mething wrong about this."

"Something very wrong," answered the missionary. "Doubtless you think
these children are brought here by their parents or near relatives. No
such thing. Most of them are slaves. I speak advisedly. The slave-trade
is not yet dead. Its abolition on the coast of Africa did not abolish
the cupidity that gave it birth. And the 'coolie' trade, one of its new
forms, is not confined to the East."

"I am at a loss for your meaning," said Mr. Dinneford.

"I am not surprised. The new slave-trade, which has been carried on
with a secresy that is only now beginning to attract attention, has its
source of supply in Southern Italy, from which large numbers of children
are drawn every year and brought to this country.

"The headquarters of this trade--cruel enough in some of its features
to bear comparison with the African slave-trade itself--are in New York.
From this city agents are sent out to Southern Italy every year, where
little intelligence and great poverty exist. These agents tell grand
stories of the brilliant prospects offered to the young in America. Let
me now read to you from the published testimony of one who has made a
thorough investigation of this nefarious business, so that you may get a
clear comprehension of its extent and iniquity.

"He says: 'One of these agents will approach the father of a family, and
after commenting upon the beauty of his children, will tell him that his
boys "should be sent at once to America, where they must in time become
rich." "There are no poor in America." "The children should go when
young, so that they may grow up with the people and the better acquire
the language." "None are too young or too old to go to America." The
father, of course, has not the means to go himself or to send his
children to this delightful country. The agent then offers to take the
children to America, and to pay forty or fifty dollars to the father
upon his signing an indenture abandoning all claims upon them. He often,
also, promises to pay a hundred or more at the end of a year, but, of
course, never does it.

"'After the agent has collected a sufficient number of children, they
are all supplied with musical instruments, and the trip on foot through
Switzerland and France begins. They are generally shipped to Genoa,
and often to Marseilles, and accomplish the remainder of the journey to
Havre or Calais by easy stages from village to village. Thus they
become a paying invest