Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-12-18
Thanks giving.

Thursday, the 4th was thanksgiving"
The Governor proclaimed it, the ministers
declared it, the housewives talked it, the
bells rung it, aud the turkeys gobbIed it,
Venerable as an institution, beloved as
festival it takes the. medium ground be-
tween pious devotion aud the unkepi mlrth
that. holding both its sides, runs irolc mad.
Like many other good things, it originated
among the Pilgrims, and like many bad
things IT originated from its opposite. Two
hundred years ago IN the month of Februa-
ry, the SHOWS we're heaped high around
group of rude huls upon the bleak hills of
lie province Of Massachusetts bay, aud the
ocean waves asbed codly and wildly upon
its shores of rock and sand. The haryests
of the previous season had been light, and
stark giant famine stared the old PurItans
ia the face but here their courage, or rath-
or their downright Saxo-Norman plack,
stood out boldly against the idea OF perish
ing by famine. They might be shot and
scalped, but they could shoot and scalp
back again but to be compelled to wait the
slow and whitening exhaustion of flesh, aud
blood, and sInew, was something that King
James sturdy rebels had no stomach for !;
and as they had nothing to eat, they made
ytue of necessity, aud appointed public
fast. The morning Of the day arrived, and
the fast had already begun when a loud
shout was raised that the ships so long eN-
pected from the old country, and so dnXl-
ously waited for, had arrived, loaded win
provisions, and by general acclamatiou the
day of fasting was turned INTO day Of
leastng and thanksgiving. This was the
origin of custom that has been perpetual
to this day among all the kith and kin Of
those stern old Puritans, and been carried
with their brass clocks and other notions IL
mong the descendants of lollier and mer-
rier stock The cavaliers that landed IN
Chesapeake Bay, and on the Potomac, dan
ced around the May-Pole, roasted the MI
chulmas goose, burnt the Iue-clog, built
their brightest boniires, woye their gayest
smiles, and heaped high their richest cheer
during the most beloved of all England 5
holidays, whose very name IS the synonym
of peace aud happiness, Merry Christmas
In leaving the established Church, and the
established government, the Puritans had
left the evil aud the good together, taking
with them neither fox-huntIng parsons nor
PRAYER books, crosses nor iestals but their
southern nelghbors, the cavaliers, kept ia
good compromising with all the humors
aud obseryances Of the time, made merry
IN fortune and misfortune, aud to this day
It is said that the yisages of their children
are as noted for their breadth as are those
of the old Yankee stock for their length.
However, the Yankee thanksgiving and
the Virginia Christmas are in reality almost
identical, only the lankee prefers TO enjoy
his merry-makng on the governors pro-
clamaton, and the southern TO throw his
hospitabie doors open widest in accordance
with time-honored custom aud the usages
of his Church. In the vest, with our po-
pulallon made up OF the representatives, of
every sect aud party, and climate, we enjoy
a double advantage reading the old truIsm
-" make the best of everything, take the best
of everything" and we accordingly appro-
pirate 10 ourselves thanksgiving with its
strong cords of relative aud connective sym
pathy that bind as SO dearly 10 home and
Jolly Christmas, with It's holly and ever
green, and ieasting upon plum puddings.-
!, Our festal days, our days of cessation from
labor and calculation, are at most none too
many. The crow-ioot of care leaves lis
prints upon our ioreheads, aud that swift
powmau, Time, burrows our checks early
enough at the latest, without our keeping
them always under the whip and the spur o
toll and business. So we confess an emo
ton of gratitude TO the governors for their
thanksgiving, and to hoary, venerable US
age, and wise bishops for their countenance
, given TO the festivities that attend the going
out of the old year. We give IN our adj
hesion to Fourth of July celebrations, and
say not word against the old-iashlonee
militia trainings and regimental musters
L unless presdven,ure they are made the oc
casion for cultivatlng an unseemly acquaint
' ance with tina, lurking enemy known hear