River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-03-14
ERED3Y.s M:aRCH III.
INCIDENTS OF EARLY NEW ENG.
LAND LIFE.
Al "SECTION' From A. MORSFS
LECTURE.

singular laws with regard to colored
people. All free negroes were COMPEL.
ed to bind out their children, before
they were four years old, to some old
English master. IF free negro was
convicted Of theft, in the language of
the law, he was "to be shipt of beyond
the sea-" Their slaves were not allowed
to be out after night-fali-not more
than two were ever allowed to meet to-
gether in, the street at any one time.
Negroes, Muiastoss, and Indians. were
forbidden to bury their dead after sun
down, or on the Sabbath day. They
were. not allowed to buy anything in
che market lest they enhance the price.
And, At an early date, they were not
even allowed to keep hogs.
IL is gravely alleged against the
clergy of the present day, that they step
ont of their proper sphere, and are not
restricted to matters of religion in their
sermons, as we're the puritan clergymen.
But by referring to the history of those
puritan days, we find that tho ministers
were not more religious, nor more closely
confined to religion in their diseourses,
than the ministers of the present day
We find that some preached about
politics, the governors salary, etc;
another about walls; another about wigs:
another about forming a stock company
for profitable fishing, etc, etc. And
when we come down to the days of the
Revolution, We find that many of them
walked to church with Bible in one
hand, and a musket in the other. In
short, we find them actively engaged 10
almost every secular enterprise of their
day. Then, as now, they were the
steady advocates of education, good
morals, and good manners.
But in the way and manner of con.
Quoting their religious services, when
compared with modern fashions. there
Is striking contrast. Till within the
last thirty years, it was the custom for
the congregation to stand during PRAYER
and sit during the singing. PRAYERS
used TO be made Of full hours length
and sermons Of twice that time. with
the most dolorous kind of music to FIJI
up the interim. The sermons being so
7ery long, they contained various
divisions, dissertations, aud disauisitions
which were numerically divided and
sub divided ill they not unfreauently
reached "ninthly," "tenthly," and even
"sixteenthly' and "seventeentbly.p and
so on till they almost seemed to an.
proach ininity; and | am sure it must
have been happy relief to those who
were still awake, to hear that ever wei.
come word. "ldstly"
But the prayers were more tedious to
endure, since all must stand, and no
opportunity was found for rest or sleep
The prayers, Of course, took an exten.
sive range, and sometimes ran into
curious sentences. II is related of good
Old Parsca Miles that, at one time when
he prayed for rain, after long. severe
drought, he covered the whole ground
and left no sort Of chance for mistake
about the nature and character of his
petition. lie said: 80, Lord Thou
knowest that We do not want Thee 10
send us rain which shall pour down
IN fury, and swell out streams and
sweep away our hay.cocks, and fences.
and bridges; but, Lord, we want il 10
come drizzle drozzle, drizzle.drozzle for
about week. Amen" And of n GER.
tain moderate spoken parsou, who, hav.
ing thanked the Lord for all kinds Of
blessings and benefits both temporal and
spiritual, and being somewhat troubled
tor further itsms, finally concluded BY
saying I'VE thank Thee, Lord-wo
hank Thee for tac many barrels Of ci.