The New York herald., 1872-11-28
THE FAMILY REUNIONS.

ldcnt to-day will be observed as a day OF thanks |
giving and prayer throughout the length and
breadth OF the land 1t may not be generally
known that the setting aside, so to speak, OF one
Iay out Of the 365 every year by public proclama-
hion OF State or other authority, when the people
should IN q solemn manner return thanks to God
FOR all his blessings, be traced back far into the
remote part of American history. II is justly con-
Sidered New England CUSTOM and there are
those Of us, who are not yet by any means In the
Ecre ana yellow leaf OF life who can remember well
when the custom was strictly observed in New
England almost exclusively, The first Thanksgiv-
)ng we have any authentic knowledge OF took
place at Plymouth, Mass, in the year 1921,
LITTLE TRIFLE
pf 25l years ago. 1t was brought about
Joy the remarkable success of the harvest
that year. The good Governor (Bradford)
mindful Of the misfortunes he and his followers, or
rather his companions in misery, had gone through
aud thus made all the more thankful in his own
heart for the blessings of an excellent crop of
everything that had been sown on the 'planta-
tions," sent, as his friend Edward Winslow tells us
dn letter dated December IL. 1921 "our men
Jowling, that so, after special manner, we might
rejoice together after we had gathered OF our Ia
bors." The "lowling'' turned ont decided sue
cess, for "the four in one day killed as much fowl
as, with little help aside, served the company
almost week." OF course, 1t cannot be stated as
historical fact, but 1t is reasonable seemingly to
suppose, in the absence OF anything to the con-
trary, that this fowl expedition gave rise to the
custom now so prevalent OF making fowl
THE PRINCIPAL DISH
on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table. What the
good and truthful Winsow meant by ''the little
lelp aside'' which had the excellent effect OF max
ang the game last entire week is rather mys
tery. II may have been some good, substantial
side dish that came as near beng OF the pumpkin
pie order the pastry and vegetable knowledge OF
the "Fathers' went at that particular time. At all
events it must have been OF quality to ill fel-
low up to the muzzle that the 'iowl' was really
the smallest portion Of the victuais consumed. We
are led TO take this view OF the matter from that
TACT that not only did the sturdy Bradford and his
friends live thanksevingly on the fowl and the
'little help aside" for several days together but
like their descendants nowadays they couldn't
jorego the idea OF having company Winslow re-
marks on this point AT which time among other
recreatons exercised arms many Of the
Indians coming among us and among the rest their
greatest King, Massasoyt, with some ninety men,
whom for three days we
ENTERTAINED AND FEAsTED."
The good people who nowadays make IL do
mestic point to invite their friends to dine with
them under similar Thanksgiving circumstances
might not find 1t so expensive to entertain and
feast them ii they followed the example set them
by the solemn Thanksgiving oliginaors. 1t was,
Indeed quite an undertaking for the Plymouth
company satisfactorily TO stuf not only themselves,
but ninety redskins besides, each OF whom had
good natural appetite, made keener than usual
by long travel, and no doubt, il they had depended
entirely upon the fowl the four men had shot and
that "little help aside,'i the feasting would have
been of very brief duration But, to vulgar
expression, they were up to SNUFF, and it's just in
the way they made the fcast,ng day that the enter
raners OF ~ might find profit by close copying
''The ninety Indians went outn says Winsow
sand killed five deer, which they brought TO the
plantation and bestowed upon our Governor and
upon the Captain and otheis.r Just think Of
IT., ye
HOUSEWIVES OF rHE rEpIopl
You invite Mr.. Jones and Mr.. snigglns to din.
ner, aud the turkey runs short. You know you
must be certain to buy very small one, the Pill
grim plan won't work. Straightway Jones looks at
SnIggins and Snggins looks at Jones' They un-
de rstand their duty. out they go, with many
bows to the nearest poultry stand and each comes
back. anxious to be the first in, with a turkey un
der each arm. or course. once the custom is fairly
i,t there f i so no & on either
with what heartfelt sincerity you can ask Jones
and snggins to come s,d the enc next day and help
One thing is certain, II the custom once gained
foothod those who would be invited would far
outstrip in number those who would invite, and
which, besides reversing the present way of doing
things would give large families asgood deal to
think about Tor week aiter Thanksg'vlng But
O! the colony there is no record OF any thanksgiv
ing ing having taken place at eny time after that IN
1921 until 1923. This second Thanksgiving, how
ever was not exactly like the first one Ii was pre-
ceded by a feast. 1t may have been punishment
for their having INDUCED for week in the feasting
OF the first occasion that the Pilgrims good luck
abandoned them little over ayear afterwards.
land went TO the bottom; drought prevailed, and
the crops turned out bad. 1t was then that the
EVERY MAN
privately to enter into examination with his own
Illumination before Him: but also more soiemnly
10 humble ourselves together before the Lord by
drought down the rain in showers, and out OF
gratitude another day was set apart and appointed
Tor thanksgiving Wherein says he, ''we returned
glory, honor and praise with al thankfulness to
our good God, which dealt so graciously with u.s."
From that time to the present, with but few, If any.
known Interruptions, Thanksgiving Day in New
England and later In all the states, became one
great war OF the rebellion TO make thanksgiving
Day decidedly national day Instead OF the Gov
ernor Of each state as heretofore, liking by pro.
state, regardless OF what day might have been
chosen BY any otner Governor, 1t became The Gus
tom, after President Lncons first proclamation
relating 10
GENERAL THANKSGIVING.
1or the Governors to walt until the President issued
his prociamation then 10 issue theirs, calling upon
the people IN their respective states TO act In ac.
or, rather, request, 10 speak more definitely.
stll it may he Of interest to note
that a far back az 1888 there a national call
1or Thanksgiving day, which call was made 'by
authority ol Congress-" the day being the nth OF
December, fifteen days after the last armed Brit
Sler' had bdden farewell to the United states.
THE FAMILY REUNIONS.
AS we now look upon il Thanksgiving Day has q
slgunicance more than national. IL has become
sort OF annual family estvity. IL is tcue that IL
yet has many OF its od.tme church sitractions--
that Tue good and the pious of al sects regiously
regard ~ as day or cnurch.gomg aud extIaordi.
nary prayers but for all tnat 1t l. now oYerywhcre in
the Union looked upon as the day par eTceUence or
nil the days In the wear when the family circle so
far as may be, should lie unbroken Ii Il in con.
sequence Of this prevalent conviction that we
find every New Englandcr, no, only as OF
, Old, but every man, women and child
81 the Union, no matter where o. how lar he may
lie from hOiae a week % % before he Iav con,ea