Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-09-13
An Old Time Sunday.

An antilurv. who has been masking
researches in the colonial traditions Al
llaverhllle. Mass. gives in the ErtHtny
Po>'. som,. pc ullar traits of the good old
times" The Sunday always called the
Sabblth-berln ut sunset on Saturday.
No Labor WAS performed on that evening.
SUNDAYS churcl services We're announced
bv the III ,win@ of Il horn. or the hanging
out Of a l1r. They began at min" A. VI,
and lasted until twelve. There was then
an intcrmi>>iun ut an hour. At one o'clock
in tn. afternoon services We're resumed
md continued until tour. The people
we're compelled bv law to attend one ser
vi e 1T least. and Il fine WAS imposed upon
al who rode rapidly either 10 or from
meeting. The sexton called upon the
minister. aud escorted him To- the meeting
hou~r There were few prW>, and those
tor = lhe quality only, occupying the
80 sia!,> Of the front entrance. Gray
htircd cIlcr~ sat in II pew before the cle-
waited pulpit. and two drHconS IN u box
briurc the " elders seat. The p""pl"
at larrr at on hcuchc>. arranged IN til"
.ctntrr Of the house, places on which We're
a>sirned at annu Il town meeting accord
in,r to social >t ndng. This o.casioncd
or,:,t j,AIou-ics To seat the meeting
house. ~ it was called. was the most
difficult duty of the Wear. No person
mrh take offence and stay away, and n"
person might occupy another ; seat n
fine was i'm, o>cd in 10th eases. The ser
vices Lcgan 10y PRAYER, which was followed
hv singing Il psalm in metre. dictated 10y
a t,acon line by line. to The congregation
Then followed the long PRAYER, occupy
n.s from sixty 10 ninety minutes, during
winch time the people stool Neither
kucrliur or reading of the Scriptures was
adopted for more than hundred years
after Plymouth settlement. both being re-
t,r,rdrd as initiative of the Church OF Eng
land. \ second hvmn followed the long
nl..ver. and then came the sermon. invarl
blv written. and occupying from one an'
4 hall to two hours in delivery. Baptl~ms
cases of church discipline and collections
were attended to in the afternoon. There
was a contribution every >undav, prcrcd
ed bv an appeal from one OF the deacons
The boxes were not carried around. bu
the CONGREGATION arus, and proceeded t'
, the dcacons' seat to deposit their offerings
Mayi>,rate, and 1.-The quality walked NJ
first, elders next, and then the common
! people, The trials of ecclesiastical offend
crs ut the close OF the afternoon service
tofcn afforded amusement. For varlou
; offence, there were various punlshments
' When it was expected that confession
= WAS to be made the house was throngc'
: After the brncdiction was pronounced tn
minister passed out of the church bown
y y to the people on both sides, and tollowe
bv his family, then by the persons who o.
cl1ped the pews, and finally by the mutt
= tulc. When pews We're introduced owe
the whole house their seats were hun
on hnres. so rs to be turned up for II
convenience of standers during prayer
~ When the amen was pronounced the'
i seats were again turned down 1t produ
/. ed a loud noise, especially as The DO,
=. found in the ISLAM" a relief from tedlou
=. ness. and a change; therefore, the prese
pr fixed seats were at length introduced,
e. Everything which had the appearan'
o. ot levitv, even in the beginning OF u
in eiohteenth century, was discarded by Il
TO PILGRIMS. The drinking of healths ar
4 ,he use of tobacco were forbidden, Il
~ former being considered heathenlsh al
4. ilolatrous, the other as a species OF into
a. ication. Laws were instituted to regul;t
ye social intercourse between the sexes :"
the advances toward matrlmony. ri
and ostentation came under the cognlzan
of the magistrate Modes of dress, cut
go hair. manner of speech. style OF cafri''e
of and bearing, hours of rising in the MOI
es- mo and retiring at night too RAPID drlVl
od on the roads, too loud. prolonged or
all onent laughter, bad conduct on the Lor
tly dav. and thousand other things not
"a g,rded now as coming under the Jnrlso
Zion Of the civil magistrate, were M