The Portland daily press., 1862-12-04
COMMUNICATIONS.
IFor the Press.

MeSSTs Edat0rs:-l read with interest your
well written editorial on the subject of
Thanksgiving in the issue of the 9th ult,
with its excellent reflections on the nature of
the festival, yet / was not satisfied with the
general impression it left upon my mind, as it
regards the character and spirit of the Pilgrim
fathers. Similar erroneous impressions, con-
cerning the progenitors of New England's sons
and daughters have, unhappily, too long pre-
vailed, viz: that they were a rigid, morose, un-
comfortable set of men; denying themselves
the innocent proprieties of life, and carrying
the matter so far as to mar the joyousness of
their religious faith, and thereby to bring re-
proach upon the doctrines they professed, so
making their religion an undesirable thing
My limits will allow me just to touch on this
general subject; and would say, what would
seem might be obvious to all rejecting minds.
that, circumstanced as the pilgrims of New
England were, prosecuted, and deprived of
their religious freedom in their native land,
they sought new home in the West where
all these difiicnlIias ,..; i. .,.fssseu. 1Icncc
they persisted in maintaining their peculiar
doctrines, which were SO dear to them; and in
SO doing, it might seem like persecution in
them, when those of an opposite faith, in any
way intermedled or interlered, were excluded
from their communion, or the hand of church
fellowship was Withdrawn. Their faith had
cost them too much easily to be renounced.
That they were as a community circum-
spect in their manners, and "holy in all man
ner of conversation" we are to suppose. Re-
ligion, in its spirituality and heavenly dress, as
robe they wore, and thus adorning the doe
trines of God our Saviour in all things" But
who shall say that they did not abound in the
meek and quiet spirit, the kind and courteous
spirit which the gospel equally enjons? In
absence of every proof to the contrary, have
right to set them down as pleasant and So
cial family at first, and that their descendants
down through successive generations to this
day, inherited the same generous, kindly, gen.
ial dispositions. Indeed, l believe that their
direct descendants land l can speak from
personal knowledge, being myself born and
reared in the very heart of the Pilgrim Colo
ny, and the seat of the straightest sect,") are
remarkable for their mirthfu disposition, face
tiousness, wit, and humor, almost to proverb.
That their Sabbath days, and fasts, were
more rigidly observed than would suit the
present generation Of easier consciences, is
granted.
But to come to their "Thanksgivings," which
is the special subject of animadversion, what
were they? As long ago as. can remember,
sixty years and more, the day was kept, GER
tainly as religious festival, as it should al
ways be. A devout assembly listened to the
words of the Pastor, and being dismissed, we
went first Of all, and hungry enough even be-
fore the services concluded, to our respective
homes, or generally, to grandiather's house,
where we met in general assembly, with un-
cles, ,aunts, and cousns-all there" not a hooi
left behind" down to the infant, muling and
pulling in its nurses arms,' to partake of a
good old-fashioned dinner, cooked in no pa
tented style ofmodern improvements and which
was, as seemed to us urchins, as good at least
as any we have partaken Of since. With all
the progress of the age, l have seen no i'm
provement in Thanksgiving dinners of my
childhood. After dinner the boys and young
men repaired to some open field or square
where they spent an hour or two in the game
of foot ball. The more elderly had pleasant
conviyal time of it; family connections com.
mingling till the dusky evening called them
home. / remember no vinegar faces" oil
sour krout among them all. 1t was season
of festive mirth, as much so as we now see OF
such occasions A ball commonly came off il
the evening; and those who had been waiting
impatiently for the tying of the nuptial knot
were looking forward to this evening as on,
specially adapted to meet their wishes. Here
too, was opportunity for the good Parson tc
wear an unwonted smile, and to be rewarded
for his extra sermon by one or more marriag
fees, perhaps several, as there was but one OF
ficiating clergyman usually in the same town
Hence minister and people hailed the retur
of Thanksgiving with pleasant countenances
among these pure-blooded descendants of tn
puritans, and have no doubt, that the seed
OF all these procliyities / have mentioned wer
found in the cheery-hearted of the May Flow
er, and thats although the "bue tinge" yo
speak OF, was rife among them, there were otl
er colors in their temperament, developin
themselves as occasion required, enough t
make rainbow OF.
By us children there were no fearful fors
bodings of the approaching festival, for sha