friends, the infancy of our forthcoming year 1859 will be passing away into early childhood, and they will have ceased their rejoicing at its birth.

New year's good wishes will longer have ceased to be heard in our kind streets; yet I must add my quota to the friendly greetings, and most sincerely wish you, my dear friends, your readers, and all my friends, on both sides of the ocean, a happy new year. This is a season for forming good resolutions, as well as for making plans for future work. I trust that the faithful friends of the slave will "remember those in bonds," and resolve (with the blessing of God) to labor even more diligently in time to come, than they have in time past. Dear friends, the anti-slavery ranks are thinning; "friend after friend departs;" gaps are made in the little army that cannot be filled up—for who can worthily fill the places of the Hon. WILLIAM JAY, or of JOHN N WILDER, Esq?

Who can be a worthy successor to that truly excellent, able, Christian man our valuable friend, Rev. Wm. Watkins? What minister of Christ will stand forward, bold and fearless in the right, to supply the blank made

by the much lamented death of the Rev. Dudley Tying? These noble, Christian men are gone to their reward; doubtless, our loss is their gain—but we are apt to think we can ill [spare?] all such, and that the poor, oppressed slave can still less spare them from his little band of true-hearted allies. "God's ways are not as our ways; not His thoughts as our thoughts;" and though, at present, there seems much that is mysterious in the removal, from peculiar spheres of usefulness and labor, of some of the excellent ones of the earth, what we see not now, in all this, we shall see by the bye, and in the light of Eternity will the "ways" (to us finite being, not "unsearchable and past finding out") of INFINITE wisdom be clearly revealed.

It behoves each one of us, meanwhile, to strive to follow in the footsteps of those mourned ones, who are "not lost, but gone before." Let us

"Act, ACT in the living Present,

Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footsteps on the sands of time."

None of us can tell how soon "the night" may come, "when no man can work;" "let us then be up and doing." and let us resolve anew that while God gives us health and strength, we will not forget to labor in behalf of our colored brothers and sisters, those poor, captive exiles, who "haste to be loosed, that they may not die in the pit."

I should doubly lament over my own shortcomings, in the way of anti-slavery work, during the past year, (arising, as most of my friends know, from serious illness, and consequent total prostration of bodily strength and mental energy,) but that I have the satisfaction of knowing how diligently and successfully some of my dear and much valued co-operating friends worked, in this important cause, while they were urging me to further "rest"—may Heaven bless them all!

It was with no small regret that I gave up my intention of being with my kind Dublin friends at the time of their anti-slavery Bazaar. Several recent letters from them inform me what an elegant and imposing appearance the great room of the Rotunda presented on the 17th of December. The numerous beautiful devices and mottoes were executed by my clever, active, and zealous friends, the Misses Warwick and Webb, and most appropriate they seem to have been. Opposite a grand "IRELAND," (the letters of which were, I am told, two feet in height,) was a large motto, finely executed by Miss Warwick, "Remember them that are in bonds," &c.—the word "bonds" being formed by links. I wish I had been on the spot; then I would have sent oyu a full and particular account of this beautiful anti-slavery demonstration, made by our warm hearted Hibernian friends in their metropolis on behalf of the slave. I trust, however, that an account of the Bazaar has been sent you for publication. Need I say that the old and faithful friend of the oppressed, Mrs. WILLIAM WEBB, and her untiring coadjutor, Mrs. STUDDERT, have been moving spirits in this matter? These excellent Christian ladies never seem to grow "weary in well doing"—"their reward is sure."

My pleasant visits in the West Riding were only marred by sever influenza, which came on soon after the Halifax Bazaar, and has

many times during the last two months made me a close prisoner. On my way South, I had the gratification of being present at the annual meeting of the Birmingham Anti-Slavery Society. The assemblage, though small, was earnest, and the address there given by my esteemed friend, Rev. R. W. DALE, (co-pastor of Rev. JOHN ANGEL JAMES,) was admirable Mr. Dale has not only a "heart to feel for others' woes," but he is thoroughly read up on the slavery subject. The Society in Birmingham should flourish under his banner, and I hope it will. Our friends in that quarter must not be discouraged. We have to bear in mind that a venerable Society—an elder sister—the oldest "Negroes` Friend" in England, was born in Birmingham many years ago, and has long dwelt there. Numerous old and staunch friends of the slave are members of this Society. After laboring diligently for West Indian Emancipation, these friends work for the support of schools in the West Indies, and no true friend of the negro would desire one subscription to fall off from that excellent association, even were it to be given to that Birmingham Anti-Slavery Society, which latter Society is established expressly to aid the friends of the cause laboring in the U. S., and the fugitive slaves as they flea to Canada.